Black Belt Members

Mike Sandford

(Head Instructor)

Rank: San Dan

Testing History:
Shotokan Sho Dan1986
Sho Dan2000
Ni Dan2005
San Dan2012

  • Attended various summer and winter camps from 1994 onward
  • Attended two Shihan Bobby Lowe self defence seminars 1996, 2000
  • Attended world championship in Tokyo 1999 and corner judged in 2003 and 2007.
  • Have attended multiple black belt conferences and training sessions.


Scott Somers

Rank: Ni Dan

Testing History:
Sho Dan2005
Ni Dan2013

I started training December of 1995 at the age of 10. In 1996 I competed in my first full contact tournament, where I learned the importance of keeping my hands up. I spent the next few years training on a constant basis, assisting in the junior class, and offering assistance to the dojo where possible. In December 2004 i submitted my application for shodan and received it the following summer. I am actively teaching in both the junior and senior classes and attend camps on a regular basis.


Greg Creech

Rank: San Dan

Testing History:
Sho Dan1988
Ni Dan1996
San Dan2013

1979
  • Started karate in Richmond at St.Anne’s Church with Tony Severs
  • Training was hard back then, a different kind of hard, hard knocks. There wasn’t a night when I didn’t come out of class without a bruise or a limp
1982
  • Stuart Corigal took me to a karate tournament. I got into the ring with my opponent and the ref gestured to wards us to begin.  I came out kicking and punching, full contact of course, flags and whistles went off. I looked around pleased with myself, but to my shock I’m being penalized.  We continued same thing, the ref points to me and says that I was disqualified.  As I leave the ring I look at Stuart, with a big smile on his face and tells me that I did great, and oh yes this is a non-contact points tournament.
1983
  • Left St. Anne’s to go train at Soutn Arm where Stuart was starting a Dojo.
1986
  • Sosai Mas Oyama comes to Richmond for Tournament and training, what a great honour.
1988
  • Fought my 10 man shodan test in kelowna
  • Was asked to go fight in Australia at the fist commonwealth tournament
1994
  • Take over club in Ladner from Pete Fradley
  • When we sarted to offer kids classes there was a line up down the hall.  Our space was small so we had to decide how many we could accommodate. Due to demand we added another cass.
1996
  • Applied for nidan faught twenty man, passed
  • Between the Australia, Hawaii, trained many times with Shihan Bobby Lowe.
  • In 1999, and 2007 went to the World Tournament


Bill Dodds

Rank: Ni Dan

Testing History:
Sho Dan2001
Ni Dan2005

I have been active most of my life in coaching my 3 kids in various sports, participating in sports and a regular jogger to maintain what I thought was a high fitness level.

At age 49, I was looking for a new activity as jogging was taking its tool on my body. I noticed an ad in a local publication for Karate with classes only a few blocks from my house. I signed up and attended my first class the same night in January 1996.
I have attended several summer camps and a few winter camps plus the following:

  • 3 world tournaments in Tokyo, Japan
  • 3 Brown/Black belt conferences
  • Judged in numerous Lower Mainland clicker and knockdown tournaments
  • Participated in 2 Kata tournaments, team and individual
  • Judged in Women’s World Championships in New York
  • Hawaii seminar and Calgary seminar

I am still training twice but mostly three times per week, regularly teaching in the kid’s class and take my turn in teaching the adults class. Kyokushin Karate continues to be a challenge physically to constantly improve my karate and mentally to develop a deeper understanding of the Martial Way.