Photo L to R  Don Mazerolle, Romualdo Ferri, Craig Vokey, Shane Higashi, Germain Bisson, David Smith.

Congratulations to Sensei Shane Yukio Higashi who was honoured on the opening day of the National Champs for his vast contribution to Karate in Canada and to present him the national rank of 10th dan.

In 1962, he founded his karate school, the Yoseikan Karate Dojo, on Danforth Avenue at the corner of Eaton Avenue in Toronto. His dojo later became the Higashi School of Karate.

In 1964, Higashi sensei was one of the founders of the National Karate Association (now Karate Canada)where he was a member of the technical committee with O’sensei Masami Tsuruoka. Over the years, he has collaborated with Sato sensei, Uchiage sensei, Waith sensei, and Tominaga sensei on Karate Canada’s technical committee, over which he presides today.
 
Sensei Higashi is also a founding member of the Canadian Chito-Ryu Karate-do Association.  In 1974, Higashi sensei acted as a referee at the first Canadian National Karate Association Championship held in Edmonton.
 
Higashi sensei epitomizes what it is to be a leader in Karate-do. His humble demeanor, his strength of character, and how he conducts himself makes me understand why his students love him.

…President Craig Vokey