Ran Tao, 1st Dan – Quebec, QB, Canada Ran Tao, 1st Dan, started training in 2012, in Quebec City, under Shihan Périard. “The dojo’s name was “Le club de karaté de Sainte-Foy”, and the classes were given in the dance rooms of a local college.” In summer 2017, at the Quebec provincial summer camp, Ran successfully […]
Marc-Antoine Trahan, 3rd Dan – Laval, QB, Canada Marc-Antoine Trahan, 3rd Dan, started training at the age of 5 at the Centre de karaté Shotokan Laval under the instruction of Shihan Bryan Mattias. In March 2012, he tested for Shodan in front of the seniors of Québec. (The seniors are the 7th dan and higher of Québec). During […]
Leah Bergmanis, 3rd Dan – Toronto, ON, Canada Leah Bergmanis, 3rd Dan, started karate when she was 3 years old. “When I was younger my parents had put me in many different sports in attempt to crack the tireless energy of youth inside me. However unsuccessful, karate was the sole activity that stuck.” Leah used to […]
Sadie McFarlane, 1st Dan – Prince Albert, SK, Canada Sadie McFarlane, 1st Dan, started training in September 2015 when she was 8 years old. She tried other extra curricular activities which failed to hold her interest. Sadie asked her parents if she could try karate. They agreed and the rest is history. Within a year Sadie’s […]
Mireille Roy, 5th Kyu – Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Mireille Roy, 5th Kyu, started her karate journey after years of watching her grandson, Samuel, training and accomplishing so much. “I saw that karate was something that I really wanted to try.” Mireille started practicing at home with the help of her grandson. It took me over […]
Lorne Bissoon, 4th Dan – Toronto, Ontario, Canada Lorne Bissoon, 4th Dan, started training in Trinidad and Tobago in 1993 at St. Mary’s College. His instructor was Sensei Neil Williams and the club was part of the Japan Karate Association/International Shotokan Karate Federation. While training in Trinidad his rank tests were done by Master Okazaki for […]
Heather Faulkner, 2nd Dan – Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Heather Faulkner, 2nd Dan, started training in April 2000. “I was quite lazy and had low self esteem. I also needed to challenge myself. I heard great things about the karate club and the benefits of learning a martial art and it turned out to be one […]
Sholanda Barker, 2nd Dan – Colchester Shotokan Karate, England Sholanda Barker, 2nd Dan, started training when she was 6 years old. Like many people, she started to train in karate because she was being bullied. “My confidence had dropped to the point that I didn’t want to attend school.” Her step-dad, Sensei David Shepherd introduced her […]
Roy Stuart, 6th Dan – PEI Shotokan Karate Daigaku, Prince Edward Island, Canada Roy Stuart, 6th Dan, stated Shotokan Karate in 1987 under Sensei Ahmed Omer who had trained under the JKA in his home country of Egypt before residing in England. In 1990, he attended the English Karate Council black belt championships in London. He […]
Chris Troch, 6th Dan – IKD Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sensei Chris Troch is from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He started his training when he was 22 years old. He was drawn to karate because of the TV show Kung Fu with David Carradine. ” I was young, and I was fascinated by the was he […]