Northern Karate Schools of Canada

I started Northern Karate Club in 1972, yup, that’s what we called a dojo back then.

Actually, I had already been teaching for a few years at places like the Y before we were ever “official.” And some incredible karateka were there in those very early, pre-Northern Karate days.

I promoted our first black belt, Madhu Lodhia, in 1975. Gus Sponos followed in 1976, and Mark Basil in 1977.

Those early black belt gradings weren’t especially severe. They didn’t need to be. These guys had already been tested where it counted. Hundreds of tournaments. Countless wins. Years of training under their well-worn brown belts. They had earned their place.

Then we began to grow.

Through tournaments, more people came on board. Northern Karate expanded into Brampton, St. Catharines, Barrie, the Beaches, and beyond. And somewhere along the way, black belt gradings began to change.

They took on a kind of “tough guy” mentality.

The harder the grading, the better. Students endured punishment. Vomiting became almost expected. General abuse was somehow worn as a badge of honour.

Looking back now, I have to ask myself:

What were we thinking?

How stupid. How immature.

We thought we were proving toughness. Maybe, in some ways, we were. But there are better ways to build strong martial artists—and, more importantly, strong people.

Fast-forward more than half a century.

Today, more than 10,000 students attend Northern Karate classes every week across our many locations. The road to black belt is much better defined than it was in those early days, but there are still no shortcuts. It takes four to seven years of consistent training, commitment, perseverance, and growth.

So, are the students of today as “tough” as the students from the good old days?

Probably not.

At least, not in the way we defined toughness back then.

But today’s students know so much more.

They are more technical. More versatile. Their knowledge is broader, their training is smarter, and their understanding of the martial arts goes far beyond simply seeing how much punishment they can endure.

And maybe that’s the real lesson of more than 50 years of teaching karate.

Tradition matters. Toughness matters. Discipline matters.

But we should never confuse tradition with refusing to change.

The martial arts must evolve. Teachers must evolve. And if we’re doing our job properly, the students who come after us should become better martial artists than we were.

I’m proud of those tough young men and women who helped build Northern Karate in the early days.

And I’m just as proud of the generation coming up today.

Different times. Different kind of tough.

And, I believe, better karate, actually more competitive martial arts.

July monthly grads at NKS.

The feedback has been incredible! 🌟 So many glowing reviews and positive comments about NKS Camp Black Belt from families across the GTA. Thank you for your amazing support!

NKS Black Belt Mikayla Arena is currently in the Philippines, sharing her passion for karate while giving back to the community. An exceptional martial artist with a huge heart, she’s teaching karate and raising donations to support underprivileged children. We couldn’t be prouder of the difference she’s making—both on and off the mats.

Kids Cardio Combat (R) at NKS Midtown ~ great conditioning, sharp techniques.

The feed back from our students and parents, is deeply appreciated.

What could be better than celebrating a milestone birthday in class? Celebrating two. Happy Birthday to Hanshi Sandro Simonetta and Fred Herran. Wishing you both health, happiness, and many more years of inspiring those around you.

Honoured for the opportunity. I never take for granted when the chance arises to work with students from our NKS family. It was a great morning at NKS Willowdale. Grateful for the experience and the time shared together.

Team NKS, always evolving.

Sharing your martial arts journey is a deeply precious thing. It weaves our experiences into a shared human tapestry, that is NKS. A highly skillful group pictured in December 1983. Sadly 6 of these individuals have passed on.