On Friday April 12th, 2024, the first Kyokushin Karate grading was conducted for students of Taree Dojo.
Dojo Operator Sensei Mark Long was most pleased with the students’ efforts. The grading participants were all from the Kids class, and demonstrated various skills including:
Warm-ups
Uniform management – belt tying and uniform folding
Kyokushin – meaning, dojo etiquette and procedures
Technique – stances, punches, blocks, kicks and movement
Kata – the first two Kyokushin kata.
The stuedents were 9 and 10 years old. Sensei Mark was delighted with their efforts and attitude throughout the grading. Their focus and energy levels remained high throughout the 2-hour grading. Well done to all.
The grading covered all the usual key points – kihon, kata, fitness and kumite. Basics were covered extensively, as well as partner work, combinations, ido geiko and senior techniques. Kata of all level were performed by those attempting new grades.
The karateka from Lismore – Evelyn, Annabelle, Letitia and James – showed great spirit in their fights, including up to 15 bouts for Evelyn and Annabelle, who were grading for 2nd Kyu (Brown Belt).
Congratulations to all those who graded. In addition to several Kyu grades, three new Black Belt grades were awarded:
At the end of the grading, Shihan Mark Shelmerdine presented Hanshi Howard Lipman and his wife Masumi a photobook of the 2023 Japan trip, as a group thank-you gift for the tour. Afterwards, Hanshi presented Shihan Idir, Shihan Mark McFadden and Sensei Alex their new grades.
For the first time in almost seven years, Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia sent a group tour to Japan for training. This occurred in November 2023 and was a marvellously successful trip with an intense training schedule.
KIMAA’s trips to Japan for training with Sensei Tetsuhiro Hokama (Hanshi, 10th Dan Goju-Ryu Karate and Kobudo) began when Hanshi Howard Lipman first met Sensei Hokama in January 2008. During this meeting, Hanshi Howard knew at once that this Sensei was the man with whom he wished to continue his martial arts studies.
For the next few years, KIMAA senior grades went several times a year for training – sometimes just Hanshi Howard and one or two other seniors, or larger group tours. Over time, Hanshi Howard was made Australian Branch Chief of International Hokama Kobudo and the training trips continued biennially. A KIMAA Japan trip was planned for March 2020 but had to be cancelled last minute due to international border closures and the COVID-19 outbreak. After many years away from Okinawa, this year was a triumphant return for KIMAA.
The main purpose of these trips has been to learn Kobudo so it could be taught to the KIMAA students as well as Kyokushin, and therefore broadening the organisation’s martial arts knowledge, as well as learning kata bunkai from Sensei’s Goju-Ryu school to add significant depth and relevant self-defence application to KIMAA’s Kyokushin syllabus. This tradition continued with the 2023 group tour.
The tour officially began when the bulk of the group departed Sydney on Sunday November 19th, with Sensei Mark McFadden and Sempai Trish arriving in Okinawa a day prior. Monday was a day off to arrive and settle in.
Tuesday November 20th was the first day of training with Sensei Hokama and some of his senior students. The morning session focused on self-defence work: pressure points, grabs, takedowns, chokeholds and more. This session expanded on previous bunkai we had learned, as well as continuing and advancing previous sequences. The day also included dexterity exercises and Sanchin conditioning.
The afternoon session was Kobudo, practicing single and double nunchuck techniques. We then revised Sensei Hokama’s nunchuck Kata, where we discovered new bunkai and took the pattern to a more advanced level with additional moves and making it more dynamic. We then learned a second nunchuck kata that was new to everyone.
This was the first Okinawa training session for Sensei Ben, Sensei Mark Long and Sempai Angus. All of the group learned something new this day and enjoyed a valuable experience in what was a promising start to the week.
On Wednesday, in the morning we trained again with Sensei Hokama, revising more self-defence techniques, going over bunkai for Okinawan Seipai and Saiha Kata, and practised the new nunchuck kata. Shihan James, Sensei Alex and Sensei Ben could already repeat the pattern from it first being taught the day prior, now only requiring more finesse and speed going forward.
