Our Instructors
A world-class team dedicated to the art of traditional Shotokan Karate.
Our outstanding group of instructors come from a wide range of backgrounds and bring decades of experience in traditional Shotokan Karate to every class at Colorado Budokan.
Each instructor is dedicated to promoting the history, philosophy, and techniques of traditional Karate-Do while providing the highest quality instruction for students of all ages and skill levels.
Isao Gary Tsutsui
Head Instructor
7th Degree Black Belt (Kyoshi)
Born in Minneapolis in 1946, Gary moved to Denver at six months old and began Shotokan training in 1965. After completing his BFA at UC Irvine, where he taught photography and serigraphy, he trained under Kiyoshi Yamazaki in California from 1970 to 2007.
- • Bronze medalist, 4th WUKO World Championships (Tokyo, 1977)
- • First American male to medal in individual kata at WKF World Championships
- • Four-time U.S. Karate Team member (1977–1980)
- • Inducted into USANKF Traditional Karate Hall of Fame (2001)
- • WKF kumite referee and kata judge
- • Former Chairman of USANKF Referee Council
Candice Tsutsui, MPT
Assistant Head Instructor & Program Director
6th Degree Black Belt (Renshi) — Shotokan | 3rd Degree Black Belt — Naginata-do
Born in Seattle in 1956, Candice holds a B.A. in Physical Education from Metropolitan State College and a Master of Physical Therapy from Northern Arizona University. She began karate training in 1981 under Isao Gary Tsutsui.
- • Konishi Cup Grand Champion
- • Multiple gold medal winner
- • USANKF kumite referee and kata judge
- • All Japan Naginata Federation certified
Akemi Tsutsui
Assistant Instructor
3rd Degree Black Belt — Shotokan Karate
Born in Denver, Akemi began training in 1997 under her father, Isao Gary Tsutsui. She has trained with masters of multiple styles including Barbara Maile Chinen-Koncal (Shito-Ryu), Shin Tsukii (Goju-Ryu), and Tomohiro Arashiro (Ryuei-Ryu). She works as an artist and small business owner.
- • Medaled in Junior International Cup, USA Open, and USANKF/USA Karate Nationals
- • Former USA Karate Senior Team member
- • Instructor at Colorado School of Mines
- • B.A. in Ethnic Studies, University of Colorado Denver
Megan Cicchetti
Assistant Instructor
3rd Degree Black Belt
Megan started training at age 7 in 1994 under Tsutsui Sensei and began competing at age 13. She is the lead instructor at Colorado Budokan’s Goodson Rec Center location.
- • Competed at Konishi Cup in Tokyo (2001) — gold medal in women’s kata
- • Junior National Team member (2003–2007)
- • Senior National Team member (2007–2016) in kata and kumite
- • Competed internationally: Pan American Championships, North America Cup, Shotokan World Championships
- • B.S. in Exercise Science, Metro State University Denver
- • Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach, Landow Performance
- • National Strength & Conditioning Coach for USA Karate
Begin Your Martial Arts Journey Today
Your first class is free. No long-term contracts. Family packages available. Experience the discipline and power of traditional Shotokan Karate.
Call (720) 253-7473