Nanaimo Shotokan Karate-do Association was formed in 1970 and has trained hundreds of youth and adults in the mid-Island region.
Meet our Senseis (instructors), Sempais (assistant instructors), and the NSKA Board of Directors.
Sensei Mark Deugau
Sensei Mark is a 5th degree black belt (Godan).
Sensei Doug Rathy
I started in karate at Nanaimo Shotokan in 1975 at the age of 23. My Sensei was Sensei Sam McGee, the founder of our club. I trained under him until 1976 and at that time went back to school and didn’t train again until 1981. I returned to training with Sensei Nairn Semple and Sensei Jim Scott. Sensei Semple remained my sensei until his passing in 2019.
I received my Shodan (1st degree black belt) in 1986 at the age of 34 from Master Nakayama (10th dan), the head of our association. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate. I achieved Nidan (2nd degree) in 1993, Sandan (3rd degree) in 2000, Yondan (4th degree) in 2011, and Godan (5th degree) in 2017.
Karate has been a big part of my life since starting, and after being taught for so many years by my sensei I am now trying to give back to my students what I have learned from all my years of training with Sensei Semple and many other instructors.
Sempai Mark Thomlinson
This is a paragraph about Sempai Mark.
Sempai Robyn Surgenor-Baird
Karate can become a path to health and fitness, a way to grow confidence, a method of learning self-defence, a means to finding comradery and belonging, a spiritual pursuit, and a way of life. It is all of those things for me. I began training with the Nanaimo Shotokan Karate club in 1988 when I was 10 years old, under the guidance and teaching of Sensei Nairn Semple. After many years of training, with some breaks during which I perused my educational endeavors to become a teacher and also became a mother of two boys, I achieved the rank of Shodan in April of 2013, and the rank of Nidan in August 2022. I consider myself to be a life-long student, but I also love assisting in karate instruction. I learn as much from our students as they do from me, and teaching karate has become as much a passion for me as being a student myself. As part of my karate-instructor training I have Karate Instructor Beginner Certification through the Coaching Association of Canada, Making Head Way in Sport training (Concussion prevention, recognition, etc.), Karate BC Regional Judge Certification training (kata and kumite), and Emergency First Aid and CPR level C.
2023-24 NSKA Board
- President – Christian Madarasz
- Vice President – Mike Postans
- Treasurer – Mark Kelly
- Secretary – Mark Thomlinson
- Public Relations – Sylvia Corante Garza
- Member-at-Large – Michelle (Myke) Postans
Past Senseis
Sensei Sam McGee
Sensei Nairn Semple
For 48 years Sensei Semple helped build and strengthen the Nanaimo Shotokan Karate Association, eventually achieving his 6th Dan (degree) black belt. He was a revered Sensei and his greatest joy was working with youth.
Nairn was a founder of the Canadian Shotokan Karate Association and, later, ShotoCanada. In 2016 he was honoured with a lifetime achievement award for his dedication to karate and ShotoCanada.
Sensei Semple passed away 26 May 2019. He left palliative care dressed in his karate gi complete with black belt. He looked strong and ready for his next adventure.
Nanaimo Shotokan Karate-do Association 