Canadian Chito Ryu Technical Manual
The United States organization had doubled in the total number of karate schools in its membership from August 1994 to January 1995. Miwa Oshiro left in January to return to Okinawa.
Since August 13, 1994 the U. Chito-ryu Karate Federation has developed a new, more modern Constitution and by-laws. A new technical manual was also organized, along with training manuals for white belt through black belt. New charters, kyu certificates, and diplomas of dan were designed and printed. Chito-kai patches in red, white and blue were approved. The Karate-Do news bulletin was once again being printed.
A fresh and new independent organization was making a turn around and was charting its own way. A United States Shihan-kai was organized and (much to his chagrin) it was decided to refer to Dometrich Sensei by his appropriate title of Kyoshi. In April 1995 Kyoshi Masaru Inomoto visited from Japan. His trip was mainly for Kobudo purposes but he did take time to assist with some karate teaching at the Hombu. Chito-kai Mini-Summer Camp was held in August of 1995. The second camp was more successful than the first, Sensei Masami Tsuruoka was the guest instructor. One hundred and eighteen karate students participated during the three day event.
Shihan Lawrence Hawkins was promoted to the position of Vice Chairman and Terry Valentino was elected as the new President. An Assistant Chief Instructor position was created to assist Kyoshi in his duties, with Sensei James Davenport being the first appointee. Kyoshi and Okusan traveled to Canada in September to visit various karate schools and to teach. This trip lasted four weeks and covered parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario. During October 1995, Kyoshi, Okusan, and several students traveled to Chicago, Illinois for the 'Windy City Open Karate Tournament,' which was supported by Sensei Joe Gonzalez, an old friend. While at the tournament Kyoshi had the opportunity to renew many friendships from years past. Among them were Sensei's Hidetaka Nishiyama, Richard Kim, Shojiro Sugiyama, Robert Fusaro and James Morrone.
Summer camp was held in August of 1996. The event continued to mature and was again a huge success. Sensei Tsuruoka was the guest instructor once again. At the closing dinner Kyoshi Dometrich officially resigned as Chairman of the United States Chito-ryu Karate Federation. He remains as Chief Instructor. Kyoshi had been assigned as Chairman for life by O-Sensei with the right to name his own successor. However, the decision was passed to the Shihan-kai who elected Shihan Lawrence C.
To the post by unanimous vote. Shihan Hawkins subsequently appointed Sensei Terry Valentino as vice chairman. Late in 1996 Kyoshi Dometrich received word that Sensei David Akutagawa of Canada had officially resigned from the International and Canadian Chito-ryu, citing 'personal and irreconcilable differences'. Soon after his resignation, Akutagawa Sensei visited the U.S. Hombu for a small black belt clinic. He subsequently formed the Renshikan Karate Association with a renewed promise to preserve the memories and teachings of O-Sensei and Chito-ryu. The hombu dojo also received copies of the official letters of resignation from the International Chito-kai from Shihan Ken Sakamoto dated March 30, 1997 and Kyoshi Masaru Inomoto and Takashiro Ikeda dated April, 1997.
A small contingency from the U.S. Hombu traveled to Las Vegas Nevada for a tournament in March, 1997. During the trip Kyoshi Dometrich asked if he would consider becoming certified as an international official later that year, Kyoshi agreed. He traveled to Chicago in April for preliminary training and to Italy in May for certification.
During April,1997 Kyoshi Dometrich served as a referee and kata judge at the AAU 6th Regional Karate Tournament in Chicago, Illinois. On Friday evening the referees and judges participated in refresher training.
The eliminations were held on Saturday with the finals being completed on Sunday. May 1997 Shihan Joseph Hedderman sponsored and open jiu-jitsu clinic in conjunction with the U.S. Chito-kai and the U.S.
The clinic had over 60 participants including representatives from 12 U.S. Chito-ryu schools as well as local representatives from other styles. It was decided that the techniques covered at the clinic were to be integrated into the USCKF curriculum.
On May 20, 1997, Kyoshi Dometrich traveled to Italy to participate in the World Karate Tournament. He participatedas a referee and chief kata judge.
Kyoshi traveled with the United States team, which was headed by Sensei Joe Mirza, chairman of the AAU Karate movement in the United States and Chuzo Kotaka of Hawaii, the Chief Instructor of the U.S. While at the World Tournament, he met Shihan Ilya L. Guliev, chairman of the Russian Karate Federation who invited Kyoshi to visit Moscow. The June black belt class at the U.S.
