Kenzen Karate marks a decade in business maintaining its roots in the Royal Oak neighbourhood moving its 300 families into a historic community building – saving it from destruction.
Richard Mosdell, owner and chief instructor at the Saanich studio, started saving six years ago envisioning a martial arts hub.
The 'timing was right' when the Royal Oak Community Hall came up for sale, he said.
Residents were concerned the building, owned by the Women’s Institute since 1930, would land in developers’ hands.
Built in 1911 and formally recognized for its heritage in 1979, the hall at 4516 West Saanich Rd. is a two-storey, wood-frame, Edwardian era building.
Raised by the men of the community using local donations, the hall gave the Women's Institute an ideal location to fulfill its mandate of caring for community through charitable acts such as dances, work bees and sporting events.
Now in the hands of Kenzen Karate, that community hub vibe will remain, Modell said, and is so far embraced by the community and neighbourhood.
“We just needed our own space and if we could own it that’s great. (The previous owners) loved the idea of it being for the community,” Mosdell said. “We want to keep it exactly the same as it was.”
Other users of the building have found other homes, he said. The plan is to spruce up the paint and put down karate mats to make it solely a martial arts space ahead of the Sept. 1 move-in date.
As they make those improvements, area residents and businesses have stopped by to say hello, thank you, and congratulations on saving the building.
Kenzen is a month-to-month club teaching authentic Japanese karate, explained Mosdell, who has served as head coach of the provincial team, and involved in the Sport Canada system.
A March 11, 2014, earthquake in Japan spurred Mosdell’s return to Canada to start his own karate club after years of high-level coaching success. When he returned, Mosdell started in a basement with zero students, then built to the current Royal Oak space now utilized by 300 families.
The new building is 25 per cent larger allowing for growth.
One family has been there since the first month and Mosdell’s own kids teach alongside him. He’s happy to grow a community activity he loves, and sees as an avenue for anyone to be more fit and connected to community alongside other people.
“We’re a sports club. We’re not just a business, we’re a karate dojo and it’s all about the people and what we can do. I’m just really grateful for the Royal Oak community,” he said. “We look forward to the next chapter.”
Kenzen Karate hosts a grand opening of the new building, and its 10th anniversary celebration, on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Learn more at kenzenkarate.com.
