Tino Ceberano Hanshi, founder and Chief Instructor of the IGK was born on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. It is iconic that the IGK Hawaii dojo has opened on 13th June 2018 in the All Saints Gym, built in 1929 at the All Saints’ Church at Kapaa on the Kuhio Highway on the island of Kauai.
Kids 4:30pm – 6:30pm Mondays & Thursdays
Adults 6:30pm – 8:30pm Mondays & Thursdays
Tel: Luis Soltren Sr Shibu Cho, 639-4836.
Email: lsoltren@hawaii.rr.com
Luis Soltren Sr Shibu Cho is the head instructor and he is accompanied by Rodney Woodward Sensei and Adrian Labrador Senpai. They all share a rich experience in martial arts and goju, some with a history of training under Dallas Watanabe-Grady Shihan.
The first day of training was a special moment with one of the old students coming with her children. The mother is pictured at left when she trained as a youngster with Dallas Watanabe-Grady Shihan, notable for his many years serving with the Hawaii Karate Congress.
Luis Soltren Sr Shibu Cho notes “Sensei Dallas was a father to us all.” There is a lovely history here in that Tino Ceberano Hanshi and Luis Soltren Sr Chibu Cho both share a common master, Fred Imperial Sensei (RIP) who taught them both kempo on Kauai in different years. This was only discovered as plans were being made to open the dojo.
Fred Sensei moved to Lanaii where he maintained an IGK dojo in the late 1980s and Tino Hanshi shared some special time reuniting with his first martial arts teacher on those trips back to Hawaii.
Luis Soltren Sr tells his own story of training. “I started my goju training at age 13 years continuing under Dallas Watanabe Sensei and now under Tino Ceberano Hanshi. I will be 66 this month. We trained many of you – now you can entrust your children to us. All of you that trained under Dallas Sensei support us and please share – we want the children to learn a traditional style.
Fees are only US$70/month and it reduces when you have more children. Our goal is to teach a way of life….honour, love and respect. We will strengthen your heart and your body. Karate has helped me to believe in myself. We will do the same for you and your children. Aloha.”
Tino Ceberano Hanshi recently visited Kauai to assess and upgrade the new instructors. He proudly put them through their paces and knows the new dojo is in great hands. He says…
“Welcome to the Goju Dojo on Kauai the first ever Goju Karate school since Chojun Miyagi the founder of the Goju Ryu of Okinawa whocame, taught and established the Karate taught here in 1934. This dojo now is a recognised Shibu of Goju under International Goju Karate (IGK) under the Chief Instructor Tino Ceberano formerly from Lawai who is based in Brisbane Australia and officially designates the shown instructor and assistance in the photo above led by Luis Soltren Sr Sensei as Shibu Cho of Hawaii. Hanshi Ceberano will be visiting Kauai in a short while to update and advance training to all within this year as planned. Welcome to all and happy training in the Ohana dojo on Kauai. Aloha to you all. Hanshi Tino Ceberano”.
New Club at Kilauea
Our new club has opened in Kilauea on the northern shores of Kauai in the gym at Kauai Christian Academy, 4000 Kilauea Rd, Kilauea. Classes are Fridays 5:30 – 7:30 pm and Saturdays 9:00am – 11:00 am. For more information call Sensei Rodney Woodward at 808-634-2197.