Al Evans

Shihan Al Evans began his martial arts journey in 1957, at the age of 18, in Winnipeg where he joined a Judo club and immediately knew that martial arts were to become his lifetime endeavour. His main focuses were Judo and Karate and Jujutsu, he eventually achieved a Sandan (3rd degree black belt in Judo) and a Shodan in Karate.

However, his greatest passion was Jujutsu, he got his first taste of Jujutsu in Toronto at the Hatashita Judo Club. There a Dutch gentleman by the name of Henk Jansen was teaching Kawashi Jujutsu. This intrigued Shihan Evans, and he began searching out various jujutsu instruction. In 1970 Shihan Evans began his training in Chokushin Aiki-Jujutsu in Gailsburg Illinois. He was originally there to attend a Hapkido Seminar when he saw a small group training off to the side of the dojo. He inquired what it was they were practicing and was informed it was a system of Aiki-jujutsu called Chokushin. For the next 7 years he trained under TANEMURA Nobayoshi Sensei (before he returned to Japan), receiving his Menkyo license (6-8th dan meaning full transmission of the system). In 1977 he was living in Kitchener- Waterloo, and there he began to teach Aiki-Jujutsu at the University of Waterloo. He eventually left the University Club in the hands of Mark Sprague Sensei and opened a dojo on Elm St. in the judo club of Wayne Erdman Sensei. Shihan Evans continued to teach Chokushin in Erdman Sensei's Judo club for many years. He was sought out by Kim Martin Sensei (a black belt student of Mark Sprague Sensei) to return to the University club in 1992 after Sprague Sensei left for your Europe with his business.

Shihan Evans had maintained contact with Sensei Paul Fox who had studied under both Evans Shihan and Sprague Sensei. Fox Sensei had opened a dojo in Peterborough and was teaching Chokushin Aiki-Jutsu, and the two clubs maintained strong ties. In 2004 Shihan Evans officially retired from teaching and turned the system over to Paul Fox Sensei who was promoted to Menkyo Kaiden (9-10th dan). Over time Chokushin under Fox Sensei began to shift in both philosophy and technique. Chokushin had originally focused on application for self-protection, under Fox Sensei it began to be more of a spiritual journey. Technically the system was becoming softer with an almost sole emphasis on circular motion and very little use of Atemi waza (striking techniques). Under Evans Shihan the system had stressed not only circular movement but also angular and linear motion. Atemi was also stressed during the execution of most techniques as a part of basic Kuzushi (disbalancing an opponent both physically and mentally ).

In 2010 Anderson and Pitcher Sensei separated from the Kawartha Chokushin group and sought out Evans Shihan. From the lengthy discussions that the three engaged in, in regard to the current and future practice of Chokushin Aiki-Jujutsu (as Shihan Evans and his Sensei had envisioned it) the Goshinkan organization was formed.

Until his passing, Shihan Evans continued to actively advise, teach and guide Anderson and Pitcher Sensei in the finer points of Chokushin. He has attended black belt level gradings and conducted seminars for the organization and will stayed active until such time as his health forced him to retire. Shihan Evans passed in 2019.