That evening, the group returned to its martial arts roots by training with Shihan Shichinohe (8th Dan) and his senior class in Kyokushin Karate. Hanshi Howard and Shihan Shichinohe have been friends for a long time, and the tour group thoroughly enjoyed the class that focused on Kihon, Kata and application to Kumite techniques. The KIMAA group tour in 2013 trained with Shihan Shichinohe, and went to tournaments he hosted in 2015 and 2017, so it was wonderful to train together again after a whole decade. Training was followed by a group dinner to celebrate the occasion.
On Thursday, KIMAA enjoyed reuniting with Shihan Ken Ogura (8th Dan). Shihan Ken is one of Sensei Hokama’s leading instructors and has taught KIMAA Kobudo and karate bunkai in Okinawa and at multiple Australian seminars hosted by Hanshi Howard.
Thursday’s class with Sensei Hokama and Shihan Ken centred around partner work, Seienchin bunkai and then a Kobudo session, going through nunchucks, Bo staff and the Eku. Speed, hip power and more speed was the theme of the day, thoroughly testing everyone’s agility – and knees!
Friday’s training with Sensei Hokama and Shihan Ken was extensive, as the group revised the remainder of the Bo syllabus. Some classic partner work and takedowns were revisited, giving the juniors a firsthand opportunity to experience this with Sensei, while the seniors were also given some further refinement of their kata in terms of movement, dynamism and of course “more speedo!”
The Saturday morning class with Sensei Hokama and Shihan Ken was another valuable session. The group went through the Tonfa and Sai kata – a new experience for some, and the seniors were once again on this trip introduced to a higher level of movement, integrating speed and body power to create a more powerful and faster performance. The seniors all remarked on what a difference these more advanced elements made to the Tonfa kata in particular, transforming their practice of it into a much more impressive and meaningful kata. The class finished with some extra Seienchin and Saiha bunkai.
Saturday night November 25th 2023 was a great honour for KIMAA. Sensei Hokama, after spending the week assessing the tour group, surprised Hanshi Howard Lipman by awarding him 10th Dan, the highest grade in the International Hokama Kobudo Organisation. As a further surprise and honour, out of recognition for years of dedicated training at seminars in Okinawa and Sydney, Hanshi and the senior Kobudo students were also given honorary Dan grades in Goju-Ryu Karate.
Sensei Hokama chose to honour Hanshi Howard with an unexpected 10th Dan grade for his commitment, knowledge, execution and support of both Goju-Ryu Karate and Kobudo since 2008 as Australian Branch Chief. Among his many trips to train in Japan, Hanshi has also facilitated representatives from Goju-Ryu to come to Australia to instruct aspects of this Karate style, including bunkai for kata, and Kobudo.
Hanshi already has dedicated his life to karate – including as Kyokushin Australian Branch Chief under Sosai Mas Oyama, who promoted him to 5th Dan, and has continued teaching the martial arts since Sosai’s passing in 1994. Hanshi has practised Kyokushin for over 50 years, and has risen to the highest levels within Australia and the world as a Kyokushin 9th Dan. Now Hanshi Howard has been elevated to the most senior grade in both Goju-Ryu and Kobudo by Sensei Hokama. Both are now ‘Hanshi’ and 10th Dan in these two styles.
The honorary grades bestowed upon Renshi Mark, Shihan James, Shihan Mark, Shihan Alex and Sensei Ben also reflect well upon their years of study. Throughout the week of training, Sensei Hokama was delighted and impressed by their technical ability and martial arts spirit.
Sempai Trish continued to impress Sensei with her cross-disciplinary knowledge and insightful questions. Sensei Ben, Sensei Mark Long and Sempai Angus all excelled in their first trip, stepping up to receive the ‘pressure point fun’ from Sensei Hokama when required and gave all the training great gusto.
