自己改善 · Continuous Improvement
Halifax Karate & Self Defence is a small, serious club in Boothtown teaching authentic Okinawan karate under the banner of Jiko Kaizen Koryu Karate · White Crane.
Mark Bonner
Sensei · Chief Instructor
Lifelong practitioner of traditional Okinawan karate. Teaches White Crane under Jiko Kaizen Koryu Karate · White Crane.
The Instructor
Mark has trained for decades in the Okinawan tradition. He teaches the way he was taught — slowly, in detail, with the meaning of every movement explained. There are no medals on the wall here. Just students who move better than they did a year ago.
The Lineage
Karate was born on Okinawa as a civilian self-protection system — practical, efficient, designed to end a confrontation, not score a point. Our style, White Crane (白鶴流), traces back through that tradition. We train its kata, its bunkai, and its body mechanics the way they were intended.
The Philosophy
自己改善 means continuous self-improvement. That's the entire point. You don't have to be fit. You don't have to be young. You only have to keep showing up. The rest takes care of itself.