At East Plano Martial Arts, students learn Isshinryu, a traditional style of Okinawan karate that emphasizes self-defense. Owner and lead instructor Tracy Dickey said the focus on practical self-defense is what drew her to the martial art over other disciplines.
Dickey—who started taking Isshinryu classes with her son when he was young, began teaching the art in 2008 and earned her black belt in 2009—opened East Plano Martial Arts in 2023.
The details
Classes follow a six-week rotation and cover Isshinryu fundamentals, fighting, kicking, ground techniques, self-defense and kata, which are prescribed sequences of movements that simulate combat scenarios.
Weapons classes are taught to brown and black belt students.
East Plano Martial Arts accepts students whose ages range from five to 105, and many classes are attended by families.
“We offer family classes, which a lot of places don't do,” Dickey said. “As a parent, I feel like if they're going to drop their kid off [for a class] then they're not going to come back and do a class when they're not with their child because time is of an essence. So, we created family classes.”
Who it’s for
Dickey, a fifth-degree black belt, is the head sensei. She leads about 80% of the classes and said her favorite thing about owning this business is seeing the progress students make, particularly those contending with physical and/or mental obstacles.
“I could never really exercise growing up because of my heart condition. My friend, Josh Dunham, invited me [here] to start taking karate,” John Hatch, a 29-year-old brown belt, said. “I tried a class and really enjoyed it because it was also very mentally engaging. As an adult I thought this was really helpful because it’s not just exercising for the sake of exercising but I’m learning something practical as well—self-defense.”
The impact
Amity Russell, an IT professional and East Plano Martial Arts instructor, started practicing Isshinryu in her 40s and earned her black belt when she was 50 years old. She said increased confidence is a key byproduct of her martial arts activities. She recalls her first tournament where she was nervously shaking when she had to do her katas in front of an audience. However, she powered through that experience and discovered her inner strength.
“I’m an introvert, but now I lead big meetings at work,” Russell said. “I’m way out of my shell and doing things I never thought I would do.”
What else?
About 12 years ago, Dickey began teaching self-defense classes at local shelters for abused women and girls who had been trafficked. In 2023, she founded Empty Hand, Open Heart, a nonprofit dedicated to helping survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
“Sometimes victims don't have a lot of people that believe them, so we come in with an open heart and listen,” Dickey said. “My goal was always to train, to become a teacher and to give back.”
