Our history

The original Abbotsford Karate Dojo began in the 1970s with Robert Lewis (Sidoli), and his instructor, Sensei Nairumi.  In 1977, Harry Sidhu began his karate journey as a white belt under the guidance of Sensei Robert Sidoli.  By that time, the dojo had become well-established and was winning provincial and national championships. 

Ten years later, in 1987, Sensei Robert Lewis Sidoli, a former police officer in Abbotsford, returned to the United Kingdom.  He entrusted his dojo to Harry Sidhu, who served as the Chief Instructor at that dojo until 1993, before pursuing a law enforcement career of his own, necessitating a move to Vancouver Island.  

In 1995, Harry Sidhu returned to Abbotsford.  With the consent and encouragement of Sensei Robert Sidoli, Harry Sidhu resurrected the Abbotsford dojo, which was then known as Abbotsford Shotokan Karate Dojo. 

Abbotsford Shotokan Karate Dojo is affiliated with the Japan Karate Association, and all its Black Belt members are credentialed by instructors from the Japan Karate Association directly from Japan.  This November, students will participate in the Provincial Championships and hope to continue the dojo’s legacy of winning numerous awards at this level.

On top of the many Provincial medals that our dojo has accumulated over the years, Sensei Harry Sidhu has continued to compete.  He has won numerous Provincial championships and has competed successfully against several national and international champions.  One of Sensei Harry Sidhu’s wins includes winning the Silver medal at the 2016 Canada Open, and a Gold at the BC JKA Provincial Championships that same year.  He has graded and trained with a multitude of internationally renowned instructors, such as Sensei Maseo Kagawa, who is the coach of the National Karate Team of Japan, Sensei Tetsuhiko Asai, a world-renowned karate master, and many others.

The dojo has a bright future ahead.  On top of participating at provincial and local tournaments, Sensei Harry Sidhu also incorporates self-defense as part of karate training and has led self-defense workshops for non-karate people all over the Lower Mainland over the past 30 years.  With such a strong foundation and unquestionable track record, it is clear that Abbotsford Shotokan, under the continued direction of Sensei Harry Sidhu, will continue to make its mark in the Fraser Valley and in the karate world at large. To find out more about the Abbotsford Shotokan Karate Dojo, please visit www.abbotsfordkarate.com