Kyoshi Patrick Donahue

Traditionally, teachers have passed their martial arts practice and dojo over to their most trusted and loyal senior student. In the case of Kyoshi Donahue, the senior students name is Matthew Butler.

Matthew chose a very serious path in martial arts and for many years he's worked towards finding and opening a Dojo. That opportunity was presented to Matthew when his teacher, Kyoshi Donahue, passed his school on to him and his wife -- which is now White Crane Martial Arts under Matthew & Sadie Butler. Matthew is the Head Instructor and was Kyoshi Donahue's most trusted senior student. Sadie was a student of Kyoshi Donahue's briefly in the Martial Arts, her main focus of study with Kyoshi Donahue was in Quantum Physics, Eastern Philosophy, Meditation, and Business.

Kyoshi Donahue has trained all over the world, throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Okinawa, and Mainland Japan.  He continued his personal training and research with some of the most respected Sensei in the world today.  He offered private lessons and semi-private lessons on many martial arts subjects, firearms training, knife defense, and massage (shiatsu, chinese, and japanese) as well.

Kyoshi Donahue's Background:

• Shorin Ryu Karate
• Goju Ryu Karate
• Hakkoryu JuJutsu
• Tomiki Aikido
• Shiatsu treatments, Chinese and Japanese Massage
• Knife Defense
• Gun Disarming

Kyoshi Donahue also offered private children's classes in self protection, including how to work with and defend against bullies.

Kyoshi Donahue's Training:

Kyoshi Patrick Donahue started formal training in the Martial Arts in 1976 at the age of six years old. The style was American Kenpo, and the Dojo was located in Taunton, MA. In 1982, Kyoshi Donahue moved to Nashua, NH with his family and continued his training. This time at a Chinese Kempo studio. After graduating from high school, Kyoshi Donahue continued his martial arts studies with a more serious approach.  Searching for a true traditional Sensei, he finally met an instructor, Sensei Sali Azem, and began training with him in 1988. In 1990, Sensei Azem offered Donahue an opportunity in what is considered the most serious type of training possible. This type of training is called ushi dashi (special apprentice or live-in apprentice). Donahue, with much excitement, accepted this appointment and continued this method of practice until 1995. 

Donahue continued to study with Sensei Azem, as a humble student, until his passing in August 2017.

On Kyoshi Donahue's 19th birthday he received a gift certificate from his father to train with Soke Mike Pabst. Kyoshi Donahue accepted this gift and began studying with Soke Pabst in 1989. Kyoshi Donahue also continued his studies with Soke Pabst as one of his direct students until his passing.

Through Pabst Soke, Kyoshi Donahue met and trained with some of the highest ranked and skilled Aikido and Aiki Ju Jutsu instructors in the world. To name a few of them: Soke Thomas Burdine (Aikido), Master instructor Seiji Tanaka (Tomiki Aikido), and the late Master Masatake Sekkiya (Aikido).

In 1995, Kyoshi Donahue founded and opened The Brattleboro School of Budo. In January 2017, twenty one years later, Kyoshi Donahue passed The Brattleboro School of Budo on to one of his senior students, Matthew Butler.

Below is a very small fraction of some of the teachers Kyoshi Donahue had trained with - either extensively or in repeated seminars over the years:

• Soke Mike Pabst (Aiki Budo)
• Sensei Sali Azem (Martial Studies)
• Master Teruo Chinen (Goju-ryu) - deceased
• Hanshi Richard Bernard (Goju-ryu) 
• Shihan Dennis Palumbo (Hakkoryu Jujutsu) - deceased
• Soke Thomas Burdine (Aikijujutsu, Aikido)
• Sensei David Poulicakos (Okinawan Kobudo, Kobu-jutsu / Karate-Do)
• Soke John Rubiano (Jujutsu) 
• Sensei George Donahue (Matsubayashi-ryu) 
• Sensei Jeremy Hrbek (Judo)
• Master Wally Jay (Small Circle Jujutsu) - deceased
• Nidai Soke Okiyama (Hakkoryu Jujutsu) 
• Erle Montaigue (Tai Ji and Baguazhang) - deceased
• Master Zenpo Shimabukuro (Seibukan Shorin-ryu) 
• Kyoshi Dan Smith (Seibukan Shorin-ryu) 
• Sifu Scott Rodell (Tai Ji and Chinese Swordsmanship) 
• Shihan Doctor Brian Brown (Aikido) 
• Sensei Seiji Tanaka (Tomiki Aikido) 
• Take Steven Seagal (Aikido)

 Just to name a few...

