Welcome!  "Proudly teaching karate in Kamloops for 25 years"

James Doan, sensei - Rokudan (6th degree black belt), owner

James first began teaching karate in 1981 for the East Kootenay  Community College and self-defence at Selkirk High School in  Kimberley, BC.  Moving to Lethbridge, Alberta in 1983, James ran a successful karate school and taught first-year Law Enforcement Defence at the Lethbridge Community College.

 Moving to Victoria in 1988, James developed an assault avoidance program for women called “Educated Defense”. He has presented seminars to more than 1500 women, and his clients have included the Office of the Premier (BC).

He is a strong supporter of local charities and created the Christmas Charity Kick A Thon, which has donated more than $100,000 to community services, and he donates his time to teach karate and self-defence at schools and community groups. In 2008, the Western Karate Academy received the Rotary Club's "Four-Way Test" award for its contribution to the community. 

He is a regular contributor to the publication "Amateur Sports" , and has written more than sixty articles for them. 

James moved to Kamloops in 1995 with his wife, Laura. They have an adult daughter, and Laura is a "retired" Black belt and is an Associate Professor at Thompson Rivers University.

James is a dedicated teacher, a dynamic speaker, has a sixth-degree black belt (rokudan) in karate, and holds a post-secondary diploma in Psychology and Social Work. He enjoys working out three days a week at a local gym, playing the piano, singing, reading, and home renovation projects.

 DeNara Levin - Shodan

 Promotion to shodan (1st-degree black belt) April 11th, 2015

 First started training at the academy in May 2008

Years at the academy 12

 DeNara is currently a teacher in Blue River; her first teaching position. She has a reputation for keeping order in the dojo, especially amongst the white belts. Her leadership abilities and her patient demeanour make her an effective and popular instructor.

 DeNara has many interests, one of which is learning sign language. We hope to have her back with us in the future.

 Dean Wichmann - Shodan

 Promotion to shodan (1st-degree black belt) Feb 01st, 2014

 First started training at the academy in November 2008

Years at the academy 12

Dean is a soft-spoken, popular instructor who is a long time resident of Kamloops and an alumnus of  TRU's Nursing program. He is a registered nurse and health care administrator, and has decades of experience working with people from all walks of life. Despite having a very busy life and facing a few physical challenges, he is committed to a healthy lifestyle, and so has made karate training an important part of his life. Due to COVID-19, Dean is unable to attend classes at this time.





 Damon Marken - Shodan

Promotion to shodan (1st-degree black belt) April 08th, 2017

First started training at the academy in September 2003

Years at the academy 12

Damon was quite young when he first arrived at the academy in 2003. He took a break for several years after high school, but returned to the academy in 2016 determined to earn his shodan.

Damon has lived in Kamloops since 2003, and started his karate training soon after arriving. He graduated from TRU with a Diploma in Architectural & Engineering Technology, and now has his own design company.

When he is not at work, he enjoys relaxing with his wife and young daughter, working on cars or computers, and reading.

Damon has proven to be a valuable asset to the academy, and we are happy to have him back teaching and training with us.

Natalee Rempel - Nidan

Promotion to nidan (2nd-degree black belt) March 15th , 2020

First started training at the academy in June 2012

Years at the academy 8

Natalee has been training at the academy for more than eight years. She has attended almost 700 classes. In spite of being raised in a family culture that didn't approve of the martial arts, she developed an insatiable interest for it during the teen years. An already impressive understanding of karate has been further augmented through a study of anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology.

Natalee enjoys spending time with partner Lex,  and also benefits from it greatly as they are a massage therapist. There are many food sensitivities in their home, so one hobby is finding foods that are nutritious, but also taste good.  She and Lex are the proud caretakers of a dog and a cat.

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Dwight Burgher - Shodan  

Promotion to shodan (1st-degree black belt) November 24th, 2020

First started training at the academy in June 2011

Years at the academy 9

 Dwight started at the academy at the age of seven and has been hard at work ever since. Although he is the youngest instructor (and shodan) at the academy, but has almost 750 classes under his belt. Dwight instructs six classes a week, and helps out at our community booths throughout the year.

Dwight has two major passions that vie for his time; basketball and karate. When he isn’t at the dojo, you may find him at TCC practising new basketball moves. He enjoys morning runs, and also likes to get his hands dirty, baking in his family’s kitchen.

Dwight has a great sense of humour and is an engaging instructor.

 

Caitlyn Neufeld - Shodan  

Promotion to shodan (1st-degree black belt) November 24th, 2020

First started training at the academy in September 2014

Years at the academy 6

 Caitlyn's goal from the beginning of her training at the academy was to earn a black belt. She instructs six classes a week and has taken almost 500 classes.

Caitlyn has many interests, including dance, guitar, and playing violin in the SD73 strings ensemble. When she isn't doing schoolwork, she also enjoys reading, writing, drawing, and painting. After graduating high school, her goal is to attend TRU, and begin her studies to become a pharmacist.

Caitlyn is a friendly, dedicated instructor who expects the best from her students.