Character | Sincerity | Dedication | Etiquette | Self – Control
Why Now?
As it currently stands, today’s Shotokan world is a bit chaotic.
Karate practitioners are interested in how Shotokan’s principles, excitement, philosophies, and training methods strengthen us to deal with the challenges what is testosterone propionate we face in the real world – not just the karate world.
The Shotokan International Alliance (SIA) Mission Statement is simple:
Provide an arena for Shotokan groups, instructors and students to grow and develop in the art, free of politics and separatism.
We accept direct membership and welcome affiliation with like-minded groups – in accordance with the Alliance’s guidelines and criteria.
Our Structure
The Shotokan International Alliance is composed of two interrelated sub groups – members and affiliates.
SIA Members are an exclusive, close knit network of national and regional Shotokan organisations, single dojos, and individual Shotokan practitioners. Members have access to skill development, high-level instruction, technical training, and internationally recognised rank and certification. Members come to us with a desire to enhance, build upon, and expand the technical and philosophical foundations of the JKA style of Shotokan karate.
SIA Affiliates compose an interactive consortium of Shotokan groups and individuals with existing highly recognised technical standards. Unlike other multi-association karate organisations, the Affiliation is not competition based and does not require exclusivity of membership.
Chairman Profile – Edmond Otis, 8th dan
A dual US and New Zealand citizen, Edmond Otis sensei is internationally known as a Shotokan instructor, coach and judge. He has coached numerous competitors to USA national and international championships and has personally developed many high-ranking instructors.
Otis Sensei began his training in 1967, at the age of 12, under the direct guidance of the JKA’s legendary Hidetaka Nishiyama Sensei and Yutaka Yaguchi Sensei. In 1973 he became a full time student of Ray Dalke Sensei (Nishiyama’s senior US student, and one of the first 3 non-Japanese to achieve official JKA instructor status). For 12 years Otis Sensei was the senior member and captain of the nationally respected “Riverside Dojo” team coached jointly by Dalke Sensei and JKA kumite icon Frank Smith Sensei. He was a personal student and associate of AJKA-I International Technical Director, Leslie Safer Sensei, 9th dan, from 1984 to 2019.
Otis Sensei travels extensively conducting seminars for instructors and students that focus on karate as a rigorous and technically demanding physical art, a decisive means of self-defense, a competitive sport, and for many a philosophy of life.
Outside the traditional dojo, Otis Sensei seeks to apply the lessons we learn as martial artists across a broad area of the modern experience. As a licensed psychotherapist, speaker, and consultant he coaches professional athletes, organizations, businesses and private clients to successfully apply cutting-edge research and classic martial arts strategies to a broad range of life’s professional, personal and interpersonal challenges.
Otis sensei is currently a Senior Lecturer in Health and Sport Science at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) in New Zealand. Prior to this position at EIT, Otis sensei was a Senior Lecturer in the Humanities department and Physical Education at the University of California, Riverside. He was also Director of Martial Arts and two time recipient of the University Distinguished Teaching Award.
Vice Chairman, John Hanratty, 8th dan
John Hanratty sensei has been training and teaching Shotokan Karate for over 49 years. He is Chief Instructor for the Canadian Shotokan Karate Association and National Coach. He is also past president and current Vice President to the World Shotokan Karate Association.
Hanratty sensei was elected the 3M Coach of the Year in 1989 by Karate Canada and has been nominated for Air Canada Sportsman Award. He has received a Distinguished Citizen Award from the City of Calgary for services to sport and is an internationally ranked official and a top level NCCP coach.
Hanratty Sensei instructs and conducts seminars throughout North America and Europe and is considered a leading authority on Karate Kata history and application.
Advisory Committee
Kevin Warner, 7th dan
Jörg Kohl, 7th dan
Kenshin T. Iwata, 6th dan
Nathan Scarano, 6th dan
Robert T. Myles, 6th dan
