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YOSHUKAI KARATE INTERNATIONALLY

First some background on the Yoshukai International Karate Association. The Honbu dojo (or head school) for Yoshukai International is located in Titusville, Florida under the direction of the Yoshukai International Karate World Chief Instructor, Sensei Mike Foster, 9th degree. The Yoshukai International Karate Association has schools or dojos in seven countries; U.S.A., Germany, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Latvia, South Africa and Canada.

Sensei Foster received his 6th dan (degree) black belt over thirty-five years ago from Chito-Ryu Grand Master, Dr. Chitose (10th dan) and his 7th dan black belt from Sensei Yamamoto (8th dan) over thirty years ago. Although there are obvious benefits to training in Yoshukai International Karate such as physical fitness, mental fitness, self defense, self discipline and stress reduction, we believe that the true objective of karate is to allow us a tool to develop our characters and to help us become better people.

Sensei Mike Foster, 9th dan World Chief Instructor

Yoshukai Int'l. Karate

YOSHUKAI KARATE PROVINCIALLY

The Yoshukai International Karate School and all of its members are members of Karate BC. Karate BC is the karate branch of Sport BC of the Provincial Ministry of Sport and Leisure. Karate BC is also the provincial associate of the National Karate Association (NKA) of Sport Canada. Karate BC membership provides a number of benefits. Each member of Karate BC (including our school and instructors) is covered by a modest insurance package with All Sport Insurance. You can find Karate BC’s home page at http://www.karatebc.org

Karate BC members receive many benefits including High School credits being earned for participation in the BC Winter Games, the Karate BC Team Program, and for coaching and officiating. Volunteer hours for school can also be earned at the dojo.

Did you know that Karate BC is the only governing body recognized by the provincial government in BC that controls who can open a school and teach karate? That’s right, Karate BC is the only association recognized by the provincial government as the governing body of Sport Karate within the province of British Columbia. Did you know that not only can anyone purchase a black belt and print up certificates making them whatever degree of black belt that they want to be, regardless of their training or lack thereof, but they could then open a school and even join the Better Business Bureau? However, they could not join Karate BC without meeting a number of criteria including producing legitimate black belt credentials. How could you as a potential new student, or parent of a new student, tell the difference between a good school and a bad school? All of the fancy equipment in the world will not make a school a good one for you or your child. It is not the style or art that is practiced at a school that makes it a good one. It is the quality of the instruction. One would expect the instructor to be somewhat of an expert in their art and so how would you as a novice to the martial arts expect to be able to judge the instructor’s level of competence? Unfortunately, there are some people teaching martial arts that are not competent enough to be doing so. To the novice they may appear to be competent but what would the novice actually be basing their opinion on? Karate BC can guarantee you that each of their member schools and instructors have met a strict standard. In order to operate a karate school that is member of Karate BC that school’s chief instructor must meet the following four criteria:

Karate BC Membership Criteria	What This Means to You
Be a black belt with a traditional karate style/association that is recognized by Karate BC	Many claim to be legitimate but not all can meet this qualification. Karate BC ensures that their member schools are legitimate. You do not have to translate and research a school instructor's black belt certification. Karate BC has done this homework for you for all of their member schools.
Be certified to Level II under the National Coaching Certification Program-NCCP-Level II (The NCCP program is the same program that Canada’s Olympic Coaches must qualify to Level V in order to be an Olympic Coach)	Professional, qualified and safe instruction for you and/or your child.
Be certified Sports First Aid Level I with the BC Sports Medicine Council	Instructors are professionally trained in handling any injuries that might occur.
Have passed a criminal records check with their local police	A safer learning environment for you and/or your child.

OUR SCHOOL ON THE CLOVERDALE/LANGLEY BORDER

The Yoshukai International Karate School in Cloverdale is very community oriented. We believe that karate is a tool that enables us to improve ourselves. As we become better people it stands to reason that our community should also improve. The Yoshukai International Karate School started out in September of 1993 in Fernridge Hall located at 24th and 200th in South Langley. In the Spring of 1995 our school was invited into and moved to H.D. Stafford Secondary School on Grade Crescent in Langley City. On May 01, 2000 our school moved into a full time location at #107 - 19232 Enterprise Way, on the Surrey/Langley border and in June of 2007 our school moved down the road a few short blocks to our own full time facility located at 101-19045-54 Avenue, Surrey.

There are a number of programs that our school has organized and/or hosted over the years in our efforts to improve our community. The Yoshukai International Karate School organized, hosted and participated in the Vancouver area’s “Budo For Food” for three years. Vancouver’s Budo For Food was a showcase of martial arts demonstrations that were put on by a variety of martial arts schools. Spectators were charged an admission price of one or more non-perishable items for the Food Bank. After moving to H.D. Stafford Secondary School in the spring of 1995 the Yoshukai International Karate School formed a strong partnership with the school. The H.D. Stafford graduating students of 1997/98 were the first to benefit from annual scholarships donated by our karate school. The funds were raised by our Adult Class, with some assistance from our Juniors, through a Break-a-thon that was held once a year. Each student obtained pledges to sponsor the breaking of boards, concrete, bricks and other materials and then the fun began. The Break-a-thon evolved into a show for parents and other spectators. On May 01^st, 2000 after moving into our first full time facility on Enterprise Way, on the Surrey/Langley border the focus of our fund raising then shifted to obtaining equipment for our new location and our school members who compete provincially and nationally. The Yoshukai International Karate School has also provides numerous seminars on Women’s Personal Safety to a variety of groups throughout British Columbia.

What all this means to a new student can seem to be quite transparent in the beginning of one's karate practice. Although many karate schools look similar to the uninitiated, there can be a profound difference in quality of instruction and opportunities available to the student. Students in the Yoshukai International Karate Association attend strictly controlled and sponsored tournaments through Karate BC, have numerous clinics and seminars available to them with senior instructors and can train with Sensei Foster in Florida or on any of his many trips to the North West.