A karate school has opened in Mathews in quarters adjacent to the Hudgins Post Office on Buckley Hall Road.

Kokorozashi Dojo is owned and operated by former Gloucester resident Jonathan Seavey of Hampton. He took occupancy of the building in January, and transformed the space into a studio complete with a spring-style floor, dressing rooms, and a waiting room for parents. The name of the dojo means “heart beneath the warrior.”

Seavey, who previously taught karate at the Mathews Family YMCA, said his goal is to teach in the same pure style that he learned in Okinawa, Japan, where in 2016 he earned both a second and third degree black belt and was named an instructor in the goju ryu shobukan karate. His YMCA team competed successfully through the Amateur Athletic Union, with 11 members named national champions, and he expects to continue that record of success.

Seavey’s fiancée, Dr. Gwendolyn Williams, said that Seavey doesn’t just teach karate movements...