Gima-Ha Shotokan-Ryu is the creation of our late Gand Master Makoto Gima (Shinkin Gima in Okinawanpronunciation), cascaded to us via his senior students and apprentices, namely Mitsunori Kobayashi, andHidetada Narumi. Our lineage is a direct line from the famous Okinawan Masters Ankoh Itosu, and KentsuYabu to Makoto Gima. Saiko Shihan Gima, whilst in Japan assisted Gichin Funakoshi in propagating karateon the mainland Japan, and studied with him and supported his teachings and endeavours. Gima-Ha Shotokan-Ryu karate also shows influences of two of Makoto Gima’s friends and associated, namely Kanken Toyama and Yasuhiro Konishi. We are a fusion of Okinawa and Japan karate, a compilation of the Karate from Chikudun Peichin and Sokon Matsumura, evolving through Ankoh Itosu/Kentsu Yabu directly through Gima to our modern masters and senior instructor team. If you looking for a traditional karate that does not stray from its roots, look at the Gima-Ha Shotokan-Ryu Karatedo. ‘Be part of the history, become part of the future’!
Please look through our site and feel free to contact us.
For us it all started in Canada (via a Japanese visitor)…
A SHORT HISTORY
1969–1970 marked the arrival of Hidetada Narumi, then a 3rd Dan and student of Makoto Gima, who journeyed from Japan to Vancouver, British Columbia for what was intended as a brief two‑week holiday. That visit became the beginning of a legacy that continues to inspire generations.
The spirit and skill of Narumi Sensei so deeply moved the senior students of the JKA Vancouver Dojo—including our own senior instructor in the United Kingdom, Robert (Lewis) Sidoli—that they implored him to remain. Their admiration gave rise to a new dojo, established in his honour, where Narumi Sensei taught and inspired for ten remarkable years. His legacy was defined by austere, traditional training and a tournament record few Canadian karate schools could equal.
The first dojo, located in an old dance studio on West Hastings Street, was named Pacific West Karate. It later became the BC Karate Institute and finally the British Columbia Karate Association. At its height, Shiseikai—as it was known after its Japanese head dojo—flourished across Vancouver, Burnaby, White Rock, and Abbotsford.
Among the young students was Robert Sidoli, who trained under Narumi Sensei in both Abbotsford and Vancouver. Though circumstances led him away from Shiseikai, he was later guided by Richard Kim and Hidetaka Nishiyama of the All America Karate Federation. In 1980, before Narumi Sensei’s return to Japan, a pivotal meeting was held between Nishiyama Sensei, Narumi Sensei, and Robert—securing bonds of trust and continuity.
Robert went on to establish a dojo in Abbotsford, producing many champions. In 1987, he relocated to the United Kingdom, carrying forward the spirit of his teachers. Over the years, he trained under an enviable lineage of Shotokan masters—Nishiyama, Kim, Yabe, Yamaguchi, Asai, Abe, Yahara, Tanaka, and a course with Nakayama, Tsuyama and Okazaki Senseis among others—yet his enduring love and respect for Narumi Sensei remained the cornerstone of his journey.
In the years following renewed correspondence with Narumi Sensei in Japan, Robert — then presiding over a flourishing karate dojo in the United Kingdom and formerly serving as president of a distinguished national association — undertook arrangements for a team to travel to Nagaoka. Their purpose was to participate in a ceremony commemorating the late Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
At this event, the Gima‑Ha Shotokan‑Ryu Karate Association, as it was then designated, was accorded the honour of serving as the performing body, thereby representing the Gima-Ha lineage with dignity and respect.
The reunion of Robert and Narumi Sensei marked a pivotal moment in the Association’s history. Through this union, the United Kingdom dojo was formally recognized as the fourth nation to bear the Gima‑Ha name, extending the reach of its tradition across international boundaries.
Gima-Ha Shotokan-Ryu United Kingdom has carved its name into history, producing British, European, and World Champions while competing with distinction at some of the world’s largest karate stages — KWF (Yahara), JKA (Asai), JSKA (Abe), WJKA, and more.
When the Covid pandemic forced closure in 2019, our spirit refused to be broken. Senior classes continued virtually, keeping tradition alive and discipline strong.
In 2021, we returned with renewed determination — and already, champions are rising once again, proving that Gima-Ha Shotokan-Ryu UK is not just back, but stronger than ever, reclaiming its place at the heart of Traditional Karate.