In English, our club name Hokubei Shotokan Kuro-obi Kai translates to North America Shotokan Blackbelt Club. We are a club of black belts located in Dayton, Ohio dedicated to the study of traditional Japanese karate. In partnership with the Coffman YMCA in Springboro, we offer karate classes to all local children and adults with an interest in the martial arts.
The HSKK is composed of black belts from the Rand Jennings Karate Club. Sensei Jennings started teaching in the Dayton area in 1995 and by 2015 his club had produced over 100 black belts, including several who continued their training in pursuit of higher Dan (black belt) levels. After the passing of Sensei Jennings in October of 2015, several of his black belts banded together to ensure that classes continued for all students enrolled in the program at the time. Our goal is to to make sure that the karate program that has impacted the lives of so many people remains available for all who wish to study the ancient Okinawan art of Karate-Do.
To achieve this goal, the HSKK currently has two instructors who volunteer their time to train the next generation of black belts. Sensei Nicholas Roberts (Yondan) and Sensei Terry Happensack (Sandan) trained with Sensei Jennings for a combined total of 22 years and work hard to maintain the high standards set by Sensei Jennings. Together with the other members of the HSKK, they intend to continue the legacy of Sensei Jennings for years to come.