Established in 1996, Japanese Karate-Do Dojo is a member of The World Traditional Karate Organization (WTKO) and is dedicated to the study of Traditional Shotokan Karate. Our dojo (school) is dedicated to the pursuit of personal excellence and the advancement of Shotokan Karate.

The Japanese Karate-Do Dojo takes pride in providing a family-friendly atmosphere, offering classes for adults, teens, and kids. The JKD dojo also provides national and international guest instructors for seminars and workshops.

Our school (dojo) is located on Snider Road at the Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. Students are not required to have a membership to the Sports Club to attend classes. Please contact us for more information.

Japanese Karate-Do Instructors

Sonny Kim

JKD Founder

The late Sonny Kim is Rokudan (6th Degree) and began his Shotokan Karate training in 1977. Sensei Kim was a dedicated instructor with the sole objective to practice, preserve, and propagate authentic Shotokan Karate. He served as the Official Instructor, Examiner, and Judge for the World Traditional Karate Organization (WTKO) in the Mid-America Region. Sensei Kim’s passion was to share his love of karate with his students through personalized, motivating, and insightful instruction. His focus was on conveying the importance of details and how they come together to produce powerful techniques and confident students. Sensei Kim started the JKD Dojo in December 1996.

Robert ‘Rob’ Grossheim

Chief Instructor/Business Manager

Robert ‘Rob’ Grossheim holds the rank of Sandan (3rd Degree) and began training at the Japanese Karate-Do (JKD) dojo in 2002. After training hard for five years Robert received his Shodan in 2007 from Sensei Sonny Kim. In 2009, he received his Nidan. Sensei Grossheim is a lead instructor at JKD and enjoys placing an emphasis on the mechanics and “why” behind the techniques that the students learn.

Steve Simon

Steve Simon holds the rank of Nidan (2nd Degree) and began training at the Japanese Karate-Do (JKD) dojo in 2006. After training hard for five years he received his Shodan in 2011 from Sensei Sonny Kim. Steve is currently an instructor at the JKD dojo.

Josh Lefeld

Josh Lefeld holds the rank of Nidan (2nd Degree) and began training at the Japanese Karate-Do (JKD) dojo in 2008. After training hard for five years he received his Shodan in 2013 from Sensei Sonny Kim. Josh is currently an instructor at the JKD dojo.

Umang Joshi

Umang Joshi holds the rank of Nidan (2nd Degree) and began training at the Japanese Karate-Do (JKD) dojo in 2006. After training hard for seven years he received his Shodan in 2013 from Sensei Sonny Kim. In 2016, he received his Nidan. Umang currently is an instructor at the JKD dojo while studying at Xavier University.

The Mid-America WTKO is a proud member of the World Traditional Karate Organization

The primary function of the Mid-America WTKO is to build relationships with individuals and groups that share a common vision of Karate training and ideals. Mid-America WTKO sponsors senior WTKO instructors on an annual basis to not only expose our members to the highest levels of instruction but to also unite those interested in the same Karate way. Students will become members of this international organization upon receiving 8th Kyu (Orange belt).

The World Traditional Karate Organization is dedicated to the pursuit of personal excellence and the advancement of Shotokan Karate. The WTKO provides a platform for individuals and affiliated groups to practice authentic Shotokan Karate in the absence of politics. The subsequent instructors form the WTKO Executive Committee.

Sensei Richard Amos

7th Dan WTKO Chief Instructor

Born in England in 1963, Richard Amos began karate at age 10. Occasionally teaching from as young as 15 he was invited onto the KUGB Junior Karate Team at 18. By the age of 23, he had competed in England and Europe gaining many Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in numerous championships.

After a two-year sojourn in New York, he went to Japan to train at the headquarters of the Japan Karate Association and stayed 10 years. During that time he completed the 3-year instructor’s program of the JKA (only the 2nd Westerner ever to do so in its 50-year history), placed second or third in the All-Japan Championships several times (no non-Japanese had ever reached the semi-finals before), taught many classes each week over a 6-year period in the headquarters of the JKA (another first) and opened his own school in the heart of Tokyo.

