Newmarket · Founded 2009

35+ Years Of Technical

Mastery in Newmarket

Martial arts is not a commodity — it is a lineage.

Our Story

A Technical Lab in Newmarket

Jitsu-Do was founded by Shihan Michael Ginn, a practitioner with over 35 years of dedicated experience in the evolution of combat science. After decades of training and instruction, Shihan Ginn recognized that the traditional martial arts landscape was often cluttered with fluff and outdated methods.

He founded Jitsu-Do as a Technical Lab in Newmarket — a space where the structural power of Chito-Ryu Karate and the ground-truth efficiency of Gracie Humaita Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are integrated into a single, high-standard curriculum.

We don't believe in factory martial arts. At Jitsu-Do, every movement is scrutinized through the lens of biomechanics and safety. Our mission is to provide the Newmarket community with a training environment that prioritizes the 'how' and 'why' over the 'what.'

"This isn't a hobby — it's a scaffold for a more disciplined life."
Head Instructor

Shihan Michael Ginn

4th Dan · BJJ Brown · 35+ Years

Shihan Ginn spent over three decades pursuing a single question: what actually works? Beginning in the late 1980s, he trained across disciplines with a practitioner's eye — keeping what was structurally sound, discarding what wasn't, and building a curriculum grounded in biomechanics, safety, and real-world effectiveness.

In 2009, he founded Jitsu-Do Karate in Newmarket with a clear mandate: no fluff.

Shihan Michael Ginn
Credentials
  • 4th Dan — Jitsu-Do Karate
  • BJJ Brown Belt — Gracie Humaita
  • 35+ years continuous training & instruction
  • Founder, Jitsu-Do Karate (est. 2009)
"Our duty is not to win — it is not to lose."
Lineage & Influences

What Shaped Our System

Jitsu-Do is rooted in two core systems, shaped by decades of cross-training across multiple disciplines. We kept what worked. We discarded what didn't.

Chito-Ryu Karate Core

Structural precision, biomechanics-based technique developed by Dr. Tsuyoshi Chitose.

Gracie Humaita BJJ Core

Leverage-based ground fighting from one of the most rigorous BJJ lineages in the world.

Aikido

Joint manipulation and redirection principles that inform our self-defense applications.

Muay Thai

Clinch work and elbow/knee mechanics that sharpen our striking at close range.

Wing Tsun

Close-quarters centerline theory and simultaneous block-and-strike methodology.

Judo

Takedown and throwing mechanics that bridge the standup-to-ground transition.

Find Us In Newmarket

Our Location

Address

1211 Gorham Street, Unit 5
Newmarket, ON L3Y 8Y3

Hours

Mon–Fri: 5:00–8:15pm
Saturday: 8:30–11:30am

First class is free

Come See What This Looks Like

No commitment. No pressure. Come see what a technical martial arts environment actually feels like.