Cezar Borkowski
Cezar Borkowski 1956
“The Martial Arts Bridge Builder”
Cezar Borkowski is a dedicated practitioner, master
level instructor, author and a very successful martial art businessman.
Cezar Borkowski has some fifty years experience studying, researching and
teaching martial arts. 
Always an the quest of improvement, he has visited Asia
over 40 times in order to gain first hand knowledge. In 1972, he established
Northern Karate – one of the most successful, well-respected martial arts and
personal development organizations in the world, with more then 9000 active and
very loyal students. A former internationally-ranked competitor, Cezar was
six-time Canadian Champion. He was rated #1 by the North American Sport Karate
Association (NASKA), the PKL, Karate Illustrated magazine and he has received
hundreds of awards, trophies and medals. He holds very senior grades in Karate
- Chito-ryu, Shorin-ryu, Goju-ryu. In Kobudo he is likely the only person in
the world to hold rank and teaching licences in Ryukyu, Matayoshi and Yamane
systems (all received in Okinawa). He is also ranked in Jujutsu and Silat.
In addition to several dozens of articles for a
variety of martial arts 
publications, Borkowski authored Modern Shotokan Karate
and co-authored best-selling The Complete Idiot's Guide to Martial Arts. He
also researched and edited The History and Traditions of Okinawan Martial Arts
and is currently working on translating and editing Mysteries of the Ryukyu
Hand, as well comprehensive take on state of Okinawa Karate, Last of the true
believers. Cezar's videotape credits include Kobudo Weapons, Winning Point,
Essential Okinawan Kobudo, The Master Class, and the Northern Karate System a
15 DVDs Series. Cezar has been featured in international magazines (Japan,
England, Germany, Sweden, India and France), newspapers, and on radio and
television. He lectures on a wide range of martial arts and related topics at
events around the world.His greatest influences over the years have been Masami
Tsuroka and Robert Dalgleish. His principal teachers in the 1980s and 90s were
Okinawa-based teachers, Nagamine Shoshin, Nakasone Jyoen, Hokama Tetsuhiro,
Shiroma Kiyanori, Kinjo Masakazu, Kishaba Chogi, Tomimoto Yuko and Guru Mohamid
Kamin of Singapore. His senior students include Steve Oulis, Marion Manzo,
Michael Walsh, Tony LaSelva, Cos Vona, Domenic Moscone, Vince Servello, Eric
Vinagreiro, Ricky Bonaparte, Jeff Barrett and Sandro Siminetta.
He is also the Chairman of the technical committee of the Canadian Black Belt Hall of fame. Plus and most importantly he is one of the nicest guys ever in the martial arts.
But perhaps his greatest accomplishment is the attainment of Judan or 10th dan in 2012 from Tetsuhiro Hokama and the International Karate-do Organization. He is one of the few if not the only Caucasian to attain such distinction. Little alone the only Canadian for sure.
