KiHon Traditional

Shihan Norm Rivard-Head Instructor
Shihan Norm Rivard is a 5th degree black belt, and has successfullyrepresented Kihon in full-contact, bare-knuckle competitions in North America and Japan. He has a full contact record of 77-6 with notable wins in New York at the North American Karate Championships, Denver at the Sabaki Challenge, and in Chicago t the U.S. Shidokan National Tournament, the largest knockdown competiton in the United States.

About
The history of Kihon Karate begins with the story of one man, Kancho Lloyd D. Russette, a 9th degree Black belt and founder of Kihon. In the late 1950's Kancho began training in sunny California studying Japanese Karate. Later returning to Detroit, he began training under the guidance of Sansei Doug Noxon, a Yondan (4th Dan) in Kodokan Judo and IsshinRyu Karate. Condoning a rough and tumble style of Kumite, students were always encouraged to make heavy contact to the body. It was within this environment that Kancho earned a 8th Dan Black belt, while developing his physically tough style of Karate that would become his trademark. The IsshinRyu system was popular due to its elemental appeal and easy in teaching, and as the years passed by it was for these reasons that Kancho's interest began to sour. His years of Karate experience revealed Isshinryu's lack of combat effectiveness. It was the systems simplicity that exposed its inadequacies.

Kancho began traveling across the world, trading ideas with other high ranking instructors who explained to him how to read and interpret techniques and their movements. They provided information on advanced principals and their application to Kata, Kumite, and basics. Incorporating this knowledge with his own experience Kancho developed techniques that allowed David to consistently defeat Goliath. He called this new system that disregarded size and strength, Kihon Karate. He trusted this knowledge and taught in to a select few.

Kancho personally chose two individuals that would not succumb to the allures of political rank or commercialism to make their decision. Men of integrity dedicated to the development of one art, Kihon Karate. Shihans John Gimpert, Rokudan of Chicago and Dan Charlebois also 6th Dan of Ontario, Canada, were these two men. Together with Kancho they formed the inner circle of Kihon and received intensive training in all aspects of authentic Okinawan Karate

Kihon Karate is a style born of tradition and then taken to new levels of efficiency. The Kihon Karate Association is dedicated to the promotion and development of this traditional Okinawan martial art. In Kihon Karate, 90 percent of training is done with a partner. This allows the student to develop the proper body alignment and weight distribution to best maximize ones power when striking. The intensive use of shields and pads was implemented to practice full power kicks and punches while ensuring safety. The techniques of Kihon Karate when performed to their fullest incorporate punches, kicks, elbows, and knees with Shimewaza (chokes) and Kansetsuwaza (joint-locks) to incapacitate and opponent. This makes Kihon Karate a more complete and all round fighting system.