Hanshi Howard treasures the long-standing association between KIMAA and Sensei Hokama and Okinawa Goju-Ryu Kenshikai Karatedo, Kobudo Association, and looks forward to continuing the wonderful relationship well into the future.
After the presentation of grades, the tour group participated in the final official training session of the trip with Sensei Hokama’s senior students, taken by Shihan Arakawa. This included Sanchin with the jars and partner conditioning, kata, and a final Q&A with Sensei where a variety of topics were discussed.
After training, Sensei Hokama and his senior students shared a meal with the KIMAA team, in a long and happy celebratory dinner.
In a handful of periods of time off training, the group also split up and enjoyed some sightseeing: exploring the reconstruction of Shurijo, performing kata in gi at Nakagusuku, seeing various karate museums, the beach, Street Kart Okinawa, the aquarium and shopping. Sunday was a day-off after the momentous events (and two training sessions) on Saturday.
The group departed Okinawa on Monday November 27th for Kyoto, on the Japanese mainland. We spent a few restful days of sightseeing before leaving Japan on the evening of Thursday November 30th.
Special thanks go to Masumi and Ken for their support, Masumi again for translation and training photography.
The participants all agreed this was the best trip for the knowledge gained, the camaraderie and the memories forged. We look forward to our return – Hanshi Howard is already planning a follow-up group trip in late 2024.
On the night of Wednesday June 7th, Kids and Junior Kyu Kyokushin gradings were held at Turramurra Dojo.
Hanshi Howard Lipman and Shihan James Sidwell assessed the Kids grading, while senior student Maia Brown ran them all through their techniques and kata. All students involved trained well and demonstrated good technique.
Later that evening, Hanshi Howard Lipman and Shihan Mark Shelmerdine ran the Junior Kyu grading at Turramurra Dojo. The students performed well and displayed great determination.
Sensei Ian (4th Dan Kyokushin, 2nd Dan Kobudo) began his training in Kyokushin Karate under Shihan John Williams (then Sensei) in 1989 at Minchinbury Dojo. In 1991 he moved to Werrington Dojo under Sempai Sandy Ivanovic, before stopping training as a 5th Kyu in 1993 due to work commitments.
In 1999, Sensei Ian resumed his study of Karate under Shihan Rick Cunningham. He was graded to 1st Dan in 2004 and to 2nd Dan in 2007 by Hanshi Howard Lipman.
Sensei Ian partook in the third trip to Okinawa in 2008. He is one of the regular instructors at Annangrove Dojo for children and adults, as well as being master of the BBQ at all KIMAA weekend seminars.
Congratulations from all the instructors and students at Annangrove Dojo. Osu!
Participants included karateka from Turramurra, Annangrove and Ballina dojos. Also coming down to support those grading were instructors and students from Lismore and Young.
Sempai Mark Long, Sempai Ben Brady and Sempai Blayne Gale were attempting higher level black belt grades, while Rientz, Brad, Jurgen and Nevin attempted their Shodan (1st) Dan grading, including the Kyokushin 40 fights.
Congratulations to all those who graded successfully, including KIMAA’s newest Yudansha (black belts). After the grading, Hanshi Howard awarded the new black belt grades. This included grading Shihan Peter Olive to Rokudan, 6th Dan.
The new Kyokushin black belt grades are:
Shihan Peter Olive (6th Dan)
Sensei Mark Long (3rd Dan)
Sempai Ben Brady (2nd Dan)
Sempai Blayne Gale (2nd Dan)
Sempai Rientz Inglis (1st Dan)
Sempai Bradley Chisholm (1st Dan)
Sempai Jurgen Bradatsch (1st Dan)
Sempai Nevin Alwis (1st Dan)
New Kobudo grades were also announced, with certificates from Sensei Hokama soon to be awarded. These were graded by Hanshi Howard and Shihan Rick in 2020, and the COVID pandemic prevented the awarding of these grades until now, with certification approved by Sensei Hokama. The new grades include:
Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia 