Our Instructor
Cedar Heart School of Karate-dō is led by Garrett Chase, a senior practitioner of traditional Wado-ryu karate with nearly 30 years of training and more than 20 years of teaching experience.
Garrett Sensei holds the rank of go-dan (5th degree black belt) and has trained and taught both nationally and internationally. Over the years, he has worked with students of all ages — from young beginners taking their first class to advanced practitioners refining their technical understanding. He has also served as a provincial and national-level referee, and sat on the board of directors for Karate Nova Scotia and Wado Canada, contributing to the broader Canadian karate community.
His training follows the lineage of Grand Master Hironori Otsuka, founder of Wado-ryu; North American Supreme Instructor, Master Masaru Shintani; and internationally renowned instructor and Wado Canada's Technical Director, Master Greg Reid, through the Wado Karate Association of Canada. This lineage ensures that instruction at Cedar Heart remains rooted in authentic tradition while being taught in a modern, accessible way.
In addition to leading Cedar Heart in Victoria, Garrett Sensei is the founder and head instructor of a long-standing dojo in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His approach emphasizes steady progress, technical precision, and character development. He believes karate-dō should cultivate not only strong technique, but also humility, integrity, and respect.
Parents can expect structured, age-appropriate instruction in a supportive, yet disciplined environment. Adult students can expect thoughtful, challenging training grounded in traditional principles.
At Cedar Heart School of Karate-dō, Garrett Sensei's goal is simple:
to build strong roots, steady growth, and lifelong students of the art.
Garrett Chase Sensei
The Meaning of Cedar Heart School of Karate-dō
The name Cedar Heart School of Karate-dō reflects both tradition and place. It represents the meeting of classical budō and the spirit of the West Coast.
Karate-dō means “the Way of the Empty Hand.” It is a lifelong path of discipline, refinement, and character development. In Wado, Wa means peace or harmony, and Dō means way. Wado-ryu can be understood as a School to Peace, a path that seeks resolution over aggression, balance over force, and harmony within oneself and with others.
The cedar tree stands as a symbol of resilience and quiet strength. It grows deep roots, weathers coastal storms, and endures for generations. It bends without breaking. In the same way, traditional karate training develops adaptability, stability, and inner fortitude.
“Cedar Heart” represents the union of strength and spirit. The heart is the center of intention, where integrity, courage, and humility take root. Technique without heart is empty. Power without compassion is incomplete. In true budō, outer skill and inner character must grow together.
At Cedar Heart School of Karate-dō, students train to become strong yet calm, disciplined yet kind, rooted like cedar and guided by peace.
The logo of Cedar Heart School of Karate-dō brings together two central symbols: the ensō and the cedar branch. The ensō, a hand-drawn circle in Zen tradition, represents the ongoing path of karate-dō; a practice of balance, presence, and continual refinement. Within it rests the cedar branch, a symbol of resilience, adaptability, and deep roots on the West Coast. Together, they reflect the spirit of training: to remain strong yet flexible, disciplined yet calm, and to grow steadily in both skill and character.
About Karate-dō
Karate-dō is more than a physical activity — it is a way of life. The term karate-dō means “the way of the empty hand,” reflecting its roots as a traditional martial art that teaches discipline, respect, self-awareness, and personal growth in addition to effective self-defense. Students of all ages benefit not only from improved fitness, coordination, and balance, but also from enhanced focus, self-confidence, emotional resilience, and a deeper sense of personal integrity.
At Cedar Heart School of Karate-dō, we practice Wado-ryū, one of the major traditional karate styles in the world. Wado-ryū — meaning “the way/school to harmony/peace” — emphasizes efficiency of movement, balance, and natural body mechanics. Instead of relying on force alone, Wado-ryū integrates principles of body shifting and evasion. This results in a karate-dō practice that is both technically refined and deeply respectful of personal safety and physical well-being.
Wado-ryū was founded in 1934 by Grand Master Hironori Otsuka in Japan. Otsuka Sensei brought together traditional Okinawan karate techniques with principles from Japanese Shindo Yoshin-ryu jujutsu, creating a uniquely fluid and dynamic style. His philosophy reflects a belief that karate-dō should cultivate not just physical ability, but also character — inspiring students to act with honesty, respect, and serenity in all areas of life.
The Wado-ryū tradition spread throughout the world, including Canada, in the 1960s and 1970s through dedicated instructors and practitioners. Among these influences is the legacy of Top Master Masaru Shintani, who helped establish and develop Wado-ryū here in North America and Canada in particular, and his successor, Saiko Shihan Greg Reid, whose teaching, leadership, and organizational guidance have significantly shaped the Wado Karate Association of Canada. Cedar Heart School of Karate-dō proudly continues this lineage, teaching karate-dō in a way that honours the tradition and evolves it for modern practitioners in the Victoria community.
Whether your child is taking their first steps into martial arts or you are returning to training as an adult, karate-dō offers lifelong benefits — physical, mental, and emotional. At Cedar Heart, we cultivate confidence through challenge, respect through etiquette, and strength through discipline, helping students grow into capable, grounded individuals both on and off the training floor.
Cedar Heart is a member of the Wado Karate Association of Canada (www.wado.ca).
Grand Master Hironori Otsuka
Top Master Masaru Shintani
Master Greg Reid
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