News Events – Page 3 – Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia

Turramurra Gradings – December 4-15, 2024

Over a two-week period, four gradings were held at KIMAA Turramurra Dojo.

On Wednesday December 4, Turramurra Dojo held Kyokushin Karate gradings for Kids and Junior Kyu teens and adults.

The Kids Grading overseen by Shihan James Sidwell and Sempai Maia Brown.

The Junior Kyu Grading was run by Shihan Mark Shelmerdine, Shihan James and Sempai Maia. Thanks go to all who came to support including black belts Sensei Ben Ng and Sempai Adam.

On Saturday December 7, the KIMAA Senior Grading was held with four students of Turramurra Dojo participating.

The students were assessed by Shihan Idir Bahamid and Shihan James. The grading was run by Sensei Ben, Sensei Don Cheong and Sensei Alex Lloyd, with further support provided by Sempai Maia and Sempai Narmie Thambipillay.

The students pushing through and showing great Kyokushin spirit despite the humidity. Congratulations to all on their efforts, displaying exemplary kihon, kata and kumite.

On Sunday December 15, Sempai Maia Brown undertook her first Kobudo grading. Sempai Maia graded to Shodan (1st Dan) in Kyokushin Karate in June, after which she immediately began her study of International Hokama Kobudo.

Sempai Maia was assessed by Kobudo instructors Renshi Mark Shelmerdine, Shihan James Sidwell, Shihan Alex Lloyd and Sensei Ben Ng.

Results from all the gradings will be announced at the dojo in the coming weeks. Well done to all.

KIKO Full-Contact Tournament – November 10, 2024

Written by Shihan James Sidwell

On Sunday November 10th, KIMAA attended the KIKO tournament held in Tempe, Sydney.

23 competitors competed with spirit and humility. Results are detailed at the end of this article. However I’d like to thank each and every competitor for the training and effort you have put in. You all fought very well and represented yourselves and KIMAA admirably. Of the KIMAA contingent, 19 competitors were kids of various ages and grades (many competing in their first kumite tournament), and 4 adults: Sensei Alireza Miri, Sensei Mark Long, Sempai Matt Wolnizer and Trent Lim.

Thank you also to the parents who have supported and encouraged their children to compete.

Thank you to Sensei Ben Ng, Sensei Alex Lloyd and Sensei Mark Long for coaching and running the mats, supporting the team, and helping organise the competitors. Further thanks to Sempai Matt Wolnizer and Trent Lim for backing up the coaches. And of course Laura Elia who interfaced with the mat coaches and supported the entire team.

Thank you to the senior instructors who worked to provide coaching and support for the team and supporting during training sessions as well as on the day. This includes Sensei Don Cheong, who has been a regular teacher at the kids classes but was unfortunately unable to attend on the day. (During the course of the tournament, Shihan Idir Bahamid, Shihan Mark Shelmerdine and Shihan James were on the Officials table.)

Additionally thank you to Kancho Doug Turnbull and the KIKO team for hosting the event and all the planning and organising on the day and behind the scenes.

Results from the 23 entrants include:

9 competed in Third Place showdowns, winning Third Place in 6 divisions
8 competed in Finals with 2 First Places and 6 Second Places
2 division clean sweeps winning First, Second and Third places

This included a clean sweep in the Veterans (40+) division, with Sensei Alireza taking 1st place, Sensei Mark Long taking 2nd place and Sempai Matt taking 3rd, after some battering rounds facing off each other!

Congratulations to all participants we support and share in each others success. Osu.

Taree Dojo Seminar – November 2-3, 2024

On the weekend of November 2-3 2024, Shihan Mark Shelmerdine and Shihan James Sidwell travelled to KIMAA’s Taree Dojo on the NSW Mid North Coast.

Sensei Mark Long greatly enjoyed hosting the two senior instructors from KIMAA Honbu to run their students through basics, kata and fight training over the course of the weekend.

Hanshi Howard Lipman Memorial Beach Training – August 10, 2024

On the 10th of August, KIMAA Turramurra Dojo held a Hanshi Howard Lipman Memorial Beach Training session the day after what would’ve been Hanshi’s 82nd birthday. Karateka from Turramurra Dojo, and Sensei Mark Long of Taree Dojo, participated on the Saturday morning training session organised by Shihan James Sidwell.

The training involved kihon, fitness, kumite and kata, all immersed in the waves of Freshwater Beach. The session was captured photographically by GM Photographics.

You can read more about the passing of Hanshi Howard Lipman here and about recent changes to the KIMAA leadership here.

KIMAA Leadership – July 2024

~ANNOUNCEMENT~
Following the passing of Hanshi Howard Lipman, KIMAA Founder & Chairman, Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia (KIMAA) was transferred to Shihan James Sidwell by Hanshi’s widow Masumi Lipman, as per the wishes of her late husband.

Shihan James, the new KIMAA Chairman, immediately created an Executive Leadership Board, and appointed Shihan Idir Bahamid and Shihan Mark Shelmerdine as Executive Board Members.

The Executive Board will be supported by Sensei Mark Long (Regional Lead) and Sensei Alex Lloyd (Secretary).

KIMAA will continue onwards and upwards, as per the guiding principles taught to us by Hanshi Howard Lipman, as Sosai Mas Oyama taught him.

OSU.

RIP Hanshi Howard Lipman – July 9, 2024

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Hanshi Howard Lipman.

Hanshi Howard’s contribution to the Australian martial arts community was dedicated and extensive, lasting 55 years. He meticulously instructed thousands of men, women and children Kyokushin Karate and Kobudo over the decades.

Hanshi Howard began his karate training in 1969, under Shihan Bob Boulton. Sosai Mas Oyama appointed Hanshi Howard as a Branch Chief in 1989 and graded him to 5th Dan in 1992. In the years following Sosai’s death, Hanshi Howard formed the martial arts organisation, KIMAA. Hanshi’s guiding principle was to continue studying Kyokushin, following the teachings and philosophies of Sosai Oyama as had been taught to him. Hanshi also brought Kobudo (weapons) to KIMAA, becoming the International Hokama Kobudo Australian Branch Chief in 2008. He was promoted to 9th Dan in Kyokushin by the KIMAA grading committee in 2017 and to 10th Dan in Kobudo by Sensei Tetsuhiro Hokama in 2023.

Hanshi Howard was a mentor and inspiration to all of us. He will be deeply missed. We will treasure our memories with him and honour the lessons he taught us all. His legacy will last for many years to come.

The instructors, students and families of Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia pass on their sympathies to his wife Masumi and all of his family.

RIP Hanshi Howard Lipman. Osu.

Senior Grading – June 22, 2024

KIMAA held our June Kyokushin senior grading at Turramurra Honbu Dojo. Instructors and students from Turramurra Dojo, Lismore Dojo and Taree Dojo attended.

The four Shihans of KIMAA – Shihan Idir Bahamid, Shihan Mark Shelmerdine, Shihan James Sidwell and Shihan Mark McFadden – assessed the participating karateka. The grading lasted over 5 hours, testing students on their basics, kata, fitness, knowledge and kumite.

At the end of the grading, Sempai Maia Brown and Sempai Narmie Thambipillay were graded to 1st Dan (Shodan) in Kyokushin Karate. Sempai Maia completed her 40 fights for black belt, after many years of devoted training and teaching with KIMAA. Sempai Narmie was already a Shodan in Kyokushin, but after an extended absence from karate, she wanted to ‘start over’ and began training at KIMAA a few years ago as a white belt and has since raced up through the grades.