Instructors

Sensei Bill Kane began his early Martial Arts training in Tae kwon do in 1976. He did not get seriously involved in the martial arts until he began training in Goju Ryu in 1981 under Sensei James Hagan. Together they began the karate program at Ambler Area YMCA in 1984 and he received his Shodan (1st degree) in 1985 in New City, NY under S. Hagan.

In 1993, when S. Hagan accepted an overseas assignment, Sensei Kane assumed full responsibility for the Ambler program. It became affiliated with the GKK in October of 1994. In October of that year he received his Nidan (2nd degree) along with the "Chief Instructor” certificate from S. Rich Stamper, president GKK.

In May 1995, Sensei Kane traveled to Fremont and Toledo, Ohio and trained at two dojos and then tested Sandan (3rd degree) under a testing board led by Renshi Brad Smith at Fremont.

In April 1998, Sensei Kane was invited and tested Yondan (4th degree) under S. Motoo Yamakura at the GKK National Blackbelt promotional in Findlay, Ohio.

After a week of training in Tulsa, OK under Yamakura Shihan, Mr. Kane was promoted to Godan (5th degree) on June 30, 2001.

On June 1, 2002, after completing both oral and written exams, Sensei Kane was awarded Renshi status by the chairman of the GKK, Yamakura Shihan.

In the summer of 2013, Sensei Kane traveled to Michigan to train and test under the GKK senior review board. In September 2013, Yamakura Shihan (along with other senior instructors) visited the Ambler dojo for a regional seminar and to promote Sensei Kane to Rokudan (6th degree). In 2013 Sensei Kane also began in his new role with the GKK organization to help strengthen and expand interested dojos.

Mr. Paul Stetsko is a 4th degree black belt (Yondan) in Goju Ryu Karate. Paul began his martial arts training in GoJu-Ryu in 1984 under Sensei Don Warrener. In 1990 Sensei Warrener's dojo closed, and Paul decided to take a few years off. Six years later and after some prompting from his oldest son, studied Wado-Kai for two years. He then moved to the Philadelphia area in 1998 where he studied American Kenpo and received a 1st degree black belt (Shodan). In 2002 he joined the Ambler GKK dojo and was awarded Shodan rank in October 2004 by Sensei Kane and Nidan in May 2008 and Sandan in March 2012. He received his Yondan rank in May 2016. (Shown on left in picture)

Ms. Helen Muth is a 4th degree black belt (Yondan) in Goju-Ryu Karate.Ms Muth joined the Ambler program in 1996 due to the encouragement of Chuck Fischer. Over the next five years under the tutelage and guidance of Sensei Bill Kane, Zak , George, John and Victor she progressed steadily through the Kyu ranks. She received her Shodan rank in May of 2001,Nidan in May 2003, Sandan in October 2009 and Yondan in May 2017. Ms. Muth enjoys reading about Goju-Ryu, Karate and Bunkai (applications).

Mr. John Barton is a 3nd degree black belt (Sandan) in Goju Ryu Karate. He received his Sandan in May 2014. (Shown on left in picture)

Mr. Howard Blum is a 3rd degree black belt (Sandan) in Goju Ryu Karate.Howard began his training in the martial arts when still in grade-school at a YMCA sponsored judo program in New York. He later went on to study a variety of art forms including Shodokan, Tai Kwon Do, Akido, Kung Fu and Hapkido (1st degree black belt). After joining the Ambler Y in 1997, he began to study GoJu-Ryu through GKK and received his 1st degree black belt in October 2004 from Sensei Kane and Nidan in May 2008.

Mr. Steven Rusche is a 3rd degree black belt (Sandan) in Goju Ryu Karate. He received his Shodan promotion in April 2009. He received his Sandan promotion in May 2016.

Mr. Philip Vinogradov is a 2nd degree black belt (Nidan). His Shodan promotion was in 2016 and Nidan in May 2022.

Ms Jenni Appleby is a 2nd degree black belt. Jenni earned her Shodan promotion on October 7, 2017 and Nidan in April 2022.

