SHOTOKAN KARATE IN PERRY, FLORIDA

September 1973, the shotokan style of karate began in Perry.  This program was established by the Taylor Technical Institute as one of their community programs through the suggestion of Jimmy Bowden.  Mr. Bowden was an employee of the Taylor County School System at that time and friends with the Director, Dr E.B. Williams.  Dr Williams jumped on this suggestion and located two karate instructors in Tallahassee who were willing to teach karate in Perry.  Senseis Charlie Parker and John Hinken with Sensei Parker as the Chief Instructor.  Both were members of the Tokyo Shotokan Karate-Do Program.   The first class began at the Jerkins High School Gym on September, 1973.

Sensei Parker soon resigned and Sensei John Hinken moved to Perry and established a residency here in the "Log Cabin Construction business.  During the interval from 1975 to 1980, Sensei Hinken taught karate and built log cabins in Perry.   In 1980, he moved to Tampa, Fl  and became a Merrill Lynch agent, where he remains today as the top agent of the Tampa One office. 

Prior to 1980, Sensei Hinken married one of his students, Candi Cronk.   Upon their departure to Tampa, they organized a Shotokan Karate Program there, which developed into a strong program.

Sensei John Hinken promoted Jimmy Bowden and Candi Cronk to Shodan, 1st degree Black Belt in December, 1980.  With the Hinken's departure to Tampa, Jimmy Bowden was appointed as the Chief Instructor of the Perry program where he and Sensei  Doug Chaffin taught for ten more years.  Sensei Bowden continued with the program up to the present time.

Shortly after their departure to Tampa, the Hinken's began searching for the original Kenkojuku program where he earned his Shodan prior to moving to Tallahassee.  He contacted several of the original students who directed him to Koji Sugimoto.  Sensei Sugimoto was sent to USA by Master Tomosaburo Okano in 1970.  He trained in the Miami dojo under Sensei Takashi Akusawa, a yodan under Master Okano.   Sensei Akusawa disappeared from the Miami program shortly afterwards and Master Okano appointed Sensei Sugimoto in his place.     

Recent Updates

MasterTomosaburo Okano passed away on July 20, 2003.  He founded the Shotokan-Kenkojuku Karate system in 1942.  Shihan Tomokatsu Okano became kancho of the Kenkojuku upon his father's passing.

Sensei John Hinken, 5th Dan, began karate in 1967 and recently completed 40 years teaching Shotokan Karate and was training directly under Master Okano.   

Sensei Bowden, 3rd Dan,  began karate in 1973, and still teaches the Shotokan-Kenkojuku style of karate in Perry, Florida, at his 124 South Jefferson Street, Perry, Florida Dojo.