Zen Bei Butoku-Kai International
The St. Catharines Martial Arts Centre is a member of the Butokukai of Canada and the Zen Bei Butoku-Kai International. These two organizations carry on the teachings of the late Dr. Richard Kim.
Dr. Richard Kim 10th dan, hanshi started his martial arts training at the age of six in Hawaii, first training in judo, then in karate and boxing. Prior to World War II, Sensei Kim moved to Japan where he trained in karate, daito ryu and Okinawan Kobu-jutsu. He then moved to China where he continued his studies in tai chi chuan, chi kung and paqua. Finally, in 1959, Sensei Kim made a permanent residence of San Francisco, California. He devoted his life to the teaching of the martial arts, sharing his knowledge with martial arts students all over the world. Sensei Kim passed away on November 8, 2001. His senior students carry on his legacy of propagating the martial arts.
Sensei Brian Ricci was born on August 14, 1950 in Everett, Massachusetts just six miles from downtown Boston. His first interest in the martial arts was a result of watching movies. At that time no one knew much about karate but he knew that he wanted to learn the techniques that he was seeing on film. Brian Ricci’s karate training started in 1965 with Peter Ventresca. He received his black belt in 1972. At twenty-two years old he decided he wanted to learn the martial arts in more in depth and was accepted as a student by Dr. Richard Kim. Eventually, after many years, Brian Ricci became the assistant instructor to Dr. Kim. In the year 2000 Dr. Richard Kim awarded his long time student, Brian Ricci, a seventh degree black belt. That is the highest rank ever awarded and the only time that rank was ever awarded by Dr. Kim. After Sensei Richard Kim’s death Sensei Brian Ricci has continued his teacher’s work in passing on the martial arts to the next generation of martial arts students. The majority of members in Sensei Richard Kim’s organization, The Zen Bei Butoku-Kai International, are now training with him.
