CAPE BRETON HIGHLANDS KARATE CLUB
Instructor Profiles
Leo Donovan Sensei is Head Instructor of Cape Breton Highlands Karate Club. He is a certified 2nd degree Black belt and past International Instructor (Jun Shidoin) of Chito-Ryu Karate. A high school teacher holding a Master’s Degree in Education, Leo has been teaching karate in the Northern Cape Breton area continuously since 1994 and has also given mediation, yoga and chi building lessons since 1998. Sensei Leo Donovan integrates his own philosophy of his 38+ year experience with an Okinawan style of Karate known as Chi-To-Ryu (translated as “1000 year old Chinese style”). Sensei Donovan’s 6700+ hours of karate teaching and training is combined with experiences of two World Karate Championships, trips to both Japan and China, and lessons given to over 2000 residents in rural Cape Breton.
Paul Donovan Sensei is a certified 3rd degree black belt (awarded provincially by the late 6th Dan Sensei Michael Delaney) of Chito-Ryu Karate. Paul taught karate in the New Glasgow area from 1978 to 2005. In his 40+ years of karate experience Sensei Paul Donovan taught over 25,000 Nova Scotia residents and created 30 black belts and 25 brown belts. Sensei Donovan has well over 10,000 hours of karate teaching and training combined with experiences of three World Karate Championships, including trips to Japan in 1986 and 2001. Sensei Paul Donovan periodically instructs and advises for Cape Breton Highlands Karate Club.
Randy Roach Sensei currently holds a 1st Degree Black Belt from Cape Breton Highlands Karate Club. Randy has been teaching karate in Cheticamp since September 2014 under the guidance of Sensei Leo Donovan. Randy has over 17+ years of martial art experience and has dedicated over 5000 hours of training during this period. Randy’s prior martial arts experience earned him a Green with brown patch in Uechi-Ryu under Dartmouth Karate Club (Grading Instructor 3rd Degree Brian Bailey—please visit http://www.dartmouthuechiryu.com/ ). Randy has transitioned to the Chito-Ryu based style of CBH Karate Club well with over 9 years of current training knowledge. Randy has over 2000 hours of Cape Breton Highlands Karate Instructional experience in the Cheticamp area, and in July of 2019 received his Shodan under the guidance of Paul and Leo G. Donovan, with support from several of Paul's previous Chito Ryu Black Belts. Randy looks forward to serving the community for many more.
Note: Randy Roach Sensei is now affiliated with the Canadian and Nova Scotia Chito Ryu Associations as well as Karate NS. They can be found on Facebook under "Cheticamp Karate Club" https://www.facebook.com/cbhkccheticamp/
Scott Aucoin Sensei currently holds a 1st Degree Black Belt from Cape Breton Highlands Karate Club. Scott has been teaching karate in Cheticamp since September 2014 under the guidance of Sensei Leo Donovan. Scott has over 16+ years of martial art experience and has dedicated over 2500 hours of training during this period. Scott’s prior martial arts experience earned him a brown belt under the International Shotokan Karate Federation of Halifax (Grading instructors Tony Tam (7th Dan) and Dr. Danny Tam (7th Dan—please visit http://www.iskf.ca ) Scott has transitioned to the Chito-Ryu based style of CBH Karate Club well with over 9 years of current training knowledge. Scott has 2000 hours of Cape Breton Highlands Karate Instructional experience in the Cheticamp area, and in July of 2019 received his Shodan under the guidance of Paul and Leo G. Donovan, with support from several of Paul's previous Chito Ryu Black Belts. Scott looks forward to working with Sensei Randy Roach to provide a traditional Okinawan self-defense to the community for many years to come. Note: Scott Aucoin Sensei is now affiliated with the Canadian and Nova Scotia Chito Ryu Associations as well as Karate NS. They can be found on Facebook under "Cheticamp Karate Club" https://www.facebook.com/cbhkccheticamp/