Chief Instructor
Ronald Katsumi Awa
Shihan was born in 1948 and is currently an 8th Dan in the Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (SKIF) and holds the title of Hanshi as awarded by Soke Hirokazu Kanazawa on May 2004. He started training in 1963 and is a Principle and Architect for Awa and Associates.
Awa Shihan has trained or studied under Tetsuhiko Asai Sensei, Takehiko Nozaki Sensei, Kensuke Seto Sensei, Kenneth Funakoshi Sensei and Soke Hirokazu Kanazawa. He started his Karate career when he was 14 while growing up in Lanai, HI. Following a lifetime of Karate-do, Awa Shihan continues to teach and train because of the enjoyment he gets from sharing what he’s learned with his students. Donning a gi for the first time, the satisfaction of earning that first rank, participating in dojo and tournament competitions or officiating at the international level are some of the reasons that motivate him to continue to practice karate with SKIF.
Awa Shihan enjoys the kata Niju Shiho because of its fluidity and rhythm as well as practicing techniques which rely on Tenshin or Tai Sabaki which capitalizes on the opponent’s momentum. He has also done Kobudo (Ancient Weapons) with Pat Nakata Sensei.
One of Awa Shihan’s most memorable moments was on April 13, 1990, which was the eve of the Ozawa Cup in Las Vegas, Nevada:
“At a pre-tournament cocktail reception, while enjoying a conversation with Soke Kanazawa, he asked when I had last tested for a Dan exam. After my response, he instructed that I be at his Bally Hotel room at 9:00pm for my Godan examination. With only an hour until the exam, we drove frantically through downtown traffic to retrieve my gi and return to the hotel. Upon arriving at the hotel, we encountered a hallway filled with curious onlookers, as the furniture in Soke Kanazawa’s room was pushed aside and Soke along with Ishikawa Sensei of Mexico City patiently sat at a dinette table as I rushed to suit up and immediately began to perform my Godan examination.”
One final memorable moment Awa Shihan shared:
“Capturing private moments with Soke Kanazawa to discretely practice Nijuhachiho kata waza…outside of a clubhouse restroom in golf attire after a round; on the beach at the Maunakea Hotel: while seated awaiting a flight at the Kona airport…”
Head Instructor
Warren Sato
Assistant Instructor and Club President
Bennett Fung
Treasurer
Gilbert Chun