Our Roots

Sensei John Snook and Sensei Michael Den Tandt both studied for many years under the leadership of Sensei Bill Hind, Hanshii, 8th Dan. Both Sensei Den Tandt and Sensei Snook received their Shodan degrees from Hind Sensei, who was himself a senior student of Canadian Karate legend Bob Dalgleish.

Sensei Den Tandt began his Goju-Ryu studies in Kingston, Ont. in 1992 with Sensei Chris Hurst, who at that time was a student of Sensei Ken Tallack, another pioneer of Canadian Goju-Ryu. In 1995 Sensei Den Tandt began studying with Hind Sensei at the Canada Goju Honbu Dojo in Toronto. In 2005 Sensei Den Tandt founded the first Karate dojo in Wakefield, Que. (which was letter taken on and further developed by his friend, Sensei Mat Ravignat). In 2006 Sensei Den Tandt moved to Owen Sound and founded this club, with the help of Sensei Snook.

Sensei Snook began his Goju-Ryu studies in Elora, Ont., in 1990, under the tutelage of Jay Purdy Sensei, Kyoshi 7th Dan, who for many years was Hind Sensei's senior student. Both Hind Sensei and Purdy Sensei studied for a number of years under the guidance of Meitoku Yagi Sensei, Hanshi 10th Dan, in Okinawa.

We are very grateful to the teachers who formed us, for all the knowledge that they generously passed on to us over the years. We would not be here were it not for them.

In 2008, as part of their continuing search for the roots of Okinawan Karate, Sensei Den Tandt and Sensei Snook had the good fortune to meet Luis Morales Kyoshi, 8th Dan, who is the senior North American student of Hokama Tetsuhiro, Hanshi 10th Dan, of Okinawa. Hokama Sensei is a GrandMaster of the art, having studied Karate since childhood and trained originally with Chojun Myagi Sensei's most senior and immediate successor, Higa Seiko Sensei, and later with Higa's senior student, Fukuchi Seiko Sensei. Morales Sensei, in addition to being a Master of Goju-Ryu, is also a Grandmaster of Torite-Jutsu, the art of The Dragon Society, under Grandmasters Rick Moneymaker, Hanshi 10th Dan, and Grandmaster Tom Muncy, Hanshi 10th Dan.

Morales Sensei is a true artist on the martial path, having travelled to the four corners of the world to discover the heart of Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate, and having spent the past 40 years of his life pursuing this knowledge. He is relentless in his search for truth and generous in sharing what he has learned.

It is our humble opinion that Morales Sensei's expression of the ancient, complete system of Goju-Ryu Karate-Jutsu is among the most sophisticated expressions of this art anywhere. His instructional seminars are in demand worldwide, not only in Karate circles but also by martial artists of other styles.

In September 2008 Sensei Den Tandt attended Kyoshi Morales's three-day Gasshuku in Kearny, N.J. In December 2008 Fudoshin Classical Karate becamse a "Fuku Shibu" or converting club affiliated with the International Kenshi-kai Organization. In early 2010 our dojo received its full branch charter.