I have been involved in the dojo for around 15 years now and it has been an amazing experience. I started out in the dojo when I was about 10 years old and did not want to be there one bit, but my parents made me go. I look back on it and I have realized what a headache I was for Sensei Taneda, but he put up with me and challenged my abilities. As the years progressed I learnt so much from him and I grew from the little brat that I was to who I am today, I may still be a bit of a brat but I love the dojo with all my heart. I gained discipline, drive and an unfailing work ethic. All of these things serve me in and out of the dojo; in fact these skills have shown themselves in my professional life and life as a student. I have been away from the dojo for the last five and a half years, but I never feel detached from it. The dojo is a place that is welcoming and will help everyone within it to grow as a person and it will give you an amazing support group. Sensei Taneda has taught me so much.Louis Gauer
My name is Milton Bourque and I have been practicing Chito- Ryu karate going on 35 years now. Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Taneda Dojos. I must say that the experience was eye opening for me. I found Sensei Taneda to be very knowledgeable and he seemed to be able to bring out the best in each student.I was very impressed with the good manners demonstrated by the students. At first I did not truly understand it but after a few days I came to realize that the unique atmosphere of the dojo was a direct result of the strong emphasis on etiquette. Taneda Sensei sets a high standard in this regard and the senior belts, in turn, pass it on to the juniors. The result is very evident when interacting with the students. They are very polite and courteous.
The dojo environment is very positive and respectful where the students train hard and work together. I observed Taneda Sensei talk to or interact with each and every student during the class .This gives the students a sense of belonging but also the feeling that they matter, they are important. Too many dojos today are run like a sports club where they teach a few skills and collect the fees and if you are not there tomorrow hopefully someone else will. At the Taneda dojo the Sensei is interested in training the students to be “good people” first and good athletes second. I believe he is on the right track and I have implemented some of his methods in my own dojo in Nova Scotia.
If I get the chance I would love to come back and train at the Taneda Dojo and I encourage you to check them out. It truly is a special experience that you will not regret.
Milton Bourque
When Sensei dissolved his partnership with Brian DeMasters at the dojo they established at a Japanese United Church in Rutland and opened his own dojo at the Westbank Catholic Church in 1981, Senpai Phil Taneda and I followed him there and were his first two students. In the 30 years since that time I have learned and continue to learn so many valuable lessons from him. Over the years I have often wondered, “What is the fundamental underlying difference between our dojo and other dojos and why can Sensei consistently achieve such amazing results both personally and with his students. Through my experience, training at the dojo and at many other dojos around the world I can honestly say with absolute conviction that the difference lays in the interpretation of “bushido”. Most dojos literally interpret bushido as the “way of the warrior” and focus mainly on the martial aspect which is only a small part of what the concept entails. As such, they only have a theoretical understanding of the concept and view it as something separate from their daily lives. However, the two radicals that comprise the Chinese character for “bu (武)” of bushido (武士道) literally mean to “stop using weapons/violence”. The true meaning of bushido, and that which Taneda Sensei lives by, is a “devotion to the way of constant self-improvement in one’s mental, physical, and spiritual being (心技体 – shin-gi-tai) in order to create a peaceful society”. This is a “living bushido” not a theoretical one. In other words, it is a philosophy that can be applied to one’s life at any time irrespective of one’s age, gender and ability.Taneda Sensei’s bushido spirit is the reason why he is so successful both as a karateka and as a teacher and I’m one of the thousands of fortunate students who have benefited from this. As a specialist in second language acquisition I have come to realize that the best way to learn a second language is through constant exposure to the target language. Taneda Sensei teaches bushido in a similar way. He doesn’t explicitly say that bushido is a process of self-improvement he teaches by example (exposing us to authentic bushido) and by guiding us in his expert way in the direction we need to go. My case was one such example. The lessons I learned in the dojo have not only helped me improve my karate but have also helped me overcome the obstacles I have experienced in my life and achieve the goals I have set for myself. This is the role of a true Sensei and a true leader. Everything I am today I owe to Sensei and for that I’m truly grateful. I sincerely look forward to learning many more new things from him.
Thank you Sensei!
Todd Tournat
First as a parent: My son has been a student at the dojo for about 1-1/2 years. Sensei and the Senpais teach a positive balance of tradition, hard work, discipline, and fun. The kids learn to be self-confident, supportive and strong. The dojo is a supportive team and a family.Now as a student: I consider myself to be extremely privileged to be learning from Sensei Taneda. His practical and positive way of looking at everything is a continual influence for us to always give a full effort whether it is in class, in competition or in life. He encourages us to dig deeper for that extra effort.
Two of my favorite inspiring quotes from Sensei are: “If you are tired, just keep going.” “…do it, because you can.”I also feel privileged to be apart of the Taneda Dojo. There is a real sense of family within the dojo. I started training with the dojo when I was 43 and I am in the best shape I’ve been in since I was 20.
Jodi Bartier
I joined the Sensei Taneda’s dojo in the fall of 1990 as an adult looking for healthy exercise. I have to say that the exercise was amazing, the discipline, the practice really helped sharpen the mind. Never did I imagine doing running break falls, running bare feet to the Westbank beach, or training in Lake Okanagan. Sensei Taneda has a brilliance in being able to look to other marital arts and see what many don’t and incorporate into his style. I have watched young children, including my own get life long benefits from being in the Sensei Taneda’s Chito-Ryu dojo’s. I highly recommend joining Sensei Taneda, Senpai Cheryl and their qualified staff, if you want to really expose yourself to World Class Leaders.Ben Stewart