Visiting Black Belts

John Henderson (Yondan), Tom Berthoff (Shodan), Ric Kimball (Nidan), Jon Rook (Yondan), Zak Zaklad (Sandan), Peter Kriechet

Mr. Vic Lim is a 5th degree black belt (Godan) and Renshi in Goju-Ryu Karate. Mr. Lim began his martial arts training in 1980 at the Shorei Kan Okinawan GoJu Ryu dojo in Peekskill, NY and received his Shodan in 1984. In 1985 Mr. Lim moved to Philadelphia and stopped formal training until January 1998 when he joined the Ambler GKK dojo. He was awarded a GKK Shodan in August 1998 under Sensei Bill Kane and Renshi Brad Smith. Mr. Lim was awarded Nidan in October 2000, Sandan in October 2002, and Yondan in June 2006 by Sensei Bill Kane. He was awarded Godan by Shihan Yamakura in September 2013 and awarded Renshi by the GKK in May 2015. (shown on left in picture)

Mr. Rook is a 4th degree black belt (Yondan) in GoJu Ryu Karate. Mr. Rook first began studying martial arts when he joined his college's Tai Kwon Do club. That affiliation only lasted one year and it was more than 13 years before he was able to resume his study of the martial arts.

In 1992 Mr. Rook joined the Ambler dojo. In August of 1998 Mr. Rook achieved one of his lifelong dreams by being promoted to black belt. Recognizing that he still has much to learn, he continued his training as both a student and an instructor at the dojo. In October of 2000 he was promoted to 2nd degree black belt (nidan), and in March of 2004 he was awarded his 3rd degree black belt (Sandan). Mr. Rook studies Tai Chi Chuan with Zak Zaklad.

Mr. Allen "Zak" Zaklad is a 3rd degree (Sandan) black belt in Goju Ryu Karate.

He joined the program at the Ambler Area YMCA in 1984 and has been karateka since then. In 1995, he received the "most improved student" award from GKK. In August 1996, he received his shodan rank from Sensei Kane, supervised by Renshi Brad Smith.

In the Fall of 1996, Zak accepted the post of Assistant Instructor. In April 1998, he attended the GKK National Blackbelt promotional in Findlay, Ohio, and participated in the black belt seminar under Shihan Yamakura in 2001. Zak was promoted to Nidan rank in August 1999, and to Sandan in February 2004 by Sensei Kane. He regularly traveled with and assisted Renshi Brad Smith, until Brad's untimely death in 2012. Zak also studies and teaches Tai Chi Chuan.

Zak retired from active Goju Ryu study in Dec 2016 and has expanded his Tai Chi Chuan classes.

Mr. George Connaghan is a 3rd degree black belt (Sandan) in Goju-Ryu Karate. He received his Sandan in October 2009.

Mr. Tom Letizio is a 2nd degree black belt (Nidan) in Goju Ryu Karate.

Ms. Jill Emery is a 2nd degree black belt (Nidan) in Goju Ryu Karate. She received her Shodan promotion in December 2010 and Nidan in September 2013.

Mr. Gerry Henderson is a 2nd degree black belt (Nidan) in Goju Ryu Karate. He received his Shodan promotion in April 2009 and his Nidan in April 2012.

Mr. Stephen Muth is a 2nd degree black belt (Nidan) in in Goju Ryu Karate.

Ms. Rachel Krosky is a 1st degree black belt (Shodan). She received her Shodan in Goju Ryu in 2016.

Ms. Madeline Murphy is a 1st degree black belt (Shodan). Her Shodan promotion was in March 2017. Madeline in the picture is the 4th person from the left in the front row.

Ms. Liz Platonova is a 2nd degree black belt (Nidan). Before coming to the Ambler GKK she received her first degree black belt (Shodan) in Shotokan Karate. She enjoys studying the differences in applications for go and ju. She received her Shodan in Goju Ryu in May 2016 and Nidan in April 2022.

Mr. Noah Vinogradov is a 2nd degree black belt (Nidan). His Shodan promotion was in 2016 and Nidan in July 2022.

Mr. Dan Emery is a 1st degree black belt (Shodan). He was awarded Shodan in 2013.

Ms. Paula Krosky is a 1st degree black belt (Shodan). Her Shodan promotion was in 2015.