"We fight to fight". – Dustin Thomas
 
 Here is what this means to me; we don't fight out of emotion or to hurt anyone. We bow in, we fight, we bow out and that's it. We don’t need any reason other than we are here to push ourselves. This motto is followed in our dojo. It was founded by my late brother who was only eighteen when we was taken from us. He died being a hero in his own right. He coined the phrase and lived by it until literally the last breath of his life. He was unfortunately a victim of criminals that had no idea what honor or what a true fight is. Dustin was protecting his family, friends, home and property when he passed away. Dustin was an athlete to the bone and fought for no other than reason but to fight. He would be competing today and you can guarantee that he would be in every DLT Fighters corner if he was here. No one knew how to evaluate and push themselves like that man did. We try to hold ourselves to a “Dustin” standard at every practice. Few will ever reach this potential.

Dustin - We sure do miss you. I know you train with us every day

    If you are looking for Judo/jujitsu training in the Kansas City area, I commend you! Considering true Judo Jujitsu training shows that you have a desire to improve yourself, physically, mentally, or spiritually. Real, historically-based Japanese martial arts have a centuries-long track record of helping people improve themselves. Martial artists are among the finest people I know. Many of our students say that they have formed some strong relationships and that some of their best friends and best role models can be found DLT Welcome Mat. 

    You probably are trying to decide on a Dojo (martial arts training school), or possibly asking “do I even want to begin”. I feel that if you are “wired” to flirt with the idea you should defiantly give a it a try.  Of course we would like you to train with us however if you choose to train somewhere else I recommend another Welcome Mat. Welcome Mat is the oldest and truest set of Dojos. With that being said, I still recommend taking Judo/Jujitsu somewhere in the Kansas City area, because true martial arts training has so many positive benefits. At DLT, I am confident that you will get the best overall experience you can get in a traditional dojo in Kansas City, the Midwest, Some would say as good as anywhere in North America, whether your chosen martial art is judo or jujutsu. This is as much because of what you will get, as what you won't get at DLT. The hope is after reading this and some of the other information on these sites, you ought to have a good idea of our approach, and be able to determine whether we might be a good fit for you. 
 
    First let’s talk about what you wont get: You won't be sold. Judo/Jujitsu training and fighting is my life's passion, and I want students to come to the dojo because they want to, not because they've been pressured to sign up for an expensive, long-term contract. We'll explain what kind of commitment you have to make to train at our dojo, and let you decide if it is right for you. If you do join us, you'll learn great self-defense skills, become more physically fit, and find yourself becoming calmer, more balanced, confident, stronger and happier. 
 
    You won't go broke paying dues. I do everything in my power to keep our dues reasonable so that, if you want to practice Judo, you most probably can afford it and now and at next Christmas. Some schools in the metro charge as much as $200+ per month and then promotion fees that are 60.00 bucks a pop. (one school I know of in Blue Springs will raise its monthly dues to 90.00 per month per class in 2010!). I think that charging those kind of prices take a sport and turn it in to a business. If you love the art how can you do that. I understand that people have to feed their families. I will never take the approach that Judo/Jujitsuhas to pay my bills. Instead I will charge a fair rate for the excellent training. At DLT we judo at 25 per month. We also offer a “HERO” discount for military, police, EMT and firefighters. This reduced rate is only 20.00 per month.

 
    You ABSOLUTLY will not sign a time or belt contract. At DLT, you sign up for a month class. There is no contract. We are currently developing a “conduct” contract for our youth to sign but that’s it. You won't get meaningless costly promotions. There are, unfortunately, many schools that guarantee you a promotion every few months. Think about what this means: while you are busting your butt to actually earn your black belt, the guy or gal next to you who hardly ever shows up will be promoted along with you, whether they deserves it or not. That does devalue rank. At DLT, we have above avarge standards. We won't hold you back unreasonably, but neither will we make it meaningless to get a promotion. This creates above average athletes. The last thing you want is to be promoted to quickly and have that shown at a tournament against what should be a comparable athlete. I think this goes back to the whole paying the bills ideology. Some students will loose intrest and quit with out that belt to those I say just go to the local supply house and buy a new belt any color I bet you can even get a camo one.  
 
