Senpai Haruhi | 3rd Dan

Senpai Haruhi Noaki started training in Seido karate in 2003 a week after her 6th birthday. Her father, who was training at the time, gave her a membership as a gift. She has been training ever since, and with her mother, Senpai Naoko, since 2007.

Senpai Haruhi previously assisted in Nidaime’s color belt classes and occasionally substituted for instructors in the kids program. She now teaches dynamic stretching, which TKTK. 

Senpai Haruhi has volunteered for and participated in Seido’s Anniversary & Benefit tournaments since 2018, including in synchronized kata with Senpai Naoko and other students at their rank — their team regularly placing first. In 2024 she was awarded the Sogo (all-around) and Grand Champion titles while also coordinating all of the scorekeepers and timekeepers for the day.

Senpai Haruhi has always appreciated the cultural aspects of Seido and its similarities to her upbringing in a Japanese household. She is grateful for the family dynamic in which kids and teens train with their parents, and for the opportunity to train with her mom for so many years. She also still trains with some of the same students she grew up with. 

Since she started teaching, Senpai Haruhi has learned the importance of clearly explaining things verbally in addition to demonstrating them so that she can best meet the needs of every student. She finds open-minded humility to be incredibly important for each student’s journey, as it allows them to humble themselves, make mistakes, and most importantly, learn.

When she’s not at Honbu, Senpai Haruhi works as an HR manager and also works part-time at a hair salon in the East Village, where she is training to become a hairstylist. She enjoys watching anime and horror films, doing her nails, snuggling with the cat and dogs at her mom’s house, and finding new spots to hike and walk the dogs with her mom. She also enjoys reading books by Japanese authors, particularly Haruki Murakami. Her favorite kata, which she loves for its energy, rhythm, and intensity, is Kanku.