Lafayette-based Alexandra Karnasopoulos credits Kyokushin karate with changing her life. That’s why she’s opening her own Kyokushin dojo, housed at the Boulder JCC at 6007 Oreg Avenue.
Kyokushin karate is a traditional Japanese martial art that is widely considered one of the hardest forms of karate. Practitioners compete in tournaments with no pads or protective gear.
“It is full contact,” Karnasopoulos said. Despite its difficulty, Karnasopoulos has found the martial art transformative because of its emphasis on structure, discipline and boundaries. “There’s a very clear structure,” Karnasopoulos said. “It is safe for kids to work within that structure. My life changed like that, so it’s very personal for me.”
Karnasopoulos started Kyokushin more than 26 years ago at the urging of a good friend. “I had absolutely no interest in doing karate,” Karnasopoulos admitted. “I went to this class to shut [my friend] up.” But instead of crossing the experience off her list, Karnasopoulos was hooked. “I was also going through a very difficult time in my life,” Karnasopoulos added.
For Karnasopoulos, who struggles with anxiety, Kyokushin has brought her community, stability and purpose. “It allowed me to rebuild the self-esteem and self-awareness that had been stripped from me in my early 20s,” she said.
Now, Karnasopoulos is among the highest-ranked female practitioners in the world. She is one of fewer than 15 female shihans (fifth dan) in Kyokushinkaikan and serves as a registered International Karate Organization referee, judging tournaments in Japan several times a year.
When asked about her high levels of achievement, Karnasopoulos remains humble. “This is a notoriously difficult style,” she repeated. “It takes a certain amount of stubbornness. You have to be willing to go to great lengths. I worked a corporate job, and while I was training for tournaments I had to wear long sleeves and hide my knuckles.”
Training, she said, can be grueling. Karnasopoulos recounted that her arms and legs were often covered in bruises. But Karnasopoulos’s training paid off: She holds state and country kumite (fighting) titles in both South Africa and Australia and kata titles in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. Part of the reward of Kyokushin karate lies in its physicality, and the mind-body integration means that Kyokushin challenges the body as well as the brain.
In addition to her karate qualifications, Karnasopoulos holds two degrees in psychology and a background in drama. “I originally thought I was going to do drama therapy, so I’ve used that a lot as well,” she said. Her multi-disciplinary approach allows her to care for students in a deeply personalized way.
Karnasopoulos has worked with students of all different backgrounds and learning differences, and has found the system to be effective for anyone open to it. “I just want to make these skills accessible to anyone who walks in the door,” Karnasopoulos said. Kyokushin is steeped in Japanese tradition and emphasizes discipline, etiquette and a person’s ability to focus, persevere and self-regulate.
Right now, Kyokushin Karate Colorado specializes in youth classes, with programming for kids ages five to twelve. Karnasopoulos teaches according to developmental stages, offering kids the appropriate amount of challenge for what their developing bodies and minds can handle. Classes are held at the JCC. Programming for teenagers and adults are in the works.
Karnasopoulos is a relative newcomer to Boulder County, having moved to the United States from Australia in 2024. Previously, Karnasopoulos operated dojos in Bondi, Australia and Cape Town, South Africa. “There are a lot of really amazing martial arts dojos in Boulder County,” Karnasopoulos said.
“I want to be able to offer the people of Boulder the same opportunities that were provided to me by my first instructors,” she said. Karnasopoulos started her martial arts training under Shihan Trevor Tockar, and when he left South Africa, she continued her training with Shihan Kenny Uytenbogaardt. Her path as an instructor has also been supported by Branch Chief Shihan Katsuhito Gorai, an exceptionally skilled mentor who has dedicated his life to traveling the world championing Kyokushin and developing instructors and students like Karnasopoulos.
She said, “I want to give kids an opportunity to build themselves in a way that’s not about volume, but that’s about quality of character.”
Kyokushin Karate Colorado is the latest addition to Boulder’s martial arts scene. Gracie Jiu Jitsu Boulder, located at 6655 Arapahoe Road, offers programming that emphasizes personal confidence, anti-bullying and women’s empowerment. Boulder Ki Aikido is a peace-focused Aikido school with excellent youth summer camps, located at 3005 Sterling Circle, Suite 150.