Sensei Dave.
A childhood introduction to karate became a lifelong calling—and a family tradition. Now Dave Arnold is bringing that experience to Palm Coast.
A path back to karate
Dave first stepped into a karate class at 14 while living in California. He had been training for about a year when his family moved because of his father’s military service. Classes stopped, but the interest never left him.
Years later in Washington State, his youngest daughter was invited to join karate by a friend. In 2006, the family signed her up at Karate Edge with Tony Bennest. Watching her begin brought Dave back to the goal he had carried since his teens. Before long, he returned to training himself.
“I still had that desire to do karate from when I started the first time.”
Learning, then leading
Dave trained under Tony Bennest and Tony’s father, Soke Steve Bennest, a 10th degree black belt. Shotokan karate was the main focus, with training in Ninjutsu, Aikido, and Iaido, the Japanese art of drawing and using a sword.
A few years into training, Dave began teaching. Over the years he has instructed children, teens, and adults. He has also taken part in many martial arts tournaments as both a competitor and a judge, earning respect within the martial arts community. The time on the mat and in the classroom shaped the kind of instructor he wants to be: encouraging, attentive, and willing to keep learning alongside his students.
More than one generation
Dave’s youngest daughter is still practicing karate as an adult and has earned her black belt. His oldest daughter and two grandchildren also practice and teach. What began with one daughter accepting a friend’s invitation has become something the family shares across generations.
That experience matters to Dave as he builds Keihatsu Dojo. He knows the perspective of a parent watching a child begin, a student returning after years away, and an instructor helping someone find their own way forward.
A new chapter in Palm Coast
After years of training and teaching in Washington, Dave is ready to start a school of his own. His instructor and longtime mentor, Tony Bennest, a 7th degree black belt, is opening a second school in St. Augustine. Dave followed that path to Florida and chose Palm Coast as the home for Keihatsu Dojo.
The school will be Dave’s own, built with the continued mentorship of the instructor who helped him return to karate. His hope is to give children and adults a place to learn Shotokan, build character, and discover how far steady practice can take them.
Experience that comes back to class
Competing and judging have given Dave different ways to see a student’s progress: the courage it takes to step out, the discipline to prepare, and the respect shown to others before and after a match. Those lessons belong in class just as much as the techniques do.
Start your own journey.
Whether you are new to karate or ready to return, Sensei Dave would love to hear from you.
Ask about classes