Meet Our Instructors
Michael A Seamark, Co-Owner
Kaicho & President of KoKoDo Sadohana Kai
Menkyo Kaiden Shihan Kogoyoku Jikimon
Title of Hanshi
KoKoDo JuJutsu 8th Degree Black Belt
Director KoKoDo JuJutsu NA
Black Belt in Brazilian JiuJitsu
1995 was the year Michael was promoted to Blackbelt in Japanese JuJutsu. His first teachers were Sensei Jim Fry and Shihan Michael J LaMonica. It was through these two amazing artists that Michael was introduced to the Head of the KoKoDo Organization - Irie Soke
By 2000 Michael was making routine trips to Japan and began to study directly under Soke, a person known throughout Japan and internationally for his jujutsu teachings and expert knowledge in the healing arts of bone setting, acupuncture and acupressure.
Michael is currently a director of KoKoDo and one of only two world wide to reach the rank of 8th degree black belt and title of Hanshi Menkyo Kaiden Shihan KoGyoku in KoKoDo JuJutsu. He is the first westerner to receive Shinan Yaku, a teaching license in Kappo Shiatsu from Soke and the Hombu in Japan
Michael has to date written 4 books on KoKoDo. Three of the books are regarding the basic blackbelt principles and concepts to help a student progress and his last book takes the reader through the healing art of KoKoDo Kappo Shiatsu and Moxibustion. These books are used by the members of KoKoDo throughout the world.
Michael also studies and teachers the art of BJJ or Brazilian JiuJitsu. Although in love with the sport Michael tends to focus on the self-protection and safe movement aspects when teaching and rolling.He began his BJJ journey shortly after 1993 but started to take it more serious during his career in Personal and Executive Protection Specialist.
The importance of BJJ was deeply cemented in his training after attending a Royce Gracie BJJ Law Enforcement Seminar and Seminars with Professor Pedro Sauer and Professor Saulo Ribeiro.
In 2013 his school (The Sadohana Academy) started its first in-house BJJ program and in 2014 became an official Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Affiliate later to take on the Vancouver branch of Team Six Blades called Curucuruland BJJ.
Michael was awarded blue, purple and brown by Professors Saulo Ribeiro and Xande Ribeiro. Then On Nov 26th 2022 during the Curucuruland BJJ Winter camp Michael was promoted to black belt by Professor Rodrigo Pagani and Professor Dean Toews held at the BWC. Michael is currently the Head instructor for Curucuruland BJJ Vancouver and Co-Owner of The Sadohana Academy
Kaicho & President of KoKoDo Sadohana Kai
Menkyo Kaiden Shihan Kogoyoku Jikimon
Title of Hanshi
KoKoDo JuJutsu 8th Degree Black Belt
Director KoKoDo JuJutsu NA
Black Belt in Brazilian JiuJitsu
1995 was the year Michael was promoted to Blackbelt in Japanese JuJutsu. His first teachers were Sensei Jim Fry and Shihan Michael J LaMonica. It was through these two amazing artists that Michael was introduced to the Head of the KoKoDo Organization - Irie Soke
By 2000 Michael was making routine trips to Japan and began to study directly under Soke, a person known throughout Japan and internationally for his jujutsu teachings and expert knowledge in the healing arts of bone setting, acupuncture and acupressure.
Michael is currently a director of KoKoDo and one of only two world wide to reach the rank of 8th degree black belt and title of Hanshi Menkyo Kaiden Shihan KoGyoku in KoKoDo JuJutsu. He is the first westerner to receive Shinan Yaku, a teaching license in Kappo Shiatsu from Soke and the Hombu in Japan
Michael has to date written 4 books on KoKoDo. Three of the books are regarding the basic blackbelt principles and concepts to help a student progress and his last book takes the reader through the healing art of KoKoDo Kappo Shiatsu and Moxibustion. These books are used by the members of KoKoDo throughout the world.
