T H E T E A M
Our Sensei
Michel Carbonneau - 2nd Dan Black Belt
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Michel is a second-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. He trained in the early 1990's under Sensei Yutaka Katsumata in Montréal (Club Élite, Centre Claude Robillard, CEPSUM of Université de Montréal), where he also served as sempai (assistant instructor). Between 1989 and 1994, he was a frequent medalist at regional (Montréal), provincial, and Pan-American tournaments in both solo and team competitions.
Michel is also a first-degree black belt in Jiu-jitsu (also a Japanese martial art), which he studied from the age of 8 starting in Paris and continuing in Montréal. He also studied the Feldenkrais technique (body awareness) as applied through martial arts, starting with Tai Chi (with Claude-Marie Caron, a certified teacher of the Feldenkrais method). After a career in human resources in Montréal, Michel moved to Lethbridge in 2012 to join his wife-to-be, Deanna. In 2015, he had the opportunity to spend four months in Sapporo, Japan where he returned to training at a Shotokan dojo (under Sensei Takashi Hirasawa). Michel enjoyed his past teaching as a sempai in Montréal, and having this more recent experience in Japan, wanted to come back to his roots. In Lethbridge, he sees an opportunity to make his project and dreams concrete. |
Our Sempai
In training