St. Bernard Shotokan Karate Instructors
Sensei Darrell Goodyear is a certified 7th degree black belt with 53 years of experience training in and teaching martial arts. He has been instructing for more than forty 40 years. He started training in 1969 at the age of 11 under Sensei Joseph H. Georgeous. Sensei Goodyear received his Shodan ( 1st degree black belt) in 1974 from Sensei Takayuki Mikami of the Japan Karate Association. Sensei Goodyear is a former self–defense instructor for the New Orleans Sheriff’s Department and has worked as a personal security specialist and provided private security to many businesses in the New Orleans area. In 2005 after being devastate by Hurricane Katrina and losing his home, dojo, and nearly all of his possessions he was forced to leave the New Orleans area for one year. At the request of the St. Bernard Parish Recreation Department he returned home and founded the St. Bernard Parish Shotokan Karate Program which was one of the first youth programs offered in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Today Sensei Goodyear continues to teach daily classes and numerous clinics on self-defense, rape prevention and traditional karate. Mr. Goodyear is the founder of the Southern Grassroots Karate Development Program and founder of the St. Bernard Parish Karate Program. He is a former vice-president for the USA-National Karate-do Federation (USA-NKF). The USA-NKF is the National Governing Body for karate in the United States and is the only karate organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee
Sensei Darrell Goodyear
Sensei Bryan Oliver
Sensei Bryan Oliver is an internationally certified 6th degree black belt and has been training for 27 years and instructing for over 23 years. Sensei Oliver is a former national karate champion. Mr. Oliver has represented the United States in international competition as a member of the United States national team.
As a former international competitor he has had an opportunity to train with many of the top instructors in the world. As a member of the United States team Mr. Oliver has also been invited to and attended the national team training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid New York.
Sensei Oliver retired from national competition in 2003. As a coach for the Southern Grassroots Karate Development Program, he has trained many national champions and hopes to pass his knowledge and experience on to the next generation of karate athlete.
Sensei Benny Harrell is a Lifelong martial artist with over forty years experience. Sensei Harrell is a Fifth Degree Black Belt under the Japan Karate Association(JKA) which he received in 2004. Sensei Harrell is a senior advisor to the program.