Michael also studies and teachers the art of BJJ or Brazilian JiuJitsu. Although in love with the sport Michael tends to focus on the self-protection and safe movement aspects when teaching and rolling.He began his BJJ journey shortly after 1993 but started to take it more serious during his career in Personal and Executive Protection Specialist.
The importance of BJJ was deeply cemented in his training after attending a Royce Gracie BJJ Law Enforcement Seminar and Seminars with Professor Pedro Sauer and Professor Saulo Ribeiro.
In 2013 his school (The Sadohana Academy) started its first in-house BJJ program and in 2014 became an official Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Affiliate later to take on the Vancouver branch of Team Six Blades called Curucuruland BJJ.
Michael was awarded blue, purple and brown by Professors Saulo Ribeiro and Xande Ribeiro. Then On Nov 26th 2022 during the Curucuruland BJJ Winter camp Michael was promoted to black belt by Professor Rodrigo Pagani and Professor Dean Toews held at the BWC. Michael is currently the Head instructor for Curucuruland BJJ Vancouver and Co-Owner of The Sadohana Academy
Diane Seamark Co-Owner
Soumubucho or General Manager of KoKoDo Sadohana Kai
Menkyo Kaiden Shihan KoKoDo JuJutsu
Godan - 5th Degree
Yoga Therapist and Body Mind Coach
BJJ Blue Belt
Having rehabilitated herself from 4 herniated discs, managing endometriosis since her teens, handling anxiety from a traumatic upbringing and having a full term pregnancy and natural delivery of twins, she is well versed in overcoming chronic pain, nerve damage, autoimmune dysfunction and adapting to change! She embodies the transformation budo and yoga can make if ones life.
Diane was first certified in Ashtanga Yoga in 1997 and has continued learning, establishing credentials in Pre & Post Natal Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Meditation and Shiatsu having compiled, in excess of 3000 teaching hours. In 2021 she became a Certified BodyMind Coach.
She began her healing journey in the field of nursing but left because of the politics. Wanting to provide healthy solutions for those in pain, she dedicated her life to the pursuit of healing and knowledge. Having studied Shamanism, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Shiatsu and Hakomi Techniques she is well versed in alternative modalities.
Diane is extremely knowledgeable in women's bodies, high performance athlete injuries and the fun woo woo side of how energy affects the individual.
In Budo, Diane holds the proud title of being the 1st Female 5th Degree Black Belt in KoKoDo JuJutsu in Canada is currently the highest ranking north American female in the art. Also a difficult journey for her she continues to challenge her self and her healing with BJJ as a method to discover and work through trauma and is currently a blue belt in the art and has a wicked vlog on YouTube detailing the journey.
Check out here
She loves to bring her femininity to the primarily male dominated world of martial arts and is constantly inspired to teach other women how to cultivate a 'safety state of mind' with somatic yoga therapy, meditation and ascension tools for ultimate, personal protection. She believes that personal practice and study is vital to being a good teacher.
Her clients always remark how astounding it is that she can see what is happening inside their bodies and gives them excellent instruction on how to release into the moment and access peak performance.
The OG Black-Belt Yogi, Diane is a Co-Owner of The Sadohana Academy.
Our Assistant Instructors For KoKoDo JuJutsu at Sadohana Dojo:
T. Brousseau 5th Dan Menkyo Kaiden Shihan - Resident
JP Mass, 5th Dan Menkyo Kaiden Shihan - Resident
Matt Rodski, 5th Dan Menkyo Kaiden Shihan - Resident
Avery Yackel, 5th Dan Menkyo Kaiden Shihan - Resident
Jason Coleman, 5th Dan Renshi Shihan - Resident
Kali John Seamark Nidan - Resident
Our Assistants Coaches For Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
T. Brousseau - Brown Belt
Kali Seamark - Purple Belt
Jonathan Yim - Purple Belt
Max Neck - Purple Belt