What we are all about
The back-story...
While a variety of combat sports and martial arts including wrestling, boxing, judo, jujutsu and various Chinese fighting styles have been available in Canada from the early 1900s, it wasn’t until the late 1950s that Karate was formally introduced to Canada. This was achieved by Senseis Ari Anastasiadis and Masamai Tsuruoka (1929 - 2014) – who is universally regarded as "The Father of Canadian Karate".
Sensei Anastasiadis became the first person to teach karate in Canada when he started a club in Montreal in 1956. He was a graduate of the famous Japanese Karate Association (JKA) school in Tokyo, Japan, where he became one of the first non-Japanese to earn a black belt.
O Sensei Tsuruoka was highly trained in Chito-Ryu Karate and Shotokan Karate as well as Kobudo (traditional Okinawan weapons) under the instruction of O Sensei Dr. Tsuyoshi Chitose (1898 - 1984) - 10th Dan, Hanshi and founder of Chito-Ryu Karate-Do.
In 1957, O Sensei Tsuruoka began teaching Karate in a small gym in Toronto, Ontario and in 1958 he rented a larger space and established the first karate dojo in Ontario.
In the decades that have followed, many other arts, styles and systems have been introduced and thousands of people of all ages have donned a gi for fun, for self-protection and to compete.
A number have gone on to great heights and many of Canada’s first Karate students are still practicing, learning and teaching to this day.
Karate Canucks endeavours to be a place to share the experiences and wisdom of those who have earned a place in Canadian Martial Arts lore (with a focus on Karate) through their stories, in their own words.
Sensei Masamai Tsuruoka (Photo credit: A still taken from Otousan: The Life Of Masamai Tsuruoka)