O nas - SOTO

Our passion

Welcome to the SOTO Club!

We are a martial arts club where we combine our passion for Aikido and Ken-Jutsu. Our community is a welcoming place for anyone who wants to learn and develop in a supportive environment. We invite you to join us on this journey!

Schort

History of the SOTO

SOTO – Far Eastern Cultural and Sports Center is primarily a martial arts center, one of the largest in Poland, where you will find disciplines such as Aikido and Ken-Jutsu.
SOTO was founded in 1996 by Aikido teachers Aleksandra and Tomasz Sowiński, and originally operated as a Private Aikido Club, conducting classes at the XVIII J. Zamoyski High School in Warsaw, at Smolna Street 30. In 2009, it began training and expanding its activities in Warsaw's Wola district, at Karolkowa Street 18. During that time, the club developed many other disciplines (including Karate, Ju-Jitsu, Kyudo, Yoga, Japanese language school, origami, and many others). Since 2016, the club has operated in Żoliborz – in a Dojo on Romaszewskiego Street, and since 2020, in a Dojo at Zwrotnicza Street 6, in Warsaw's Wola district.

Our mission

SOTO – Far Eastern Cultural and Sports Center is a meeting place for people who want to improve themselves on many levels: physical, fitness, mental, and psychological. In accordance with martial arts doctrine and Far Eastern philosophy, we strive for continuous self-improvement – not only in Aikido and Ken-Jutsu techniques, but also in becoming a better, more sensitive person, capable of perceiving others. Our path is systematic training and daily pursuit of goals, which strengthens and develops both body and spirit. The most important thing is the process of self-improvement – to be better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today, constantly surpassing ourselves.

Philosophy and values

Due to the nature of the martial arts we teach, at SOTO we emphasize harmony and coexistence with others rather than competition, teaching values embodied in, among others, the Bushido Code – the historical samurai code, the Japanese equivalent of the European Code of Chivalry. These universal values, although derived from ancient times, remain incredibly important and relevant, which is why we strive to pass them on to future generations as the foundation of life and martial arts.

Our classes

At the SOTO Center, we offer Aikido (Aikikai) and Ken-Jutsu (Kashima no Tachi) training for youth and adults, tailored to various skill levels. We organize and co-organize cultural events related to Far Eastern martial arts. Since 1996, we have also specialized in organizing sports and adventure camps that combine training with personal development and team-building.

For whom and how we operate

Our classes are open to both youth and adults, and our offerings are constantly evolving, adapting to the needs of our participants. Registration and reservations are handled online on the SOTO website, where participants can track their entries, payments, and receive club updates. We operate in Warsaw's Wola district, in a specially designed Dojo at 6 Zwrotnicza Street, with a training room equipped with a mat covering approximately100 square meters.

Who we are

SOTO was founded by Aleksandra and Tomasz Sowiński, enthusiasts and practitioners of Japanese martial arts with over thirty years of experience. They conduct classes for youth and adults, regularly organizing seminars, training sessions, and camps, as well as trips to Japan, which foster a love of martial arts and Far Eastern culture. Thanks to their commitment, SOTO has become one of the largest and most recognized centers of its kind in Poland.