Karate-do Shotokai was introduced to Canada in the mid-1970s by Milton Veinot, who had started training while studying law at Southampton University in England. When he returned to Canada he started a club at the old Halifax YMCA. Karate was still relatively new in Nova Scotia at the time and the classes were huge. Milton only ran the club for a few years before retiring from karate due to knee problems and the challenges of running a law practice. At that time the club was taken over by his most senior student, Amin Nasr. Both men are now deceased.
Amin ran the club from the late 1970s until the mid-1980s. He had a diverse background in martial and eastern arts as well as being an expert in natural foods, being the founder/owner of the Bean Sprout Natural Foods Store in Halifax in the 1970s. Amin is a unique person who had a profound impact on those who practiced under him, including Clarence Whynot and Bob Bennett who are still practicing today some 40 years later. Nevertheless, Amin did not wish to be limited to just karate and in the mid-1980s founded his own organization, Centre for the Ways, leaving the Shotokai club to Bob and Clarence which they continued at the Halifax YMCA. Amin (or Sensei Yula as he is now called) moved to Ontario and taught his method of internal and healing arts arts there, but also workshops in various places. His teachings included several Eastern practices and philosophies and he co-authored several books on these subjects. Sadly he passed away in 2023. He was an amazing man who started me on my martial arts journey and I am truly grateful to have known him.
In the mid-1980s there was a major split in the international organization, with the Shotokai Foundation breaking away from Harada Sensei's Karate-do Shotokai (KDS) group. Our club ended up training with the breakaway Foundation group for a period of time. We would eventually come to realize that was probably a mistake and later returned to Harada Sensei's organization.
In the late 1980s Bob Bennett moved away from Halifax and Clarence Whynot took over the Halifax YMCA club. After a hiatus of a few years, Bob started a club at the YMCA in New Glasgow, and teaches there to this day. In the intervening years he has taught karate to thousands of Pictou County children.
By the early-1990s Clarence had started teaching at the Dartmouth YMCA in addition to the Halifax YMCA. It was during this period that Frank Zinck, and shortly thereafter Lawrence Dagenais, started to train under Clarence. Frank is now a 4th Dan and runs the North Woodside Community Centre club. Lawrence is a 3rd Dan and currently serves in the Canadian military.
About the time that Clarence started the Dartmouth YMCA club, Randy Veinotte, his most senior student at the time, also started a club at Mount Saint Vincent University while also continuing to assist with teaching duties at the Halifax YMCA. After a few years of running three clubs, a decision was made to close the Halifax YMCA club, with Clarence continuing to run the Dartmouth club and Randy operating the MSVU club. During this time we continued to hold joint courses and gradings.
By the mid-1990s Clarence had stopped practicing with the Shotokai Foundation, while Randy decided to officially join that group. Randy still teaches at MSVU and also has a club in the Timberlea area. His club website is http://www.shotokai.ns.ca/ In more recent years Randy and some of his students have attended several courses put on by our organization.
Sometime around 2000 we started to re-establish contact with Master Harada's organization, with Clarence and his two senior students, Frank Zinck and Lawrence Dagenais, attending several KDS training courses in the UK. After a few years we officially re-joined the KDS organization and became KDS Canada.
In 2004 we decided to move our club to Brookhouse School where we still have a club today. Shortly thereafter Frank started a second club in Dartmouth at the North Woodside Community Centre. Lawrence Dagenais also ran a club in Sackville, NS for several years but eventually gave it up due to a career change.
Around 2008 Bernard and Gladys Mathieu, both 5th Dans from France, put on a course in Nova Scotia while they were travelling in Canada. Bernard Mathieu is the head of KDS France and has been training one-on-one with Harada Sensei since the 1960s. Bernard and Gladys have returned to Canada a number of times to put on courses, providing technical assistance and mentoring based upon their years of individual practice with Harada Sensei.
In 2012 a new KDS club was opened in Taber, Alberta when Tony Dunlop moved there from Louisiana, where he had been an instructor in the American KDS organization.
