Canada HQ
Sensei Steve Hartnett, 5th Dan, has been head instructor of Sherwood Park Karate-Do since 1983. Sensei Hartnett instructs the traditional Shito-Ryu style of karate as taught worldwide by Shihan Fumio Demura; and continues to study under the guidance of Shito Ryu Karate-Do Kyokai Chief Instructor, Mr. Cameron Steuart.
Sensei Fumio Demura, 9th dan, is one of the world’s leading exponents of Karate-Do and Kobudo. Born in Yokohama, Japan, in 1938 Sensei Demura began his study of the martial arts while still in grammar school. He started practicing Kendo as a way of building strength and improving his health. Some time later he began studying under Shito-Ryu Karate Master Ryusho Sakagami, a direct student of Kenwa Mabuni, the style’s founder. Sensei Demura then studied Aikido and Judo, and while attending Nihon University where he earned a B. Sc. in economics, he developed an interest in the art of Kobudo (Okinawan weaponry). Under the guidance of Master Kenshin Taira, he perfected the techniques of the sai, the bo, the tonfa, the kama, and the nunchaku.
In 1961, Sensei Demura secured his reputation as a true Karate competitor by winning the All-Japan Championships and for three consecutive years thereafter he was lauded as one of Japan’s top competitors.
In 1965 Sensei Demura moved to southern California to teach Shito-ryu karate-do. Together with his partner, American karate pioneer, Dan Ivan, Sensei Demura has built one of the most successful karate organizations in the world. Based in Santa Ana, California, Genbukai International now has member groups around the world.
Sensei Demura has been responsible for introducing Karate and Kobudo to thousands of practitioners around the world, either through his direct instruction or through his many texts on the martial arts. He has also been responsible for introducing thousands of people to the art through his countless demonstrations, seminars and contributions to martial arts movies. Most notably he doubled for actor Pat Morita in The Karate Kid films. When he can’t be found in his dojo teaching a group of fledgling beginners, Sensei Demura is most likely conducting a seminar in New York, a workshop in Canada, helping at a tournament in San Francisco or presenting a demonstration at the world championships. It is this ceaseless dedication to his beloved art that has earned him such awards as Blackbelt magazine’s Sensei of the Year in 1969 and Martial Artist of the Year in 1975 as well as the admiration of martial artists around the world.
Dojo Kun
1. Hitotsu … Rei setsu o omon zuru koto.
Be courteous in your manners.
2. Hitotsu … Tadashii kokoro o motte seiken to suru koto.
Have a strong sense of justice.
3. Hitotsu … Kageki naru gen do kooi o tsutsushimu koto.
Be responsible for your words and actions.
4. Hitotsu … Ai shinji te wasuru koto.
Respect one another.
5. Hitotsu … Kyu do no seishin o okota zaru koto.
Karate-do is the way of the spirit to give you courage and ambition to reach your goals as part of your life.