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Certification & Licensing

Rising Sun Martial Arts is licensed by the Shidokan Kokusai Karate-Do/Kobu-Do Keiko Kenkyu Renmei (the Shidokan International Karate-do/Kobu-do Training and Research Federation). In April of 1999, RSMA was awarded our Ryu-Ha licensure, the highest level of licensure available through Shidokan International. This license is prominently displayed within the dojo.

Shidokan International is an internationally certified accrediting organization. It is licensed by the Japanese Ministry of Education to certify student ranks and to issue instructor certifications and dojo licenses on behalf of that organization. Mr. Richard Bernard, a 9^th degree black belt and chief grand master level instructor, is the director and co-founder of Shidokan International.

Each student at Rising Sun Martial Arts is issued a Certificate of Rank for each level that he or she attains. This document is issued by Shidokan International and is certified by the Japanese Ministry of Education. All members of our dojo are therefore internationally certified to hold ranking in Goju Ryu Karate-do. Members of Doshi Kai, our dojo Honor Society, also have the option of pursuing international certification in Shorin Ryu Karate-do and Zenkoku Ryukyu Kobu-jutsu.

The Okinawan Karate Federation

Rising Sun Martial Arts has also been licensed by the Okinawan Karate Federation. Our dojo holds a Charter Membership in this organization, and our director hold both rank and teaching certification through the OKF.

The Okinawan Karate Federation was formed in 1972 by Grand Master Glenn R. Premru and Grand Master Hohan Soken of Okinawa. This organization is dedicated to the preservation of the pure classical and traditional Okinawan Martial Arts Systems and adheres to the strict standards of traditional teaching systems that have been passed on from Master to Student for the past several hundred years.

Membership in the OKF carries with it both international recognition of our dojo and international sanction of rank and teaching certification.