Sadly, Harada Sensei passed away in 2021. He will be greatly missed by many whom his teaching influenced. Information on Harada Sensei and the history of his organization can be found at https://www.karatedoshotokai.com/about/ There is also a good article on Harada Sensei's background and experiences written in 2002 by Jonathan de'Claire at https://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_declaire_0402.htm#EN3
Amin ran the club from the late 1970s until the mid-1980s. He had a diverse background in martial and eastern arts as well as being an expert in natural foods, being the founder/owner of the Bean Sprout Natural Foods Store in Halifax in the 1970s. Amin is a unique person who had a profound impact on those who practiced under him, including Clarence Whynot and Bob Bennett who are still practicing today some 40 years later. Nevertheless, Amin did not wish to be limited to just karate and in the mid-1980s founded his own organization, Centre for the Ways, leaving the Shotokai club to Bob and Clarence which they continued at the Halifax YMCA. Amin (or Sensei Yula as he is now called) moved to Ontario and taught his method of internal and healing arts arts there, but also workshops in various places. His teachings included several Eastern practices and philosophies and he co-authored several books on these subjects. Sadly he passed away in 2023. He was an amazing man who started me on my martial arts journey and I am truly grateful to have known him.
In the mid-1980s there was a major split in the international organization, with the Shotokai Foundation breaking away from Harada Sensei's Karate-do Shotokai (KDS) group. Our club ended up training with the breakaway Foundation group for a period of time. We would eventually come to realize that was probably a mistake and later returned to Harada Sensei's organization.
In the late 1980s Bob Bennett moved away from Halifax and Clarence Whynot took over the Halifax YMCA club. After a hiatus of a few years, Bob started a club at the YMCA in New Glasgow, and teaches there to this day. In the intervening years he has taught karate to thousands of Pictou County children.
By the early-1990s Clarence had started teaching at the Dartmouth YMCA in addition to the Halifax YMCA. It was during this period that Frank Zinck, and shortly thereafter Lawrence Dagenais, started to train under Clarence. Frank is now a 4th Dan and runs the North Woodside Community Centre club. Lawrence is a 3rd Dan and currently serves in the Canadian military.
About the time that Clarence started the Dartmouth YMCA club, Randy Veinotte, his most senior student at the time, also started a club at Mount Saint Vincent University while also continuing to assist with teaching duties at the Halifax YMCA. After a few years of running three clubs, a decision was made to close the Halifax YMCA club, with Clarence continuing to run the Dartmouth club and Randy operating the MSVU club. During this time we continued to hold joint courses and gradings.
By the mid-1990s Clarence had stopped practicing with the Shotokai Foundation, while Randy decided to officially join that group. Randy still teaches at MSVU and also has a club in the Timberlea area. His club website is http://www.shotokai.ns.ca/ In more recent years Randy and some of his students have attended several courses put on by our organization.
Sometime around 2000 we started to re-establish contact with Master Harada's organization, with Clarence and his two senior students, Frank Zinck and Lawrence Dagenais, attending several KDS training courses in the UK. After a few years we officially re-joined the KDS organization and became KDS Canada.
In 2004 we decided to move our club to Brookhouse School where we still have a club today. Shortly thereafter Frank started a second club in Dartmouth at the North Woodside Community Centre. Lawrence Dagenais also ran a club in Sackville, NS for several years but eventually gave it up due to a career change.
Around 2008 Bernard and Gladys Mathieu, both 5th Dans from France, put on a course in Nova Scotia while they were travelling in Canada. Bernard Mathieu is the head of KDS France and has been training one-on-one with Harada Sensei since the 1960s. Bernard and Gladys have returned to Canada a number of times to put on courses, providing technical assistance and mentoring based upon their years of individual practice with Harada Sensei.
In 2012 a new KDS club was opened in Taber, Alberta when Tony Dunlop moved there from Louisiana, where he had been an instructor in the American KDS organization.
Sadly, Harada Sensei passed away in 2021. He will be greatly missed by many whom his teaching influenced. Information on Harada Sensei and the history of his organization can be found at https://www.karatedoshotokai.com/about/ There is also a good article on Harada Sensei's background and experiences written in 2002 by Jonathan de'Claire at https://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_declaire_0402.htm#EN3
