OUR INSTRUCTORS

Sensei Casey Mills

Casey Mills began studying martial arts at the age of 6 in Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu in Everett, Washington. While predominantly a Shito-ryu practitioner, he has also trained in traditional forms of Judo, Aikido, Jujitsu, Goju-ryu karate, Shotokan karate, Tae-kwon-do, Kung Fu and Kobudo (weapons) during his studies.

Throughout his youth, Sensei Casey excelled at local, regional, national and international sport karate events earning such prestigious honors as Washington State champion 7 years consecutively, 1982 Inland Empire Invitational Gold Medalist and National Championship Finalist. In 1983 at the age of 11, he was selected to the US Junior National Kumite Team where he competed in one of the first international exhibitions of team kumite against the Japanese Junior National Team in New Orleans.

Moving to Europe in 1992, Sensei Mills continued to study and compete abroad until his return in 1996 when he joined the Seito Shito-ryu family. Since returning to the US, Sensei Casey's competitive accomplishments have grown to include:

          1999 National Championship Finalist
          1999 Shito-ryu World Championship Bronze Medalist
          2003 State Championship double Gold Medalist
          2003 Regional Championship Gold Medalist
          2003 Shito-ryu World Championship Gold medalist
          2004 State Championship Gold Medalist
          2005 World Championship Finalist
          2007 Shito-ryu World Champonship Double Gold Medalist

As a certified Seito Shito-ryu instructor, Sensei Casey is accountable for teaching Seito Shito-ryu in its true and original form. Having developed lifelong relationships with other karate practitioners, Sensei and masters around the world he has gained an in-depth appreciation of the cultural heritage and history that Traditional Karate carries.

Sensei Jim Mills

Jim Mills was born in 1938 in Mangum, Oklahoma. In 1941, he moved to Orange County California where he lived until 1971. Throughout the mid 60's to the mid 70's, Jim was one of the premier sled dog racers on the west coast. In 1971, Jim and his family relocated to Washington where he has been a resident ever since. Now retired, Jim occupies most of his time in his Camano Island wood shop and home. Sensei Jim Mills began his karate training in 1980 at the age of 43. He began studying Hayashi-ha Shito-ryu in Everett, Washington. In 1986, Jim attained the rank of Shodan black belt. He continued his training until 1990. During the period he competed at many tournaments around the Northwest, placing both in kata and kumite. After a 10 year absence from karate, Sensei Jim resumed his martial arts studies in Seito Shito-ryu at North Sound Karate. Now in his 70's, he has returned to the competiton forum where he still competes strongly in the United States and Canada.

His accomplishments include 2001 Gold Medalist at the Olympic Masters Championships and Silver and Bronze Medalist at the 2003 Seito Shito-ryu World Championships.