Westmount Karate-Do and Kobudo Club has been offering instruction in traditional martial arts since September 1993 in the west end of Edmonton, Alberta. The head of our style is Shihan Fumio Demura, who instructs at the Hombu Dojo in Santa Ana, California. We are also a member of Genbukai Canada, headed by Sensei Cameron Steuart in Lloydminster, Alberta.
Chief Instructor: Sensei John Watson
Sensei John Watson began his Karate training in 1986 under Sensei Steve Hartnett of Sherwood Park, Alberta. Sensei Watson was awarded his Yondan level Black belt by Shihan Fumio Demura in 2012.
Sensei Watson continues to train and upgrade his Karate skills under the direction of his first instructor, Sensei Hartnett as well as with the chief instructor of Genbukai Canada, Sensei Cameron Steuart and also with Shihan Demura. You will find Sensei Watson participating in teaching, refereeing and competing at our dojo and in other seminar and tournaments associated with the Genbukai organization.
Assistant Instructor: Michael Dussault
Sempai Michael Dussault has trained in Karate since the age of 8, in 1991. At age 17, he obtained his Red belt (this is the Shodan belt awarded to Karate students under the age of 18). In 2013, after many years of dedicated training and instruction he received his Sandan level Black belt from Shihan Demura. He continues to train under the instruction of Sensei John Watson and Sensei Steuart.
Assistant Instructor: Heidi Watson
Sempai Heidi Watson began training in Karate in 1993 as a family activity with her daughter and was one of the dojo’s first adult students. She is the first adult to progress from white belt to Black belt in the dojo. She continued to train under Sensei Watson and with Sensei Steuart over the years and was awarded her Nidan level Black belt by Shihan Fumio Demura in 2007. Heidi travels to Los Angeles every year to participate in seminars at Sensei Demura’s Hombu Dojo.
Assistant Instructor: Wendy Sears
Sempai Wendy Sears began training in 2002 under Sensei Calvin Leckie at the Genbukai St. Paul dojo. After moving from St Paul in 2004, she began searching for other Genbukai dojos in the Edmonton area and joined our Westmount family. She achieved her Shodan level in 2012 and continues to participate in tournaments and seminars.
Assistant Instructor: Anna Ilnicki
Sempai Anna Ilnicki joined karate in 2002 with her family at the Genbukai St. Paul Dojo. She continued on to train and grade for her black belt while balancing full-time university studies in 2013. She currently holds a Shodan rank.
Assistant Instructor: Anna Kulig
Sempai Anna Kulig joined the Westmount Dojo in 2002 with her young children and achieved her Shodan black belt in 2013. She is an instrumental part of the dojo, often organizing our kids and adult Christmas parties, driving fellow students to tournaments and being the reason for 90% of class push-ups.
Assistant Instructor: Erik Andersen
Sempai Erik Andersen is the newest of our black belts. He joined the dojo in 2002 with his sister Koto and received his black belt in June 2014. In his first sparing match as a black belt he went on to achieve a bronze medal.
Assistant Instructor: AJ Armstrong
Assistant Instructor at Large: Koto Andersen
Sempai Koto Andersen began training with Sensei Watson in 2002 and received her Shodan ranking in 2012. In 2013 she had the opportunity to train with Genbukai Australia for one month under Sensei Ivonne Henriquez.
Assistant Instructor at Large: Ryan Poitras
Sempai Ryan Poitras began training in 1995 at the Genbukai St. Paul Dojo under Sensei Calvin Leckie after seeing family friends taking the class. He graded and received his Nidan level black belt in 2013. After nearly 2 decades of training, he can be seen both refereeing and competing regularly at our tournaments.
