About
The Yoshukan Karate-Do was developed by Kaicho Earl Robertson (Founder & Director). Kaicho Robertson has over a half century of study and teaching experience. He has studied in Japan under Hanshi Masaru Inomoto (Founder of Jikkishin Ryu), O-Sensei Tsuyoshi Chitose and Soke Yasuhiro Chitose (Grand Masters of Chito Ryu Karate-do), Hanshi Shane Higashi (Chief Instructor of Canadian Chito Ryu), Sensei Mike Litwinczuk, the original RCMP self-defence instructor, Sensei Paul Brown (Kodokan Judo), Kaicho Mike Foster (Founder of the Yoshukai International Karate Association), Hanshi Devorah Dometrich (Ryu Kyu Kobudo Hozoin Shinkokai) and Sensei Yukio (Fred) Okimura (Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido).
Kaicho Robertson holds a Hachi-dan (8th Dan) Black Belt and Hanshi (‘Exemplary Teacher’) from the Yoshukan Karate Association. Sensei also holds a 7th Dan and Kyoshi Licence (‘Teacher of Teachers’) in Jikkishin Ryu from Hanshi Masaru Inomoto and a 6th Dan, Shihan Licence in Yoshukai International Karate from Hanshi Mike Foster. Sensei also received a 5th Dan from the National Karate Association under Hanshi Masami Tsuruoka. Sensei Robertson received his 4th Dan and Shidoin (Senior Instructor) Licence in Chito Ryu Karate under Soke Tsuyoshi Chitose and Hanshi Shane Higashi. Kaicho Robertson also holds ranks in Kodokan Judo (1st Kyu), Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido (1st Dan) and a 5th Dan in Ryu Kyu Kobudo under Hanshi Devorah Dometrich of the Ryu Kyu Kobudo Hozon Shinkokai.
Kaicho Robertson was previously 1st Vice President of the Karate Association of Ontario (KO) and Vice-Chairman of the Karate Ontario Technical Committee. Kaicho created the digital library of Yoshukan waza, authored ADVANCED KUMITE and was host/creator of the national COMMUNITY SELF DEFENCE television series. He has contributed/written technical manuals for the Chito Ryu, Yoshukai and Yoshukan Karate associations. In 2019, Kaicho Robertson was inducted into the Canadian Karate Association Black Belt Hall of Fame.
Kaicho has studied Boxing; Greco-Roman Wrestling; Aikido; Kali and various other systems of karate over his 50+ years of martial arts study. A former top competitor (Kumite & Kata), Kaicho believes the true goal of martial arts training is the pursuit of character development.
Passionate about karate since the fall of 1980, driven by the development of young and old attracted and committed to martial arts, Kancho Provencher is deeply touched to have seen many karatekas from all backgrounds grow and progress for almost 40 years. It is indeed a rare privilege to feel the complicit trust that karatekas grant their master.
As combative on the tatami as in the ring, Kancho Provencher was crowned world champion Chito-ryu in 1995 and crowned Canadian boxing champion the same year. In 2001, she won the first professional boxing match in Quebec. Coach of the National Women’s Boxing Team from 2003 to 2006, and trainer of the provincial and national karate teams for almost 20 years, today her competitive flame is lived through the success of athletes who train at the Montreal Sports Academy and stand out locally and internationally. Kancho Provencher is grateful to her Sensei Earl Robertson and proud of her students who have brought her to the world level WKF. She sincerely believes we are all Life Champions!
Kancho Provencher’s dedication earned her a government recognition for volunteering, receiving the Dollard-Morin award from the Ministère du Loisir et Sport du Québec in 2014. And in 2019, the members of the Canadian Karate Association inducted her into the Black Belt Hall of Fame.
In the end, she has an insatiable desire to excel and always progress at all endeavors she undertakes. This desire to constantly improve, she seeks to influence such conduct in all her students and collaborators.
Renshi Kalinowicz’s karate journey began in 1982, a path that has granted him the honor of training with esteemed masters and teaching students of all ages and skill levels. His passion for karate has fueled a lifelong fascination with movement, biomechanics, precision, and the economy of motion. To deepen his knowledge, Renshi Kalinowicz became a certified personal trainer at his local YMCA, where he quickly saw room for improvement in the existing curriculum. Driven to elevate the program, he redesigned it, and his version was adopted as the official Canadian YMCA Fitness Instructor Training Course—a course he proudly taught for over two decades.
In 1999, Renshi Kalinowicz joined the NDG Karate Club and found a new home in Yoshukan karate. The club’s comprehensive curriculum allowed him to refine his skills and focus intently on the technical aspects of his practice. Renshi Kalinowicz devoted extensive effort to mastering and internalizing Bunkai applications, establishing himself as Yoshukan’s go-to expert in this area. His passion for martial arts also led him to explore kobudo, through which he has achieved proficiency with many of Okinawa’s traditional weapons.
Teaching has always been Renshi Kalinowicz’s calling. He is deeply committed to helping students progress, develop physical skills, build confidence, and reach their full potential. With each class, he strives to share his passion and knowledge, guiding students along their unique karate journeys. Renshi Kalinowicz looks forward to many more years of advancing his own martial skills and mentoring others in theirs.
