In 1979 I started training in a hired hall at Skinners park reserve in Braybrook Sunshine with Ian Eddy. The hall leaked, the floor was often dirty from parties, and the wind used to cut through there in the winter time. In 1985 I took over as Instructor for Ian went to Port Douglas. I met Sensei Paul Mitchell as part of ASKA in 1980, started training with Sensei Paul, in preparation for black belt in 1981 at the Bayswater Dojo.
While I was an orange belt I can remember sensei Tommy Morris coming out, it was at that time that Shukokai was put up on its end. We were doing Shukokai that was 20 years old. It wasn’t up with the times and Sensei Tommy started our change. It was ok to me as an orange belt, but I can remember that many of the seniors, both in Sensei Alan, Sensei Paul’s and in Sensei Ian Eddy’s dojo, left at that time because they could not handle the change. And they did not wait to see where the change took us, so they did not benefit from it.
Since I have trained with:
Sensei Tommy Morris, Sensei Chris Thompson, Sensei Shigeru Kimura. Sensei Yamada, Sensei Kawata, Sensei Tani, Sensei Teki Donovan, Sensei Antonio Oliver, World champion Junior Levfer, Ryutaro Araga, 2016 -74kg world champion, Tsuyama sensei JKF Head coach, Nakayama Sensei (3 gold and 1 silver in world championships in Kata), JKF Kata coach for 28 years and JKF executive, Rika Usami and Antonio Diaz 2012 Kata world champions and probably more I have forgotten about.
Most important the people I trained with like Sensei Ronan etc
Ive been teaching in my own club since 1985. Started a full time club, in Sunshine in 1987, teaching continuously until today. I have had the great experience of teaching in Japan at 2 dojo’s, one being Sensei Tani’s Honbu Dojo. I have also been a state Kumite coach with the AKF since 2005.
Successes
1984 Shodan Ho
1985 Represented Australia in US for ASKA
1st Dan confirmed by Sensei Kimura
Winner of overall Student of the year twice, and Stylist once
- – 1990 On the Victorian state team
- Represented Australia in England for ASKA
- 2nd in the Nationals
- Represented Australia in Finland & Japan for ASKA, 5th in Finland,
1991 Graded to 3rd Dan in Japan Sensei Tani and Sensei Kimura
1996 Graded to 4th dan and Shidoin by Sensei tani
2000 Graded to 5th Dan by Sensei Yamada
2007 Graded to 6th Dan by Sensei Kawata and Kyoshi
2008 Graded to Shihan by Sensei Kawata
2013 Graded to 7th Dan 2013 By Sensei Kawata
2014 Graded to Kyoshi by Sensei Kawata
Senior State Coach for Karate Victoria (AKF) from 2006
Assistant National Coach from 2018
My Passion for Karate stems from a journey in self realisation through self development, of the big 3 Mental, physical, and spiritual growth.
From that I feel my mission in life is to provide a service to improve all aspects of the human experience for my students, teaching life skills for their own self realization.
To have a positive effect on the lives of as many people in the community as is possible, utilising the Martial art of Karate as the foundation for their own personal development and journey.
