BUSINESS
The Karate Kids
T
he students at Taido Karate Dojo in Peachtree Corners get to live every 80’s kid’s fantasy. They get to learn the patience and discipline of the ancient art of karate from a real-life Mr. Miyagi. Ever since Mitsunobu Uchida was in grade school, he had a dream to one day move to America and teach karate. He knew that
By Kris Bird
22
Americans loved organized sports, and karate not only gives you a great aerobic workout, but it also teaches you discipline unlike any other. His father told him that he should move to Georgia, because the climate there is very similar to the one in Japan. So, in 1970, Mitsunobu moved to America to attend college in Nebraska, and eventually settled in Georgia — the land of “Gone with the Wind.” Mitsunobu fulfilled his lifelong dream in 1975 by opening his first dojo in Doraville, Ga. Then in 1986,
Photos by George Hunter
Peachtree Corners Magazine ■ August/September 2021 ■ LivingInPeachtreeCorners.com
the dojo moved its location to Peachtree Corners, where today it stands on Spalding Drive as the most popular dojo in the Atlanta area. Over 40 years later, two of his sons now help him run Taido Karate, bringing the words “family business” to a whole new level. Mitsunobu still serves as the Grand Master, with his son Mitsuaki as the General Manager, and his other
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Left, left to right, Brendan Dumont, Mitsuaki Uchida, Mitsunobu Uchida and Musashi Uchida Top, Stepa Kolkov Above, Connor Kenworthy
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