About

Who we are

We are a martial arts school that teaches the Goju Ryu system of Karate, as a foundation for learning methods of attack and defense.  We integrate our karate training with theories of combat and other martial art techniques, including judo and weapons. Our mission has always been to provide authentic, effective practice, grounded in respect for techniques and principles established in Japan years ago.

Our dojo was founded by Michael Beardwood and Lucy Gerritsen Beardwood as a place of exploration and development in the martial arts. In 1999 we began as Kumanomori Martial Arts. We updated in 2020 as Advance Combative Theories, to reflect our philosophy of always moving forward, continually improving ourselves and the dojo.

We are directly connected to Japan as the Honbu (Headquarters) dojo of Shuseikan Canada and part of the larger Seiwa Kai International. We also maintain memberships with provincial, national and international organizations, to ensure our students and instructors have access and opportunity to grade and progress in rank, as high as will and determination take them. Our mission has always been to help students achieve their goals in a positive, safe and inclusive environment.