Scarborough Shorin-Kan Karate
Frank Baehr’s Martial Arts Background:
1939 Born in Berlin, Germany
1956 Immigrated to Canada
1959 Started Judo under Frank. M. Hatashita at University of Toronto
1961 Started Karate under Masami Tsuruoka
| 1963 | Co-founded the Nisei Karate Club at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) in Toronto, together with Tom Saito, Sam Hayashi and K.C. Tsumura. This was the first organized activity at the JCCC and started even prior to its official opening. The club was under the guidance of Mr. Tsuruoka with Mr. Roy Higo as advisor. |
| August 1965 | Went to Hawaii to study under Tomotsuga Morita, 7th Dan Kyoshi and Master Nagamine's representative in Hawaii. Stayed in close contact with Mr. Morita and periodically studied under him in Hawaii until 1995. |
| September 1965 | Went to Japan (Okinawa) to study Shorin-Ryu under Grandmaster Shoshin Nagamine. Was a live-in student of Grandmaster Nagamine until the end of June of 1966. |
Mr. Baehr (second row, left) outside the "Hombu" in Okinawa after a morning class, November 1965.
Saying "Sayonara" at the Naha Airport in June 1966. Front row, right to left: Mr. Seigi Nakamura, Mr. Jokei Kushi, Grandmaster Shoshin Nagamine
| July 1966-Feb.1967 | Taught Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate in New Zealand. |
| Feb. 1967 | Returned to Canada, rejoined the JCCC. Was the first to teach Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate in Canada. |
| May 1967 | Started the "Shorin Karate Club" in Scarborough as the first independent school to teach this style in Canada. |
| 1969-1975 | Was a student of Chotoku Omine ( one of Master Nagamine's high ranking students, sent to North America to oversee the style in North America) and Takayoshi Nagamine (Master Nagamine's son, living in Cincinnati for a number of years). |
| 1967 - present: | Made numerous trips to mainland US, Hawaii and
Okinawa to study under his various teachers. Taught seminars on Shorin-Ryu in Europe, Canada and the U.S |
| 1990 | Awarded 6th Dan- Renshi by Grandmaster Nagamine and Takayoshi |
(As can be seen, all of Mr. Baehr's martial arts teachers were Japanese or of Japanese descent. This has formed his very orthodox and "eastern" approach to Karate.)
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