Fudokan provides expert instruction in the Japanese martial arts of kendo and iaido for adults and youth in the Washington DC metropolitan area. We practice in Washington DC (Monday & Wednesday) as well as in Bethesda Maryland (Thursday & Saturday).
Fudokan is a Shidogakuin member dojo. Our head instructor is Rod Faghani (kendo 6 Dan, iaido 4 Dan) who has dedicated more than half a century to the practice and education of martial arts. The original Shidogakuin dojo was established in 1984 by Shozo Kato and Tsuyoshi Inoshita. Shidogakuin has since grown from a single dojo in Manhattan into an organization that includes many affiliated dojo along the East Coast, including New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, the Washington DC Metropolitan Area and Florida.
Rod Faghani Sensei's martial arts journey began with Karate in his youth, a journey that led him to study Shotokan karate in Japan and raise to prominence at the National level in the years 1972–1977. Faghani Sensei continued karate until January 1997 when, in his 40s, he started kendo and iaido. He achieved the rank of kendo 6th Dan in April of 2015. As the founder of Fudokan, his mission is to continue training and to enable people of all ages to learn about the way of the sword and its many mind-body benefits.
