Legacy Shorin Ryu Karate Jutsu, Celebrating 54 Years! by Peri Hayes
Together, Gary Legacy (Hanshi) and John Kittelberger (Kyoshi) operate Legacy Shorin Ryu Karate Jutsu. The pair are thrilled to be celebrating their existence as one of oldest karate clubs in North America, with 54 years in business achieved on February 28th of this year. In keeping with the name of this establishment, the style which they practice is known as Shorin Ryu Karate Jutsu. Kyoshi John details, “It’s a traditional karate style that is linear, which came from Okinawa, Japan and is designed for defense.” Kyoshi John is an 8th Degree in Martial Arts and has been immersed in karate for 45 years, with Hanshi Legacy as his beloved instructor. Prior to Legacy Shorin Ryu Karate Jutsu, there was a club in St. Thomas belonging to the association with which Hanshi Legacy was involved and they gifted their space to him -- indicative of his undeniable dedication. Having independently launched this business, Hanshi Legacy remains incredibly involved at the age of 78 years. Representative of the ways in which Hanshi Legacy has mastered Shorin Ryu Karate Jutsu, Kyoshi John shares, “Hanshi Legacy is recognized across the world as a 10th Dan.” Presently, there are eight instructors at their St. Thomas location and every class has at least one Black Belt. As Kyoshi John proudly highlights, “About 30 percent of this Dojo are female, and quite a few are Black Belts.” Hanshi Legacy and Kyoshi John also recognize the world champions who have practiced at this esteemed Dojo, including Sensei Leo Loucks. With St. Thomas being Legacy Shorin Ryu Karate Jutsu’s Home Dojo, remaining establishments include one each in Kitchener, Hamilton and Toronto, as well as several in London and another four in British Columbia. Located at 1 Silver Street, Legacy Shorin Ryu Karate Jutsu is offered to ages four and above. Their hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm with three classes presented, in addition to their Saturday session for advanced students from 10:00 am until 11:30 am. As Hanshi Legacy and Kyoshi John describe, Shorin Ryu Karate Jutsu is one of the only styles with a program for Black Belts higher than 4th Degree -- for which they gather for Hanshi from 8:00 am until 9:30 am. Kyoshi John encourages, “If you have an open mind, you can learn. I walk away from every class having learned something
and that keeps the fire going inside.” Moreover, Hanshi Legacy thoughtfully voices, “I like to give back. It is nice to see the young children becoming more confident, and when parents share that this has an impact outside of Legacy Shorin Ryu Karate Jutsu -- in school, for example. We are making the world a better place one person at a time.” Classes occur on a monthly basis, with a pay-per-month system in place. As Kyoshi John assures, “Come in the door and experience our free trial for a couple of weeks to ensure that you like this space, so that you are not spending any money without feeling good.”
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