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. Leo integrates his own philosophy of his 40+ year experience with an Okinawan style of Karate known as Chi-To-Ryu (translated as “1000 year old Chinese style”). Donovan Sensei's 7000+ 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 2500 residents in rural Cape Breton.

 

 

 

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Paul Donovan Sensei (deceased - see obituary https://www.jmjobesfuneralhome.com/obituary/Paul-Donovan ) was 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 had 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. Paul Donovan Sensei is greatly missed by all and remembered daily on the dojo floor of Cape Breton Highlands Karate Club.

 

 

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Randy Roach Sensei currently holds a Nidan (2nd Degree Black Belt) from Ryusei Karate Do ( https://www.ryusei-karate.com/ ) since November, 2024. Randy has been teaching karate in Cheticamp since September 2014.  Randy has over 20+ years of martial art experience and has dedicated over 5000 hours of training during this time.  Randy’s prior martial arts experience earned him a Green with brown patch in Uechi-Ryu under Dartmouth Karate Club (Grading Instructor Brian Bailey Sensei —please visit http://www.dartmouthuechiryu.com/ ).  Randy has transitioned to the Chito-Ryu based style of CBH Karate Club well with over 11 years of current training knowledge.  Randy has over 3000 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 Donovan 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.

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Note: Randy Roach Sensei is now affiliated with the  Ryusei Karate Do as well as Karate NS.  They can be found on Facebook under "Cheticamp Karate Club" https://www.facebook.com/cbhkccheticamp/

 

 

 

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Scott Aucoin Sensei currently holds a 1st Degree Black Belt from Cape Breton Highlands Karate Club.  Scott has been teaching karate in Cheticamp from September 2014 to 2020 under the guidance of Sensei Leo Donovan.  Scott has over 18+ 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.  Note: Scott Aucoin Sensei is currently on leave for medicial studies. 

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Matthew Burton Sensei currently holds a 1st Degree Black Belt from Cape Breton Highlands Karate Club as of April of 2025.  Matthew also received his brown belt from the late Sensei Michael Delaney in 1999.  Matthew has a wealth of experience in martial training as a retired Canadian Armed forces infantry soldier with ten years of service including serving in Afghanistan in 2008, training with the US National Guard in Texas, and even tactical and physical training sessions at FBI's Quantico. Matthew Sensei has been teaching karate in Cape Breton since September 2022 to present under the guidance of Leo Donovan Sensei. Matthew looks forward to working with Leo to provide a traditional Okinawan self-defense experience to the community for many years to come.