Hombu featured special guest Shihan Kazanori Kawakita (five time All Southern Japan Kumite champion) and his two sons. His eldest son, Masukazu, the All Japan Full Contact Champion-all weight divisions, stayed at the hombu dojo for training for 3 months. On June 22nd 1997 Kyoshi Patrick McCarthy, well known karate historian, author, lecturer, and Karate Sensei visited the Cincinnati are as a guest of Sensei Mike Awad. A clinic was held at Sensei Awad's Dojo with a party afterward at his home. After the party Kyoshi McCarthy visited the U.S.
Chito-ryu Hombu where he continued to amaze the students with his in depth knowledge of karate and it's history. Training continued until 5:30 in the morning. We hope to see Kyoshi McCarthy at the Hombu again next year as a guest of the U.S. Sensei McCarthy is Canadian by birth and resides in Australia. He is the founder of the International Ryukyu Karate Research Society and a member of the prestigious Dai Nippon Botokukai. July 1 thru 5, 1997 Kyoshi William Dometrich assisted as a referee and kata judge for the AAU National Karate Championships held at Disney Worlds new three hundred million dollar sports complex in Florida.
Chito Ryu Karate
The Amateur Athletic Union karate movement, under the able direction of Sensei Joe Mirza, has done much to enhance the image of traditional amateur karate within the United States. To qualify for the tournament participants were required to first win their state tournament, then their regional tournament. Even with that requirement, over five thousand participants attended the 1997 AAU Championships. August 21, 1997, saw four ranking black belts of the United States Chito-ryu Karate Federation attend the Memorial State Championships in Naha, Okinawa.
Kyoshi Dometrich, Shihans VanHorne and Herbst, and Sensei Jim Davenport represented the U. Shihan Devorah Herbst, assisted as an instructor in Ryukyu Kobudo at the many Clinics held at the new Okinawan Budokan. While in Okinawa the U. Members saw many old friends, they visited many dojo and renewed old acquaintances. After leaving Okinawa they flew to Japan. While in Kumamoto they visited Masaru Inomoto, Tatsunori Ikeda, Ken Sakamoto, and Minoru Nagata, all former officials of the International Chito-kai. They then traveled to Nogata, Japan where they visited with Kazunori Kawakita.
After visiting Okinawa and Japan, Kyoshi and Sensei Davenport flew to in Hawaii, and visited with Shihan Lee Dohohue, Asst. Chief of Police of Honolulu and a 6th dan in Karate-do and Shihan Chuzo Kotaka one of the top karate instructors in the United States at his dojo. A visit was also made to the dojo of Shihan James Miyagi, who at one time practiced Chito-ryu under the direction of Sensei Tommy Morita. During September, 1997, Kyoshi was invited by Sensei Fumio Demura and Demura Sensei's representative, Sensei Angelo Ross, to participate in a clinic which was held in Connelleville, Pennsylvania. Demura Sensei taught classes in tonfa and sai; Between Sensei Demura's clinics Kyoshi Dometrich taught a sparring strategy class. After the clinics, the participants helped Sensei Demura celebrate his birthday with a picnic and cake.
On October 18, 1997 the United States Chito-ryu Karate Federation was pleased to have Sensei John Sells as the guest instructor of a clinic at the Yoseikan Hombu in Covington, Kentucky. A National test for Ik-kyu and higher ranks was held in the morning with the clinic following the test. The clinic and testing by the U. Chito-kai National Test Board is an annual event honoring Doctor Tsuyoshi Chitose on his birthday.
During the clinic the students were introduced to Hakusho kata of the White Crane system of China. Sensei Sells is a noted karate historian and author. His book 'Unante' is a best seller and sold out during his visit with us. Visiting the hombu and the clinic was Sensei David Akutagawa and his son Andy of Vancouver, Canada, Sensei Michael Colling of Sidney, Nova Scotia, Canada, and David Griffin of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Several members of the United States Chito-kai were invited to the J.K.A.
Windy City Karate Tournament in Chicago, Illinois during November, 1997. Kyoshi was guest of honor at the tournament and of the local J.K.A. He served as the tournament arbitrator. After the tournament party was held at a local Chinese restaurant.
Sensei Joe Gonzalez, the tournament sponsor and Kyoshi had a good time reminiscing about the old tournaments they participated in over twenty years ago. Hombu was honored to have Sensei Mike Huggins of Alberta, Canada visit and train with us on November 8, 1997. Sensei Huggins is a student of Sensei David Akutagawa in Alberta, B.C., Canada. On November 29, 1997 the United States Chito-kai hombu dojo hosted a clinic with noted author and karate researcher, Kyoshi Patrick McCarthy, as the guest instructor. The kata Ryushan Dai was introduced to the Chito-kai students.
