East Hants Karate Club


Karate was introduced to Nine Mile River in the Summer of 1976.  The Nine Mile River Community Hall wanted to offer an activity to the community.  As Karate was new to Nova Scotia and one of the first organized sport activities, the Hall contacted the Atlantic Karate Club in Halifax.  A small group of Black Belts organized a demonstration to determine if there was an interest in the community.  The demonstration was a success and as a result classes started in September.  The East Hants Karate Club was the first karate club in the Municipality of East Hants and to this day, the oldest. 


The East Hants Karate Club is the Honbu dojo (provincial headquarters) for Chito-Ryu Karate in Nova Scotia.  Teaching “Chito-Ryu Karate The Traditional Way”, it offers classes in martial arts, physical fitness and self-defense.  The Club has produced many Black Belts over the years, including the first female and male Junior Black Belts in Atlantic Canada as well as provincial, national and international competitors such as the Pan Am Games.



Sensei Chris Golz, Kyoshi, Shichidan

Sensei Golz started studying Karate in 1972 at the Atlantic Karate Club. He received his Shodan in 1975 from Sensei Shane Higashi.  In 1976, he and a small group of Black Belts from the Atlantic Karate Club organized a demonstration in Nine Mile River resulting in the creation of the East Hants Karate Club.  Sensei Golz is Chief Instructor of the East Hants Karate Club and has been instrumental in its leadership since that time. 


Sensei Golz received his Nidan in 1982 from Dr. Tsuyoshi Chitose, The Founder of Chito-Ryu Karate, one of the original 6 Tode Masters.  In 1993, he was one of a group of four, the first in Nova Scotia to receive Teaching Licences from the Canadian Chito-Ryu Association.  Being recognized as one of Canada’s senior Chito-Ryu instructors, Sensei Golz was one of a select group of five in Canada to achieve Kyoshi, Shichidan in 2015 presented by Sensei Shane Higashi.  In 2017, Sensei Golz along with Sensei Romauldo Ferri (Ontario) and Sensei Germaine Bisson (Quebec), successfully achieved their 7th Dan Certifications through Karate Canada.


As well as instructing at his own dojo, Sensei Golz was an instructor at the Atlantic Karate Club and Chief Instructor at the East Sackville Karate Club.  He currently instructs at various provincial, national and international events.  He competed at the National Karate Association’s Black Belt Championships (now Karate Canada) as a member of Nova Scotia’s 1975, 1976 & 1979 Provincial Karate Teams.  In the 1970’s, Sensei Golz played a small part in the creation of the Nova Scotia Karate Association (now Karate Nova Scotia).


In addition to Karate and teaching experience, Sensei Golz has administrative experience as Vice-President Atlantic Karate Club, President Nova Scotia Chito-Ryu Association, Membership Director Canadian Chito-Ryu Association and Secretary Canadian Ryukyu Kobudo Kobujutsu Association.


Sensei Golz is NCCP as well as Karate Canada certified and holds a Nidan in Canadian Ryukyu Kobudo Kobujutsu.  Sensei Golz is a member of the Canadian Chito-Ryu Association and World Chito-Ryu Federation Technical Committees as well as Technical Director for Nova Scotia.