Dojo Leader / Head Instructor: Samir Abboud
- Rank: Godan (5th Degree Black Belt)
- “I joined Shotokan Karate in 1969 as a foreign exchange student
from Lebanon while studying at CSULB (California State University,
Long Beach.) I continued to train at the CSULB Karate Club even
after graduating. I earned a B.A. in Journalism and a B.A. and M.A.
in Political Science. In 1986, I became a U.S. citizen. As Don
DePree always said, “We can’t get rid of him.” I was honored to take
over Mr. DePree’s teaching position at CSULB when he was needed
to oversee the building of the Shotokan Ohshima Dojo. I met my wife Natalie, a nidan,
in one of Don’s night classes, and now we have three beautiful children: Christine, Elias, and Sophia.”
Instructor: Charles Lai
- Occupation: Propulsion Systems Engineer
- Year Began Training: 1973
- Belt Ranking: Godan (5th Degree Black Belt)
- Favorite Kata: Tekki Shodan
- Favorite Quote:
- “Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Instructor: Daniel McSween
- Occupation: Clinical Lab Scientist
- Year Began Training: 1974
- Belt Ranking: Godan (5th Degree Black Belt)
- Favorite Kata: Bassai
- Favorite Quote:
- “Keep perspective. Cemeteries are filled with people we all thought were indispensable.”
Instructor: Trung Pham
- Occupation: Physical Therapist
- Year Began Training: 2001
- Belt Ranking: Yodan (4th Degree Black Belt)
- Favorite Kata: Empi
- Favorite Quote:
- “Body goes down, mind must go up.” – Don DePree
Instructor / Dojo Manager: Jason Aurand
- Occupation: IT Admin / Scuba Instructor
- Year Began Training: 2002
- Belt Ranking: Yodan (4th Degree Black Belt)
- Favorite Kata: Jion
- Favorite Quote:
- “Enter the Dojo with an open mind and a strong feeling.”
Instructor: Kevin England
- Occupation: Secondary Science Teacher
- Year Began Training: 1989
- Belt Ranking: Nidan (2nd Degree Black Belt)
- Favorite Kata: Kwanku
- Favorite Quote:
- “If you know your enemy and know yourself, in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy, but know yourself, you may win or you may lose. If you know neither, you will truly perish.” – Sun Tzu