FOOTHILLS KARATE YYC

PHONE 403-397-2931


Dojo address: #215 153 Avenue SE,
Calgary, Alberta T2X 2K2
Email: info@fkkc.org
Email: fkkcorg@gmail.com
SMS: 403-397-2931

PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION IN:

SHŌRIN-RYŪ

Okinawan Karate ... the original Karate


WKF (OLYMPIC) KARATE

Recreational & Elite Athlete Development


WELCOME TO OUR WEBSITE

FOOTHILLS KARATE YYC is Calgary's only full-time karate school offering instruction in Okinawan Karate. It was founded January 1 2000 by Sensei Ken Larkman, a black belt instructor with with more than 47 years of experience practicing and teaching classical martia arts.

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HISTORY OF OKINAWAN KARATE

Okinawans first developed a self-defence art called te, literally meaning "hands". Te predates karate. In 1609, the Satsuma clan of Japan subjugated the Ryukyu islands and banned all weapons and practice of martial arts. Despite this 300 year ban, te was practised in secrecy between midnight and dawn in the most remote places and so it was preserved and passed down from father to son in the samurai class. In 1904, when Anko Itosu introduced as a mandatory physical education requirement in public schools in Okinawa, karate ceased to be a hidden martial art.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF KARATE

"karate ni sente nashi"
"There is no first attack in karate"

“Karate is self-training in perfection...It is a training in efficiency. It is a training in self-reliance... for it enables a person to meet any situation with exactly the right expenditure of effort... and it gives him control of his otherwise wayward mind so that neither physical danger from without nor rampant passion from within can dislodge him.” - (Nagamine, 1998, p.14)

Our dojo textbook

Effective immediately, the official texbook of our karate school is:

  • The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do by Shoshin Nagamine

This book is available from most booksellers in paperback, hardback and electronic formats.

BELT EXAMS SCHEDULE

Belt tests are conducted three times per year. The next exam will held:

  • June 7, 2025
  • Saturday, December 6 2025

UP-COMING EVENTS & CLOSURES

KA = Karate Alberta
KC = Karate Canada
  • Apr-01 2025 - KC National Tournament (Burnaby)
  • Apr-18 2025 - Las Vegas Invitational
  • May-02 2025 - Spirit of The North Tournament (St, Albert)
  • May-10 2025 - Champion Karate Tournament (Calgary)
  • May-32 2025 - KA Provincial Tournament (Calgary)

OKINAWAN KARATE
VS.
JAPANESE KARATE

The video below very effectively explains the differences between the original karate, Okinawan Karate, and modern karate, Japanese Karate.

VID

REGISTERING FOR SPRING 2025

We are now registering new students for the Spring 2025 session.

 

MONTHLY TUITION

Our tuition fees are subject to change but, so far, our tuition rate for new students has remained the same since 2017:

  • All ages - $100 + gst monthly tuition

SHORIN-RYU KARATE SCHEDULE

 
K-12 BEGINNER KIDS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
6:00PM-7:000PM
6:00PM-7:00PM
9:30AM-10:30AM
TUESDAY
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
 
ADVANCED KIDS (INVITE ONLY)
6:00PM-7:000PM
6:00PM-7:00PM
9:30AM-10:30AM
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
SATURDAY
 
BEGINNER YOUTHS & ADULTS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
7:15PM-9:00PM
7:15PM-9:00PM
11:00AM-NOON
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
SATURDAY
 
DAYTIME ADULTS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
11:00AM-NOON
11:00AM-NOON
11:00AM-NOON
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
FRIDAY
 
 

WKF KARATE SCHEDULE

 
7-12 KIDS TRAINING
6:00PM-7:00PM
FRIDAY
 
YOUTH/ADULTS
8:15PM-9:00PM
8:15PM-9:00PM
8:00AM-9:20AM
TUESDAY
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
 

REGISTRATION OPTIONS

Click here to register online.

OR

Try a free class!

We have many students who have come from other martial art styles. All of our instructors have trained in other style as well. We believe there is no one style superior to another. They are simply different and should all be respected equally. Many karate practitioners are interested in going back to the roots to learn Traditional Okinawan Karatedo. Okinawa is the birth place of Karate and Shorin Ryu is the original style.


REFERENCE VIDEOS

MATSUBAYASHI-RYU
Oyodamaria Passai VID
Wanshu VID
Rohai VID
Chinto (Taira Yoshitaka) VID
Yakusoku Kumite VID
Yakusoku Kumite # 1 (Lara Chamberlain) VID
Yakusoku Kumite # 2 (Lara Chamberlain) VID
Yakusoku Kumite # 3 (Lara Chamberlain) VID
Yakusoku Kumite # 4 (Lara Chamberlain) VID
Yakusoku Kumite # 5 (Lara Chamberlain) VID
Yakusoku Kumite # 6 (Lara Chamberlain) VID
Yakusoku Kumite # 7 (Lara Chamberlain) VID
Pinan #5 VID
Pinan #4 VID
Naihanchi #2 VID
Naihanchi #1 VID
Naihanchi #1 (Lara Chamberlain) VID
Gojushiho (Lara Chamberlain) VID
Fukyugata Ni VID
Fukyugata Ni VID
Pinan #1 VID
Pinan #2 VID
Pinan #3 VID
Pinan #4 VID
Pinan #5 VID
14 staff blocks VID
ANANKU VID
KUSANKU VID
Maezato no nunchaku VID
Shiromatsu no Kon Ichi VID
Fukyugata ichi VID
Wankan VID
Wankan VID
Yakusoku Kumite VID

OTHER
Hohan Soken - Matsumura Ueseishi / Useshi (Gojushiho) VID
Tokumine no kun VID
Sakugawa no kon VID

SHIDOKAN
Pinan Shodan / Pinan Nidan VID
Pinan Nidan / Pinan Shodan VID
Pinan Sandan VID
Pinan Yondan VID
Pinan Godan VID
Naihanchi Shodan VID
Naihanchi Nidan VID
Naihanchi Sandan VID
Matsumura no passai VID
Itosu no passai VID
Kusanku sho VID
Shinto / Gankaku VID
Kusanku sho VID
Tesho VID
Jion (Version 1) VID
Jion (version 2) VID
Fukyugata Ichi VID
Useishi / Gojushiho VID
Matsumura no passai VID