Shihan Zeljko Violoni’s journey into martial arts began later in life, at the age of 38, but his passion for karate was immediate and enduring. Alongside karate, he developed a deep interest in Kobudo (achieving the rank of Sho Dan) and Iaido, broadening his knowledge and skill in traditional martial arts.
From his early days as a Green Belt, Shihan Violoni was actively involved in supporting Senseis with instruction, and he naturally transitioned into a leadership role after Kancho Robertson stepped back from active duties at the Honbu Dojo. He took on the responsibility of coaching and guiding competitors at local tournaments, a role he upheld until the dojo’s closure in 2018.
While his expertise spans Bunkai and Kumite, his recent focus is on understanding and mastering the flow of Ki (or Chi) through meditation and enhanced control. This ongoing journey reflects his commitment to the organization’s motto of continuous improvement in all aspects of life, a philosophy he instills in himself and others each day.
Shihan Charles Mayer began to take an interest in martial arts during adolescence. At that time, he practiced Chito-Ryu style karate at the YMCA located on Park Avenue. He restarted the practice of karate, this time in the Yoshukan style, in 2001 at the Notre-Dame-De-Grace YMCA.
His interest in martial arts quickly transformed into a passion, as the refinement of his karate and his kobudo in the Ryu Kyu Kobudo Hozon Shinkokai style led him to discover all its facets. After obtaining his Yon Dan rank in 2019, he took advantage of an opportunity offered to him that same year to visit the island of Okinawa.
During his stay on the island of Okinawa, he had the chance to delve into the fascinating history of the origins of karate. Okinawa, being the birthplace of this ancient martial art, is where he discovered the depth and richness of this discipline. He visited and practiced in traditional dojos, met passionate karate masters, and attended impressive demonstrations. These experiences allowed him to better understand the values of respect, perseverance, and discipline inherent in karate, as well as its cultural and philosophical roots. Having visited this island a few times since, Shihan Charles has made the trip an almost annual tradition.
Always aiming to broaden his knowledge in the field of martial arts, he has been practicing Aikibudo and Katori Shinto-ryu Kenjutsu for the past two years.
Originally from Subotica, Serbia, Shihan Gojak was introduced to martial arts at a young age. He began his journey in judo at the Spartak Judo Club, where he competed at the provincial level and earned his brown belt.
During the war in Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the Gojak family sought a brighter future in Canada, settling in Mississauga in 1994. With this fresh start came the Shin Bu Kan Judo Club. Shihan Gojak, along with his daughter Alisa (then 8 years old), studied under Sensei Goki Uemura to enhance his judo skills. However, Judo did not captivate young Alisa as it had Omer, prompting a change. The father-daughter duo moved dojos and styles to study Yoshukan (then Yoshukai) Karate under Kaicho (then Sensei) Earl Robertson.
Karate became more than just a sport for the Gojak family; it became a lifestyle. Shihan Gojac takes pride in his 15 years of teaching Yoshukan Karate, instilling in his students a strong belief in hard work, the importance of strong basics, and the practice of all aspects of karate (kumite, kata, and bunkai). Shihan Gojac looks forward to sharing his knowledge with the next generation of students, as it is the best way to continue on the path of learning.
Shihan Bauernberger’s journey as a martial artist began in 1990 at the local Shotokan Karate club in Linz, Austria. Over the years, his dedication to the practice and its philosophies has shaped both his personal and professional life.
After immigrating to Canada in 2005, Shihan Bauernberger joined the esteemed Yoshukan Karate family in 2009, further refining his skills under world-class instructors. His training in traditional karate, along with its practical applications in self-defense, has allowed him to integrate the principles of discipline, focus, and mindfulness into his daily life.
Beyond his martial arts journey, Shihan Bauernberger has had a successful career in the cabinet-making trade, transitioning into the aviation industry in 2006. He became known for crafting high-end furniture for private jets, earning a reputation for excellence. Over the past two decades, Shihan Bauernberger has evolved into leadership and management roles, where he has applied the same principles of precision, focus, and continuous improvement that guide his martial arts practice.
Today, Shihan Bauernberger has combined his expertise in both martial arts and management to create Workshops, a program designed to help individuals apply martial arts principles in everyday life— whether or not they have any formal martial arts experience. Through Workshops, Shihan Bauernberger demonstrates how concepts like mindfulness, leadership, and resilience can be harnessed to improve both professional and personal growth.
If there were two words that best describe Shihan Bauernberger and the core values he embodies, they would be Zanshin (“Remaining Mind”) and Kokoro (“Heart, Mind, Spirit”). These principles are not just part of his martial arts practice; they define the holistic approach he takes in both his personal and professional life.
Yoshukan Crest.
The Yoshukan Crest symbolizes the historical roots of both the Chito-Ryu and Yoshukai systems in Yoshukan Karate and incorporates both symbols into a new and unique Yoshukan Crest. The association has further created a two-tier crest (Red for Mudansha and Gold for Yudansha) that identifies students as members of our association dedicated to the practice of Yoshukan karate.
The Association
