Shotokan Karate in Canada

The All Canadian Karate Union (ACKU) teaches traditional Japanese Shotokan karate to individuals and families at our oceanfront lodge in British Columbia’s beautiful Great Bear Rainforest.

Who Are We? What Do We Do?

ACKU is an independent karate organization with roots in Canadian martial arts going back to the 1960s. We hold over 50 years of extensive karate history and belong to the World Karate Union Federation (wukf-karate.org).

We interact, cooperate, and train with martial arts communities worldwide, participating in local, provincial, and international tournaments. For more than a decade, our members attended the Las Vegas Ozawa Cup Tournament—historically the largest all-styles tournament in the world—which has now transitioned into the WUKF North American Championship. We also regularly attend the World Union of Karate-Do Federations World Karate Championships.

Our international competitive history includes sending teams to:

• Fort Lauderdale (2022)
• Scotland (2023)
• Monterey, Mexico (July 2024)
• Malmö, Sweden (July 2025)

The History of ACKU

Founder Soke Jim Bray

Soke Bray began his training in 1964 at the very first karate club established in Calgary. A lifelong leader in Canadian martial arts, he became the first Albertan to represent Canada internationally with the National Karate Association Alberta Branch (now Karate Canada) at the Pan American Games in 1974.

Jim is a fourth-generation Calgarian and holds a BA in Economics from the University of Calgary. For more information on his background and martial arts history, visit JimBray.ca.