Group photo at Shihan Hugo Perez's dojo in Montreal

On December 20, 2024, I visited Shihan Hugo Perez in Montreal, at his So-Kyokushin Canada dojo.

The work that day focused on self-defense drills: repeating, adjusting distance, keeping posture, and responding when someone does not cooperate. It was not a demonstration to memorize. It was practice, again and again, until the movement could hold under pressure.

Training in another dojo forces you to let go of what you take for granted. The pace changes. The space changes. So does the way corrections are given. It also changes who you work with: instructors, sempai, and students who already have their own way of moving.

Class at Shihan Hugo Perez's dojo in Montreal

The class had the mix that makes a dojo work: respect at the start, clear work in the middle, and a community that includes people who are just beginning and people who have been on the mat for years.

Training during the visit with Shihan Hugo Perez in Montreal
Sensei Alan Mokbel with an instructor at Shihan Hugo Perez's dojo in Montreal

Shihan Hugo Perez leads So-Kyokushin Canada and Centre de Karaté Perez. Here are his channels and those of his organization:

I am grateful and honored to have trained with Shihan Hugo Perez and his students.