About Us
About Our School
Welcome to the US Budokai Karate of Clifton Park website! We appreciate your interest in our school and the opportunity to serve you and your family. A martial arts instructor and program director are standing by to assist you in joining a program that is a perfect fit for your martial arts education and fitness goals. In our 5000 square foot facility, each student has 100sq ft of personal training space. We offer programs for pre-school kids in tiny tiger karate, elementary-age kids junior karate, martial arts for teens and adults as well as traditional weapons. Master instructor Hanshi Russ Jarem, began training in 1977 and established our school in 1980 making US Budokai Karate of Clifton Park the oldest martial arts school in the Clifton Park area. We maintain a high teacher to student ratio and every karate class is instructed by adult instructors ranked 3rd-degree black belt or higher. Thank you for visiting the US Budokai Karate of Clifton Park website and we hope to see you soon!
Instructor/Owner
HANSHI RUSS JAREM, 8TH DAN Master Instructor | Owner Hanshi
Russ Jarem began his marital arts training in 1977 and has been the Master Instructor/Owner of U.S. Budokai Karate of Clifton Park since 1980. Hanshi Jarem graduated in 1972 from SUNY Cortland with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education, has a certificate in Health education and a permanent NYS Teacher Certification. He has guided hundreds of students to achieve the rank of black belt. He has thirty students at the rank of third degree or higher that currently train at the dojo. Hanshi Jarem studies and teaches the art of Japanese and Okinawan Weaponry (Kobudo). Hanshi Jarem founded Brave Belts, a program where he works weekly with the children diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders at the Melodies Center of Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY. Hanshi Jarem continues to actively teach all levels of students, from four-year-old Tiny Tigers to students in their eighties.
KYOSHI SUSAN WARZEK, 7TH DAN Head Instructor | Business Director
Kyoshi Susan Warzek is a 7th degree black belt and Head Instructor and Business Director of U.S. Budokai Karate of Clifton Park. Ms. Warzek began her marital arts training under Hanshi Jarem in 1983 and has over thirty years of marital arts training and instructing experience. Ms. Warzek graduated in 1993 with an Associate Degree in Business Administration from SUNY Empire State College and has a 2nd degree black belt in Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaijutsu and is a member of the Kokusai Nippon Budo Kai and a student of Hanshi Carl Long. Ms. Warzek is also a direct student of Roy Goldberg (Shingen) Sensei and a member of the North American Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu where she has achieved the rank of 2nd degree black belt. A lifelong student of the martial arts, Ms. Warzek is uniquely qualified to bring the highest quality martial arts experience to all of our students and families.
US Budokai Karate of Clifton Park of Clifton has the most experienced staff in the area!
SENSEI MICHAEL FAVREAU, 4TH DAN
Sensei Michael Favreau started training at US Budokai Karate in 2002 at the age of six. Sensei currently holds a 4th degree black belt in Karate and a 3rd degree black belt in Kobodu (Okinawan Weapons). He has competed in numerous martial arts competitions and was named USBA/WBA North East Regional Competitor of the year three times and was the recipient of the Northeast Open Warriors Cup 2013-2015. Sensei Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from SUNY Albany in 2018 and joined the staff at US Budokai as a full time instructor after his graduation in June 2018.