Pembroke Karate Club
It is better to be a warrior in the garden, than a gardener in war
Pembroke Karate Club
It is better to be a warrior in the garden, than a gardener in war
About Us
Who are we?
The Pembroke Karate Club is a family owned and operated Traditional Itosu-Kai style karate club. Head Sensei Mark Stevens - Rokudan (6th dan black belt), as well as Nidan 2nd dan Kobudo (weaponry) has been the head sensei at the PKC since 1985. Sensei Mark has lead hundreds of students through their Karate journey. He has a passion for teaching, and loves watching people grow in life.
Always learning and striving to improve himself, Sensei Mark has been a natural leader to all of the other black belts and students at the PKC. He has travelled, taken continuing education and became a certified kumite referee, kata judge as well as an NCCP coach with the Ontario Karate Federation.
The PKC Senseis are comprised of both men and women, some being teenagers, all the way through including many seniors. We are a diverse group of people who come together from many different backgrounds because of the martial art that we love - Karate!
At PKC, we aren't just a club, we really are a big family and we would love to have you join us!
Our history
In 1972 Sensei Bill Pinkerton, who had moved to Pembroke from Toronto where he had trained under then Sensei Kei Tsumura (5th Dan) and ranked to Shodan (1st Dan). Sensei Pinkerton founded the club in Pembroke. In the early years of the club classes were held at Pembroke Senior Public School as well as Champlain High School. It was going 4 nights a week. In the summer months the Judo dojo in CFB Petawawa found the club there on Saturdays.
There were many serious karateka involved with the club at that time. Three in particular would end up taking a leading role in years to come, Jacques Perrault, Karen Perrault and Mark Stevens. Sensei Pinkerton's work took him west and Sensei Jacques Perrault took over the club. Sensei Jacques retired from the club in 1984 and Sensei Karen Perrault took the helm. In 1985 Sensei Mark Stevens ranked to Nidan (2nd Dan) and became the fourth head sensei of the club from that point to today.
Sensei Jacques Perrault represented the Pembroke club as well as Shito Ryu Itosu Kai Canada in Japan in 1979. Sensei Mark Stevens did the same in 1985 when the tournament was held in Hiroshima Japan. Since then, the Pembroke club has been at international tournaments represented by Sensei Karl Kaufman in Japan in 2002 and by Sensei Karl Kaufman, Sensei Jenny Croft, Sensei Codie Stevens and Sempi Ben Lazarus, in Los Angeles in 2005. At this tournament Sensei Kaufman led the Canadian Kumite team to a second place finish to Japan. Sensei Ben Lazarus represented in 2009 in Malaysia.
The Pembroke Karate Club always has a good showing at the National Canadian Championships, held twice a year.
The PKC also went to Osaka, Japan in 2013 for the Itosu-Kai World Cup. Eleven members of the PKC represented Canada, along with members from Honbu Club and various clubs around the country.
In 2018, several of our black belts were trained as Level I National Coaches with the NCCP.
In April of 2019, Sensei Codie Stevens went to Yokohama, Japan with 6 other Canadian Black belts for 8 intensive days of training with Soke Sadaaki Sakagami (9th dan) as well as several Shihan's in the surrounding areas and Dojos.
In Summer of 2019 several of our Sensei's completed their Level II of their National Coaching Certification Program.
The PKC is always looking at ways to improve our skills, teaching & coaching methods as well as general knowledge of karate to be able to offer the best Karate training possible for our students.
Our Affiliate Links
