Shihan Dimitri
Senseï Dimitri began practicing karate at the age of 15, under the guidance of Senseis Roman Szyrajew and Daniel Gauthier. From the beginning, his interest in martial arts drove him to train very rigorously. This dedication led him to achieve the rank of Shodan in 1988, awarded by Soshu Shigeru Oyama, who was then the director of IKO in North America. He continued his training and began teaching at the dojo in Laval where he trained. During this period, he also participated in several local and regional tournaments, often ranking among the top three.
In 1995, upon the suggestion of a friend who knew his love for martial arts, he enrolled in Aikido classes at the Mille-ÃŽles dojo, under the guidance of Master Jacques Lamade. Shihan Dimitri practiced Aikibudo and obtained his green belt in 1997. However, his love for Kyokushin prompted him to return to karate. He contacted Shihan Roman and joined his dojo on the west side of the island, where he continued his training and teaching of karate until the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Following that, he chose to join the Shinka Dojo team, where he leads instruction with the other Shihans and Senseis of the dojo.
During several business trips in the 90s and 2000s to Europe and Japan, Shihan Dimitri had the opportunity to refine his mastery of karate by training with Shihan Marc Van Walleghem and Kancho Mastushima. In fact, it was during the trip to the 2004 World Tournament in Japan that, unexpectedly, Shihan Roman asked him to take the belt test. He then received his Sandan in front of the international committee chaired by Kancho. He achieved his Yondan in front of Kancho Mastushima at the Laval dojo in 2010, during his visit to Canada. It was during his trip to Japan for the 2016 World Tournament that he passed his Godan test, which lasted more than 6 hours and included 50 fights with other participants from around the world, in front of the international committee of IKO-Matsushima.
Shihan Dimitri has been a certified international karate judge since 2006. He has served as a corner judge (Fukushin) and referee (Shushin) for several local and international tournaments for many years.
Currently 54 years old, Shihan Dimitri continues to train regularly and teaches at the dojo in Laval. He is recognized for his technical knowledge and fighting skills.
