Main Instructor - T.J. Stiles, 5th Dan
The JKA of San Francisco's instructor is T.J. Stiles, 5th Dan. T.J. Stiles has been practicing Shotokan karate-do with the JKA since 1980. After starting his training in Minnesota, he moved to New York in 1986, and has been a student of Mori Sensei ever since, serving as an assistant instructor in the New York dojo until moving to San Francisco in 2006. In 1986, he organized the JKA at Columbia University, and taught there for twenty years, until his departure from New York. 

T.J. Stiles is a graduate of the JKA SKDI's instructor training courses, taught by Mori Sensei, the intermediate (class B) and advanced (class A). Each was a two-year period of special training. After a written examination and physical skill test, he has been licensed by JKA headquarters in Japan as a class B instructor, class B tournament judge, and class C rank examiner. 

A frequent, successful tournament competitor as both an individual and team captain in kata and kumite in the 1980s and 1990s, T.J. Stiles competed in the Shoto Cup world championship in Philadelphia in 1994, and was named Outstanding Male Competitor at his last tournament, the JKA SKDI championships in 1999. 

Sempai - Juan Camilo Ruiz, 3rd Dan
Juan Camilo Ruiz, 3rd Dan has been practicing Shotokan karate-do since the late 80's. He stated training in Bogotá Colombia under Sensei Hiroshi Taninikuchi where he obtained his 1st Dan. 

Juan Camilo moved to San Francisco in 2007 and since then he has been training JKA obtaining his 3rd Dan from Mori Sensei in December 2015.

A frequent, successful tournament competitor at regional, national and international competitions  as both an individual and team kata and kumite in the 1990s.