Neville Longhurst

Sempai Neville Longhurst

I started Karate-Do with Sensei Jones in 1982; his school was the only Martial Art school in my community of Newmarket, Ont. I was 14 years old then and it was around June.  I can still remember those 1 ½, sometimes 2, hour classes going out running in our Gis around Main Street and running to Fairy Lake and stopping at the side of the road doing knuckle push-ups, running with someone on your back, and yelling the count Ichi, Ni, San, Shi".  Everywhere we went people thought we were nuts.

I achieved Shodan in 1993 and Nidan (2nd degree) in 1997 and was graded by the man who is known as the "Father of Canadian Karate" Masami Tsuruoka.  In 2002, I achieved my Sandan (3rd degree) with Sensei Jones.  I have been teaching children and adults since 1993. I am also very actively coaching our club tournament team "Shotokan Tigers."

When people come up to me and say, "So you’re a black belt, so I guess you’re a Karate expert" I say "No, becoming black belt is just the 1st step - the learning has just begun".

I have been fortunate to have either trained or been to seminars of some of the great Senseis  of the JKA and JKS of Japan like Asai, Katsumata, Tanaka, Koike, Yamaguchi and Canadian Senseis Saeki, Tsuruoka. Karate-Do is a "Way of Life" for me now, my wife Kim and my two son’s Kyle and Ryan are very supportive of my path of "Perfecting my Character."
 
Other Achievements
2000 Tsuruoka cup award winner.
2002 1st runner up for Coach of the year award.