The Dai version is approximately four times as long as the Sho version currently taught by most Chito-ryu schools. Many of Sensei McCarthy's books on karate, Okinawan Kata and the Bubishi were purchased by the students. Senior instructors were also given the opportunity to purchase special research material compiled by Kyoshi McCarthy over the past two decades.
Kyoshi McCarthy is the director of the International Ryukyu Karate and Kobudo Research Society, and had been recognized by the Japanese Government for his work. He is also a member of the famous Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, of Kyoto, Japan. December, 1997, found Kyoshi Dometrich, assisting the new Kentucky AAU Karate Director, Sensei John Harris, in holding the FIRST official AAU refereeing clinic ever held in the state of Kentucky. The clinic was held in Radcliff, Kentucky at Ft. Sensei Ronald Brashear participated and assisted with the clinic. Several students from the Yoseikan Hombu also participated. Kyoshi Dometrich, a world class referee and AAU Class A referee, chaired the AAU organizational committee and the AAU officials certification committee when the officials certification program was established in May 1973.
Karate is a system of weaponless self-defense training for the mind and body that was developed in China over one thousand years ago. Shaolin monks used the techniques as a way to prepare for their rigorous meditative practice. It was later popularized on the Japanese island of Okinawa when feudal lords banned the use of military weapons. In Japanese, the word Karate translates as open hand. Karate is now an integral activity in Japanese culture and continues to grow in popularity around the world.
Our Founder The founder of Chito-Ryu karate, Dr. Tsuyoshi Chintose, was instrumental to the introduction of karate from Okinawa to mainland Japan.
It was developed from two ancient styles of Okinawa karate: Shorei Ryu from Naha city and Shorin Ryu from the city of Shuri. Chitose, also known as O'Sensei, became the founding director of the Kempo Karatedo Fukkyu Kai, All Japan Karate Federation. Around this time, Dr. Chitose started teaching karate to American soldiers stationed on Kumamoto Island in Southern Japan. It is largely because of this teaching that Chito-Ryu karate has spread throughout the world.
William Dometrich, one of Dr. Chintose's first American students, brought Chito-Ryu with him to America when he returned after WW2.
Dometrich's more famous students was Elvis Presley who received his black belt in Chito-Ryu. Chito-Ryu in Canada In Canada, Chito-Ryu karate was introduced by Masami Tsuruoka who visited Kumamoto and trained under Dr. Chintose in 1961. Tsuruoka is often referred to as the Father of Karate in Canada. Tsuruoka's star pupils was Yukio Shane Higashi.
Higashi achieved his 1st dan black belt in only 1 year. In April of 1963, Mr.
Higashi opened his own dojo and in 1964 and in that same year was the Grand Champion of the Open Karate Tournament improving on his second place finish from the previous year. Higashi went to Japan to train directly under Dr. Higashi had progressed all the way up to 6 th dan. In 1979 he was awarded the title of Kyoshi or Elite Master Instructor and earned his 7 th dan by Dr. Tsuruoka moved on and started his own organization that same year, Mr. Higashi was designated Saikoshihan, Supreme Instructor for Canada and soon after formed the Canadian Chito-Ryu Karate do Association.
Higashi received his 8 th dan from Soke Chintose, Dr. Chintose's son and successor. Higashi received his 9 th dan and the title of Hanshi, 10th dan in October 2017 (retoactive to Jan 1, 2013), Principal Leader, from Mr.
Tsuruoka and in 2010 he received his 9 th dan from Karate Canada. Higashi continues to travel home and abroad conducting clinics and gradings as well as operating his own dojo, The Higashi School of Karate in Toronto. As such he has played a significant role in the spreading of Chito-Ryu in Canada and throughout the world. Chito-Ryu in New Brunswick In New Brunswick, Chito-Ryu karate was introduced by Robert McInnes, the current Chief Instructor and Technical Director for Chito-Ryu New Brunswick in 1971.
Calgary Chito Ryu
McInnes moved to New Brunswick from Scotland, where he had studied Shotokan Karate, in 1968. He immediately resumed karate training and is considered to be one of the first to do so in the province. Seeking to find a mentor in Canada and after hearing about his reputation, Mr. McInnes discovered Mr. Higashi, who he has trained under ever since. Under the guidance and leadership of Mr. McInnes, Chito-Ryu karate has grown significantly in New Brunswick and the organization has produced many successful national and international athletes, coaches and officials.
Chito Ryu Kata
McInnes continues to teach karate in his own dojo in Rothesay as well as other dojos throughout the province. He is a senior member of Mr. Higashi's national team of Kyoshi (Teacher of the Way) and as such is a member of the national Chito-Ryu Technical Committee.