An 8th degree black belt, Master Tabata is the founder and head of the North American Karate-do Foundation - NAKF, in 1967, as well as of the New England Collegiate Karate Conference  - NECKC, in 1968. 

He is in direct line from the founder of the Shotokan style, Master Gichin Funakoshi. His teacher, Master Iso Obata, was one of Gichin Funakoshi's first students and the first chairman of the  Japan Karate Association.

Master Tabata was sent from Japan to promote Karate in North America in late 60's. He has done so most effectively, building a large Karate organization in the North East. He was captain of the US Karate team for two decades, representing the US at many international tournaments. In addition, he was technical advisor to the US National Olympic Committee. 

Now retired from these official functions, Master Tabata is currently putting finishing touches on his principal book on the Tabata path to Shotokan Karate, an analysis of the philosophical foundations and exercise of Shotokan. He is actively instructing the students from NAKF and NECKC. We are very fortunate to have Master Tabata teaching us every week here, at MIT. 

He also published an instruction book on Karate and released, at the beginning of 2001, the first of a series of teaching movies, Ko Bo 1 - Combat Techniques.

Sensei Dave D'Amore is a 4th degree black belt. He started training under Sensei Tabata in 1973 at the University of Lowell and became a black belt in 1976. 

At Lowell, he was the captain of the Karate team , which he led to NECKC Kata and Kumite championships. He won numerous individual championships in both Kata and Kumite at collegiate and independent tournaments. He has served on the board of the NAKF and worked to define the unified training regimen that is in place across all levels of the organizations. 

Making his debut as a teacher in 1977, he has been teaching at MIT since 1997.