10/08/2026
After more than a decade operating as a small Kyokushin Knock Down sparring club out of BucksMont TKD, this past year marked a massive milestone for us: opening our own dedicated dojo inside Urban Fit, Inc. in Hatfield, PA as well as branching out and teaching Knock Down Karate at Harleysville BJJ.
In our early days, we went simply by Kyokushin Philly and the Kyokushin Fight Club to represent our team of knockdown fighters across the area. I am immensely proud of everything my students have achieved on the tournament circuit over the years. That momentum inspired us to launch our own event series, the Tetsujin Kumite, and I am excited to share that we will be hosting our 8th event on October 25th.
First and foremost, I am eternally grateful to Shihan Roman Herman for his leadership and guidance under the KUSA banner. His direction continues to be vital in preserving traditional Kyokushin Budo, and that foundation will always be at the heart of what we do.
When we expanded into our standalone home last year, I knew a name change would eventually be necessary to match the full scope of our mission. While we proudly continue to offer traditional Kyokushin classes, periodic seminars, and rank testings under Shihan Roman Herman, our dojo has grown to encompass much more, including structured training in Knock Down Fighting, traditional Olympic-style Taekwondo, Kickboxing, and Sumo wrestling.
To reflect this complete vision, last year I shifted our dojo name to Tetsujin Kai, representing the iron will, character, and resolve forged through full-contact training.
More than just a dojo name, Tetsujin Kai stands for a broader network of fighters who live by the principle that iron sharpens iron. Everyone who steps onto our mats or enters our events is a brother-in-arms dedicated to elevating the martial arts community through mutual, pressure-tested effort.
To ensure complete impartiality and welcome practitioners of all backgrounds at our events, we have redesigned our logos and kanji to be event-specific to the Tetsujin spirit. Whether you train in Kyokushin, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Kickboxing, or broader Budo, our doors and events are open to you. Much like the legendary Sabaki Challenge created an open platform for all styles decades ago, our goal is to build a fair, unified environment where all martial artists feel welcome to test their skills on common ground.
(We still will of course have our Kyokushin Philly fight team sporting traditional Kyokushin garb and the KUSA patch for traditional Kyokushin events and seminars outside of our in-house event series).
I am also deeply grateful to USKA Fight Sports, who has been an incredible partner in helping us expand knockdown fighting across the region. By booking us to host daytime knockdown events ahead of their evening Muay Thai and Kickboxing shows, they have helped us reach new audiences, and we are already preparing to host our Sweep the Leg IV daytime event on December 5th.
Thank you to my students, teachers, allies, and fellow fighters for standing with us through every chapter. I invite all of you, regardless of style or lineage, to join us, train with us, and help us build a stronger, united combat sports community and if you would like to come to one of our next events, more info is in the comment section below.
Osu!
Justin Hagen
Founder & Head Instructor, Tetsujin Kai
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