About Us
About the Organization
THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS SHOTOKAN:
AN INFORMAL HISTORY
The Central Illinois Shotokan began as small club on College Avenue in a tiny building next to the Illinois State University campus in 1967. Called the Central Illinois Karate Association, CIS was a member of the Great Lakes- Area, Japan Karate Association under the supervision of Sensei Shojiro Sugiyama. In the beginning, the lead instructor was Mr. John Donahue who had earned his Shodan in Japan, on Hokkaido Island as a member of the USAF. The training was post-WW2, grueling, and of over 50 USAF members, only three remained to receive Shodan under Sumi Sensei.
Central Illinois Shotokan Co-directors, Rick Brewer and Carl Hartter, were instrumental in the early days of the organization, in assisting with teaching, promoting, and starting clubs at ISU, IWU, in the Bloomington-Normal and Pekin, and Peoria areas. The organization left the JKA in the early 70s under amiable circumstances, to be a traditional and independent Shotokan karate organization. When Mr. Donahue left karate suddenly in the early days, Senseis Brewer and Hartter immediately took the reins and went to work. Under their leadership, the organization flourished and quickly evolved into a very large Central Illinois Shotokan Karate Association with regional clubs and programs under the umbrellas of the Central Illinois Karate Association (in the Bloomington/Normal area) and the Central Illinois Shotokan Karate Association (in the Pekin/Peoria area.)
In the late 70s and early 1980s, due to the excellent cooperation, traditional ideals, and common goals of all its members, the Central Illinois Shotokan continued to improve and maintain high standards, certify ranks, and provide regional clinic and competition training opportunities. Many CIS students have become state and national champions as individuals, collegiate, and CIS teams. Our students have competed in local, state, regional, and international venues as far away as the Budokan in Japan. Sensei Hartter won the AJKA National Championships in Riverside California.
Our clubs have hosted guest instructor clinics with the likes of Hirokazu Kanazawa, Osamu Ozawa, Stan Schmidt, and Randall Hassell. CIS students have also trained with other masters like, Hidetaka Nishiyama, Shojiro Sugiyama, Stan Schmidt, James Yabe, Edmond Otis, Mikami, and many others.
Traditional Central Illinois Shotokan Karate-Do has a legacy of clubs and accredited programs in Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University, Pekin Community High School, the Bloomington 4-Seasons Club, the Pekin YWCA, Mapleton Rec-Center, Boys and Girls and Boys Club of Pekin, Peoria Riverplex, Peoria County 4-H, at least four commercial dojos, and over a dozen other clubs and programs throughout Central Illinois and as far north as the Chicago area.
For nearly two decades the Central Illinois Shotokan has been affiliated with the American Shotokan Karate Alliance (ASKA) with Chief Instructor Randall Hassell (also President of the American JKA Karate Associations). Mr. Hassell is a world renowned author of over a hundred articles and books. The American Shotokan Karate Alliance is committed to excellence in traditional Shotokan karate and has superior black belt development programs and an organizational mission the blends perfectly with clubs who wish to study their martial art, meet friends with common interests, and avoid the political negatives associated with the past.
Mr. Brewer and Mr. Hartter serve on the American Shotokan Karate Alliance (ASKA) Shihan Kai with Chairman, Edmond Otis and Technical Chairman James Yabe. We are also recognized and affiliated with the American JKA Karate Association (AJKA) and the International Karate Society.
The Central Illinois Shotokan has appeared in over a dozen martial arts magazine articles including “Shotokan Karate Magazine†(SKM), American Profiles in Karate, the newest “Masters Magazineâ€, “Samurai Magazineâ€, Kick Illustrated, Inside Karate, and Martial Arts Illustrated. Many of these have been written by Sensei Brewer and feature many highlights and successes of CIS members. Sensei Rick Brewer was also the Technical Editor of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Karate (written by Randall Hassell and Edmond Otis).
Just recently, Senseis Carl Hartter, Rick Brewer, and Sensei James Hartman have new training DVDs out in the Shotokan “Train with the Masters†series published by Tamashi Publications, in St. Louis, MO. And, to accompany a recent article profiling Shotokan Master, Randall Hassell and the ASKA for Masters Magazine, Publisher Jose Fraguas produced an hour long DVD with Sensei Brewer and Randall Hassell (also available through Tamashi Publications..)