In 2000 Amos moved to New York again, this time as an established professional karate instructor with an international reputation. He is currently the chief instructor of the World Traditional Karate Organization heading its instructor program and teaches every day at the headquarters dojo on 61st Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. The following brief clip was filmed in Sensei Amos’s final year as a Kenshusei (Instructor Trainee) of the JKA. CNN INTERVIEW

Sensei John Mullin

8th Dan WTKO Executive Chairman

Sensei Mullin began his karate training in 1960. He was a member of the JKA/ITKF US National Team for 5 years, from 1980 through 1984, and a former US Open National Champion. In 1985, while living and training in Japan, he won the All Styles Karate Championship in Yokohama. In 1994 he was recognized as “Instructor of The Year” by The Karate Voice a national karate publication. In 2002 he won the JSKA World Championship, in Germany, veterans kata division.

He is a member of the faculty of the Karate Instructor Certificate Program at Long Island University, New York. He is also a contributing author in Karate Martial Art and Sport along with Milorad V. Stricevic, M.D. Associate Dean, School of Health Professions
Sensei Mullin is the Chief Instructor of the JKA Karate Staten Island and was awarded “A” class Certified Instructor in the JKA Shotokan Karate-do America, the governing body for JKA karate in the United States. After a 42 year career in the JKA, Sensei Mullin decided on a new direction; along with a number of senior instructors founded the World Traditional Karate Organization (WTKO). The WTKO successfully held their 1st World Championship in 2001.

Sensei Mullin is a teacher with the NYC Board of Education, teaching computer technology in a middle school in Brooklyn NY.

Sensei Steve Ubl

8th Dan WTKO Technical Director

Sensei Steve Ubl began training in Minnesota in the1967 in the art of TangSoo Do. In 1969 he began training in the JKA style of karate with Donald G. P. Oelrich. When living in Japan in 1972 he was fortunate to have been recognized by Nakayama sensei of the JKA for his character and talent. Taken under Nakayama sensei’s wing, Ubl sensei experienced many, many hours of private tuition with this great teacher and made copious notes from these periods of intense learning. He received his 1st dan directly from Nakayama sensei while residing at the Hoitsugan. He also received instruction from Nakayama sensei in1974 and returned to Japan several more times between 1976 and 1977.

Returning to the US, Ubl sensei entered the Japan Karate Association Instructor Training Institute under Nishiyama sensei at the JKA-US Headquarters in 1973, where, as a full-time trainee, became an instructor with the AAKF-ITKF, working daily with Nishiyama sensei.
By the late 70’s Ubl sensei’s ideas began to transcend regular training in any dojo and his development continued more from his own intelligent application of ideas influenced by Japan than from the various classes and training camps he also attended. Throughout the ‘80’s and ‘90’s Ubl sensei, an intensely private individual, trained mostly alone and free from restriction. In 2004 he was persuaded to recognize the importance of sharing his knowledge by a group of dedicated karate-ka from California to Florida to Canada and in 2006 accepted the position of Technical Director and 7th dan from the WTKO.

Sensei Scott Middleton

6th Dan WTKO General Secretary

Born in Brandon, Manitoba in 1972, Sensei Scott Middleton began Karate at age 14. Began instructing Karate in 1995 in the town of Wawanesa, Manitoba. Sensei Middleton is currently the Chief Instructor of the Traditional Karate of Brandon and the National Director of WTKO in Canada. Appointed to the position of WTKO General Secretary 2011.

Sensei Mullin is a teacher with the NYC Board of Education, teaching computer technology in a middle school in Brooklyn NY.

Sensei Zack Stewart

4th Dan WTKO USA National Director

Zack Sensei began his study of Shotokan Karate under Sensei Allen Renfrow and eventually moved to Los Angeles to study under the late Master Hidetaka Nishiyama. After Nishiyama’s passing Zack began studying under Sensei Steve Ubl and continues so to this day. In 2015 he completed the WTKO Kenshusei Program at the WTKO Honbu Dojo in NYC directly under the WTKO Chief Instructor, Richard Amos Sensei. Since 2009 Zack has been teaching Shotokan Karate in Nashville, TN at his dojo. He is the WTKO’s National Director for the USA.