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Ed Docherty

Ed Docherty

Karate

  • Inducted in 2022
  • Athlete

lifelong resident of Whitby, Ed Docherty began his karate training at the age of seven with the Whitby Chito-Ryu Karate School, then based at Iroquois Park, under the guidance of Art and Lori Bellhouse. Ed’s dad, George, joined that karate school just two weeks later, and this father-and-son duo would subsequently train together for many years.

Ed’s competitive karate career began at the youth level and continued through the junior elite and adult senior elite divisions. He became highly skilled in all core elements of his sport, including Kata (detailed pattern of movements practiced alone, commonly referred to as forms), Sundome Kumite (controlled-contact sparring), and Bogu Kumite (high-impact sparring with Japanese-style protective equipment). The depth and breadth of Ed’s talent and dedication to training led him to success at the provincial, national, and international levels.

He earned six Canadian National Championship (Karate Canada) medals in Kata and Kumite and he was the Ontario Provincial Karate Champion for five years (1993 kumite, 1996 kata, 1999 kata, 2001 kata, 2001 kumite). He qualified for the Ontario Provincial Karate team for 12 years and also qualified to represent Canada at the World Chito-Ryu Karate Championships (Soke Cup) on four occasions (1998, 2001, 2004, 2007). It was at these latter competitions featuring Bogu Kumite where Ed’s skills truly shone:

  • 1998 (Canada): Bronze +75 kg Kumite and Bronze Team Kumite
  • 2001 (Japan): Bronze +75 kg Kumite and Bronze Kata
  • 2004 (Australia): Gold Team Kumite (first ever non-Japanese team to win gold)
  • 2007 (Norway): Gold +75 kg Kumite (World Champion); Silver Team Kata; Silver Team Kumite

As a further testament to his overall ability in his chosen sport, Ed was named 2001 Karate Ontario Male Athlete of the Year; that same year, he was the recipient of the Karate Ontario Musoka Cup Sportsmanship Award. Ed was also awarded the Karate Ontario Carmen Forgioni Memorial Cup for 2005, and he was a four-time winner of the Chito-Ryu Association of Ontario (CRAO) Tournament Excellence Award.

After retiring from competition, Ed coached for the Ontario Provincial Karate Team for seven years and was selected to be a Canadian National Junior Team Coach (Karate Canada) for the 2013 Junior Pan American Karate Championships held in Colombia. Ed is a 6th Dan Black Belt and Renshi (elite teaching designation) in traditional Chito-Ryu Karate-Do.

In 2000, Ed opened his own Dojo in Whitby, the ICKF Karate School, where he passes along an enduring passion for Chito-Ryu Karate-Do to students of all ages. Ed continues to reside in Whitby with his wife Lee-Anne and their sons Brennan and Ciaran.

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