MEET THE
BLACK BELT INSTRUCTORS

I began my karate training in the fall of 1979 at Delview dojo on the lower mainland.  This was under the direction of Tomaki Koyabu Sensei.  I became Shodan (1st Dan) in 1984.  I was elected President of Shorei-Kan a month later.  I was given the mandate to build two full time dojos in Surrey and Langley which was completed.

 

While visiting for Toguchi Kaicho's birthday I was examined for Shihan Godan (5th Dan)  June 13 1997.  I was given the responsibility of all dojos outside of Japan.  I was the last person examined by Toguchi Kaicho and the last to be awarded the 6th Dan certificate by the Toguchi family.  Later I became Hachidan (8th Dan) in Sep 2017.

​

After several years of running the Surrey dojo I decided to open another Dojo at Anniedale school which ran for 10 years.  After moving to the Shuswap and meeting Jean-Luc Sensei we started Shuswap Dojo and it has become a great though overwhelming success.  It is my goal to teach as long as I am able.​

I began training in karate at age 37 (1986) at Shorei-Kan's Surrey Dojo, under the leadership of Vic Shihan.  I earned my 1st Dan Black Belt in May 1990.  Unfortunately, I had to interrupt my training in 1995.  I re-connected with Shorei-Kan (Langley Dojo) in 2004 and became re-certified in 2005.

​

I earned my 2nd Dan in Sept 2007 and in Mar 2008 I was a gold medalist at the Okinawa Karatedo Goju-Ryu Shorei-Kai Tournament in Tokyo.  I won a gold medal again at the Tokyo Tournament in Mar 2010 and gained my 3rd Dan in Jun 2010.

​

Now having moved to Kamloops and training/instructing at Shuswap Dojo (upon its opening) I gained my 4th Dan in Oct 2013 followed by my 5th Dan in Jul 2018.

​

Shuswap Dojo is extremely furtunate to have the leaders and full-time instructors that it does and I'm pleased to be able to continue to train/instruct on a part-time basis.

I first started training in Martial Arts at the age of 9 with Aikido in Duncan BC.  From there I moved on to Chito-Ryu Karate for a short time.  Around the age of 12, I started in Goju-Ryu Karate (not certain which Goju-Ryu style as it was not reflected in the name of the school).  When I was 16 my family moved from Duncan to Princeton BC.  My only option to continue training was to switch to Shotokan Karate.  I trained there for many years and achieved my 1st dan Black Belt.

​

Eventually a Kyokushin Karate Club started up and at one point I was training in both clubs simultaneously.  In my mid-twenties Keith Shihan started a Shorei-Kan club in Princeton and after a short hiatus from training I was reinvigorated by the fact that a Goju style club had arrived.  I have been with Shorei-Kan exclusively ever since, except for a short stint on the side practicing Jiu-Jitsu.

I began my martial arts journey in Ottawa in 1986 at the age of 32 when I joined the Barber Martial Arts Dojo with my two children.  During my Air Force career, I trained and taught in Canada, USA, Belgium and Germany.  I received the 1st Dan Black Belt in 1993 in Shotokan and the 4th Dan Black Belt in Goju-Ryu in 2022.

 

Over the years, I competed in numerous national and international tournaments.  Was a gold medalist at the USA National Karate-do Federation National Championships in kata, kumite and kobudo, as well as a gold medalist in kata at the Shorei-Kan Karatedo tournaments in Tokyo, Japan.   

​

Karate is a lifestyle; it allows me to get the most out of life physically and mentally.  Teaching children and see them grow and mature is most rewarding.