It has been an interesting few weeks for the owners at Kenzen Karate in Saanich.
Since October the two co-owners, Nick Smith and Richard Mosdell, began to receive calls from confused residents about credit card charges.
Smith confirmed dozens of people have called regarding charges to a different martial arts business they’ve mistakenly confused with Kenzen Karate. The callers were not among Kenzen’s 200 club members.
“It’s not us,” said Smith. “We sound similar in name and we have received dozens of phone calls, at least one or two a day about this.”
It was later discovered by the Victoria News that the charges on the callers’ credit card bills were for a similarly named business, Kaizen Martial Arts in Victoria. Kaizen Martial Arts, it turns out, is the account name of Pineapple Express dispensary on Esquimalt Road.
Pineapple Express owners wouldn’t comment but it is confirmed Kaizen is linked to the dispensary.
Kenzen Karate has been open since September 2014 in a space rented below the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s facility on West Saanich Road.
reporter@saanichnews.com
