Angels Gate Dojo

Resting peacefully on the grassy cliffs overlooking the spectacular panoramic views of the coastline and Santa Catalina Island, the dojo is surrounded by history. The sea gate from which U.S. troops sailed into the Pacific, the Korean Bell of Friendship site affords an unsurpassed view of the Los Angeles harbor, the Catalina Channel and the sea terraces of San Pedro hill. The bell is set in a pagoda-like stone structure and is supported by twelve columns representing the twelve designs of the Oriental zodiac. Animals stand guard at the base of each column.

There is a children's play area, basketball court, soccer field, and recreation center. The Olympic-sized swimming pool is open July through August. We also utilize the nearby converted Army barracks (into a very economic Youth Hostile) to house participants for our national and international training camps.

  Angels Gate Training Hours

Tuesday & Thursdays - Building H
5:30 - 6:30 PM Beginning Children's Karate
6:30 - 7:30 PM Intermediate Children's Karate
7:30 - 8:30 PM Adult Karate
8:30 - 9 PM Zazenkai (Zen meditation) - free to the public
Saturdays
4-6 PM Mixed Training, all ages, Drop-ins welcome $10

  Cabrillo Beach Training

5 minutes away by car is our previous dojo where we still hold some seminars and beach training. It is in a 1932 Mediterranean-style structure that was the last of the bathhouses built in Southern California, and was at the end of the "Red Car" (streetcar) line running from Los Angeles to San Pedro and out to Point Fermin. In the days before everyone had automobiles, people from the inner city would travel to the beach in this manner, and patronize the Bathhouse, where they could pick up a swimsuit and a towel for a ten cent rental fee and enjoy a day at the seashore. The 26,000 square foot building incorporated shower rooms, life guard facilities, snack bars for the beach-goers, and a community meeting room upstairs.

Walk along the gentle and quiet beach front and experience breathtaking views of the ocean sea, dotted with the silhouettes of wind surfers against the backdrop of massive container-laden cargo ships. Beyond, the familiar outline of Santa Catalina Island at its closest point to the Southern California shore. Mile-long Cabrillo Beach is popular for swimming, surfing, scuba diving and volleyball. Take a wind surfing or jet skiing lesson. Walk to the end of the fishing pier that parallels the breakwater, and ask the locals what's running. Or bring your gear along and join them. Picnic tables, a snack bar and a playground are available. As whale-watching season nears its end, grunion season begins. Twice a month, like clockwork, these silvery fish emerge from the water at Cabrillo Beach to lay their eggs in the sand under a full or new moon. During part of the season it's legal to catch them, but by hand only! It's fun as a spectator sport, too, watching crowds of people with flashlights trying to catch these slippery fish.

Cabrillo Beach is actually two beaches: one outside the breakwater with ocean surf, and the other within the harbor, gentle and quite perfect for families with children. You can access the pier from the beach entrance to take advantage of the great fishing or just for a relaxing stroll in the sea air and a different and dramatic look back at the coast. Nearby, situated in a costal park is the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

Just a stone's throw from the dojo are 38 saltwater aquariums that display Southern California sea creatures, including sharks, eels, octopi and crabs as they would appear in nature. Visitors can touch live animals in the tide pool "touch tank" and learn about the marine environment from modern, interactive exhibits, daily slide presentations and special events. Weekend tadpole walks and children's programs are available. Be sure to check out the gift shop. Open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5PM; weekends, 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission to the museum is free. The aquarium is an educational and research facility which provides rich and varied opportunities to see and learn about the fascinating marine environment of southern California. With 35 aquariums, touch tanks, and fascinating exhibits of local marine life and displays that tell the history of California's gray whales, visitors get close-up view of our amazing underwater world.