    You won't find people made of intimidation. Don't worry about being bullied or utilized as a training ego building dummy while training at DLT. I simply don't tolerate intimidation at our school. Real martial arts development takes place in an atmosphere of mutual respect and joy. Traditional martial arts systems are less about fighting than they are about personal development. If you practice regularly and reflect on your training, you will gain all the benefits of training, whether or not you ever set foot in a match. However, we are a completion heavy school. We have a wonderful group of hard working, dedicated students at DLT, where 13 year-old ( ONLY A SELECT FEW WHO ARE TRAINING IN THE COMPETIVE CLASSES) competitors can work together with 50 year-old students and push the … out of each other.  Your choice; train kids and adults together or separate. We have adult programs are for soully for grownups. In each class we structure our lesson plans for the class in mind, and we also have kids only programs however, we have a mixed class as well. 

    Now let me tell you what you will get out of the Japanese Martial Arts training at DLT: Dedicated, experienced instructors: second only to your dedication, your coach is the most important aspect of your martial arts experience. If you wish to learn real martial arts skills, you have to study with someone who knows how to teach. This is someone who has spent many years studying the martial arts, and who has a proven track record. It doesn't mean that you should look for the best fighter: most great fighters don't focus on teaching. It does not mean that the chief instructor should teach every single class, but it does mean that he or she should be very involved with the teaching, and should almost always be at the classes. I caution you on the schools that teach multiple arts. Do they not have a love for one? Yes one could say but you teach Judo, Jujitsu and Sambo. Here is why I love Judo. I purpose that any high quality tough Judo fighter could enter and win in any Jujitsu or Sambo tournament. These sports are so closely related that it is my love for Judo that has brought me to the others.  
 
    I've been called "one of the most passionate instructors around." I don't know if that's true, but. What I know is  I've been taught the most accomplished Judo coaches in the world. I have trained with true Olympic and world champions. I teach everyone from the passive person to the MMA fighter. I want everyone to win. To Win at whatever their goal is, maybe its to feel safe or to win a National title. The difference is what make me tick is I want you to accomplish more than you reached for I want you to instead of feeling safe I want you to be truly confident and safe ( you can easily buy a false sense of safety perhaps at most karate or Tae Kwon Do Schools) instead of being a National title holder I want you to become a Champion (yes there is a difference and after training with us you will one day wake up with a profound understanding of the difference) 

    A safe new facility: the dojo where you train is very important. More important than say being convenient to get to, the atmosphere should inspire you to train and dig deep. For sure the training area should be safe and clean. DLT is both easy to get to, located just 5 minutes from 4-70 and 40 hwy at 40 hwy and Woods Chapel South in Blue Springs. There is ample parking. Inside the dojo, the atmosphere is not glamour, yet is beautiful with simple pride driven décor that tells a history of DLT.  The training area is clean and the mats sit on  top of two inch carpeted mats that all it on a fully sprung floor. This makes a huge difference if you practice Judo, Jujitsu which involves falling this goes a long way in helping to prevent both immediate injuries and chronic problems from physical impact. You'll stay healthy while improving your fitness and your ability to defend and push yourself. 
 
    An authentic historical setting: it almost goes without saying that the martial art you choose should be one you enjoy. Once you have trained for more than a few months, however, the legitimacy of the art will become important to you. If you're like me, you want to know that the techniques of your art are based on real historical martial arts principles, and that they actually work the way they are supposed to that they are not simply choreography. It's nice to know that the certificate you hang on your wall will be respected by recognized international martial arts figures. At DLT, you will train in two legitimate credible arts, that are historically based Japanese martial arts. I studied with a coach was and is a driving force to the success of these sports. He is a hall of famer who has several instructors who were in a succession of teacher-student relationships dating back centuries, and I teach the principles he taught me. There is no substitute for the real thing, and the confidence and calmness that comes from practice and knowledge. 
 
    An atmosphere respect, sweat and joy. As I mentioned above, the pursuit of Judo excellence is my life's mission. I love what I do, and it shows. I recognize how important it is to treat other people with kindness and respect. Although our standards are high, the interactions between people in our dojo are friendly and helpful. Everybody learns better when they are happy and relaxed, and that's the feeling we cultivate in our club. Even if you decide it is time to “step it up” I will always push you with respect not ego.