Kyoshi Donahue was a certified practitioner of Koho Shiatsu (acupressure) and had provided treatments in several locations all around Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He continued to teach and study the healing arts as part of his Budo. Kyoshi Donahue also practiced and taught Zen meditation and Eastern philosophy. 

Kyoshi Donahue also taught Budo (as a fully accredited course) at Marlboro College, a well-known liberal arts institution in Marlboro, Vermont, and had run countless programs at various Elementary and High Schools in the region.

In addition to that work, Kyoshi Donahue had taught Non-Violent Crisis Intervention to private group homes and other psychiatric residential care facilities.  He worked at one of the largest psychiatric hospitals in the U.S. doing mental health work and crisis intervention for over 6 years from 1995 to 2001. Kyoshi Donahue also worked at the former Vermont State Hospital (adult intensive unit) with the forensic population, from 2011 - 2017. 

Kyoshi Donahue was a certified instructor of Home Firearm Safety, Basic Pistol Training (NRA), former Utah Concealed Carry Instructor under Bureau of Criminal Investigation (state of Utah) and a Massachusetts Pistol/Firearms Instructor under the Massachusetts State Police, (State of MA).

Certifications and Achievements earned by Kyoshi Donahue:

• Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate-Do (Kiyatake-Ha, Chubukan) Nanadan, 7th Degree Black Belt
• Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-Do Yondan, 4th Degree Black Belt
• Japanese Aiki Budo Godan, 5th Degree Black Belt
• Japanese Aikido (Tomiki) Sandan, 3rd Degree Black Belt
• Okinawan Kobudo [Weapons] (Ryu Kyu) SanDan, 3rd Degree Black Belt
• Japanese JuJutsu (Hakkoryu) Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt
• Former Federal Firearms Holder for the State of Vermont  
• Former Federal Firearms Holder for the State of New Hampshire
• NRA certified Basic pistol instructor
• NRA certified Home safety Firearms instructor
• NRA certified Range security Officer
• NRA Range development and operations certification
• Former Concealed Firearms Instructor certified CFP for the state of Utah issued by the Department of Public Safety
• Basic Firearms Safety Course Instructor for the The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of State Police
• 1 of 21 most influential people of Windham County, VT (Brattleboro Reformer October, 29th 2005)
• Martial Arts Hall of Fame Master Instructor of the Year 2001
• Martial Arts Hall of Fame Master Shorin Ryu Instructor of the Year 2007
• Certified 1992 1st level Koho Shiatsu
• Certified 1998 2nd level Koho Shiatsu
• First Aid and CPR Certified via Red Cross and the American heart Association
• 1 of 5 judges for the Chinese Traditional Sword International Tournament (2009)
• Head Judge at the 2010 Chinese Traditional Sword Tournament in Washington DC
• Facilitator & recipient of Azem's personal protection / body guard 4 part course work
• Hakkoryu Ju Jutsu Gasshuku completed certificate in Omiya Japan the first Gasshuku in Japan  (1993)
• Multiple completions of Hakkoryu Gasshukus Denver Co. (1992 -2003)
• Multiple completions of CPI course work (Crisis Prevention Intervention, Inc.1996-2001, 2012)
• Facilitator of the New England Budo Fest for 9 years
  
  

We can never begin to thank Kyoshi Patrick Donahue enough for his many years of guidance, training, friendship, and the opportunities he has gifted us. We love him deeply and will miss him every day, until we meet again. Sensei - Arigatou Gozaimasu. Deep bow.