Instructors

Sensei - Head Instructor

Shorin-ryu Shorinkan Karate

Yoshinkan Aikido

Tesshinkan Ryukyu Kobudo

Greg is a consummate student of martial arts, business, and human performance, and is passionate about leadership. He holds black belt rankings in Aikido, Okinawan Karate and Tesshinkan Kobudo, and holds an MBA from Royal Roads University.

On the Mats: with over 20 years’ experience as a student and instructor, Greg is co-founder and chief instructor at Integrity Arts, where self leadership is learned through specific martial practice, that results in a capacity for martial leadership. And where the instruction is focused on training and techniques that are simple, practical and effective, promoting the discipline that develops self-awareness, self-control, and self-leadership; and the ability to influence and enrol others to become their very best by leading by example.

Many wonderfully talented teachers and students from around the world have influenced Greg’s martial arts experience; and although the list of instructors who’ve had a positive influence on Greg on too numerous to list here, they all continue to inspire and fuel the passion to study, grow and teach.

Sensei

Colleen is dedicated to providing guidance and support to develop the very best from everyone in her community. A master at pointing out the obvious, and able to provide wisdom and knowledge with humour and humility.

On the Mats: Colleen has been practicing Okinawan Karate for over a decade now, including Kubudo weapons practice. Colleen has her black belt in Shorin Ryu Karate and is dedicated to further honing her techniques, and mentoring and teaching her fellow students. Colleen is a founding member of Integrity Arts and is proud to be a member of this unique school. Colleen strives to be an example for other women who enroll in our martial practices.

Sensei

We are honoured to have Michael as our dojo’s Aikido Sensei. His passion and dedication to the cultural and historical aspects of traditional martial arts, along with his intense focus on performing proper technique, provides students with a very inspiring and empowering learning experience. Along with Michael’s wise insight and support, he is also gifted with providing his quick wit to get us all laughing and having fun.

On the Mats: Michael Abe began studying Yoshinkai (Yoshinkan) Aikido in January 1985 at the Canadian Japanese Cultural Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada with Takeshi Kimeda Sensei. Kimeda Sensei, a 9th Degree Black Belt brought Yoshinkai Aikido to North America in 1964 and later opened the first dojo in Canada. Michael continued his training from 1987 to 1993 in Kofu, Japan under Takafumi Takeno Sensei. Takeno Sensei, a 9th Degree Black Belt is the former chief instructor of the Yoshinkan headquarters in Tokyo and trained as a live-in student under Soke Gozo Shioda, the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, for over 20 years. Michael holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Yoshinkan Aikido and ran Aikido Yoshinkan Victoria from 1993-2007 in Victoria, British Columbia. After a lengthy hiatus, Abe Sensei is thrilled to be back on the mats both teaching Aikido and as a novice student of karate at Integrity Arts. Learning a new martial art with shoshin, a beginner’s mind, has provided him with new insights and perspectives as a teacher.

Off the Mats: Mike, a Nikkei Sansei (third generation) has been involved in the Japanese-Canadian community in both Ontario and Victoria as well as maintaining close ties with Japan. He is the past president of the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society, was the long-time editor of their newsletter, the Victoria Nikkei Forum and has been involved with the National Association of Japanese Canadians Victoria chapter. Mike was instrumental in forming Support Japan 2011 Gambare Nippon, which brought the Japanese-Canadian community and greater community in Victoria together to raise funds for the earthquake and tsunami victims. He worked in the tourism industry for over 20 years, marketing and promoting Victoria and British Columbia as world class tourist destinations and holds a B.Sc. degree from McMaster University.  He is currently the project manager for Landscapes of Injustice, a seven-year research project based at the University of Victoria that focusses on the dispossession and forced sale of property owned by the Japanese Canadians in the 1940s. His hobbies include golf, sumi-e and shuji (Japanese brush painting and calligraphy) and studying the Japanese language.

Sensei

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Assistant Instructor

James is a nerd, both professionally and when it comes to martial arts. He is an avid consumer of articles and videos on improving martial practice and learning the history of Okinawan karate and other arts, which he both collects and shares with his fellow students.

On the Mats: James is a black belt training in Shorin Ryu karate since mid-2012 and, while he has improved massively over that time, he still feels like a beginner more often than not. He is driven by a desire to understand the hidden meaning and learn practical applications of theory. The ongoing requirement for diligent and mindful practice keeps him both focused and (reluctantly) humble while engaging in teaching serves to remind him of what he has actually learned over his years of practice.

Assistant Instructor

Assistant Instructor

Assistant Instructor