What personal mentors have assisted you to get where you are today?

Studying under the founder of of Goju Kai in Australia.

Another is my long-term training partner in Goju Kai, ‘Mitcha Murphy’. We trained for many years together & are great friends. Mitcha is a lightweight but can move like lightning. He has been a runner up in the World Championships – twice! We pushed each other to train hard & share our Karate knowledge.

I was fortunate to receive private lessons from Tazaki Sensei – the head instructor of ‘Goju Ryu Karate-Do Seiwa-Kai’. I have met & trained with many Karate brothers & sisters, not only in Australia, but overseas. I am always keen to share my knowledge & continue to learn new techniques and applications for new techniques. The cycle is never ending.

What do you cherish most about your knowledge of Martial Arts?

It has brought me down to earth, to live in reality. It has made me more relaxed & gentle. This might sound like a paradox, but by harnessing your power & increased awareness, it leads to gentleness & wisdom.

The development of the mind is the most important aspect of karate that I cherish. The mind is the most powerful weapon a person has. It should only be used for good & justice.

Zen is first & foremost.

Knowledge is never ending, life is never ending.

Where have you trained in Martials Arts? Have you trained or been involved in any Martial Arts tournaments overseas? If so, what was the experience like?

It is important to remember that our ancestral roots of AGKK come directly from the source, “Gogen Yamaguchi”. Many clubs today are not close to the source of the tree of the Karate knowledge. We are fortunate to be close to the root of the tree of the Goju Kai founder. If you train, but are not close to the source, you will lose some important lifeblood. At AGKK, we are fortunate to have close links to our ancestry.

I have trained in N.S.W., Queensland, Victoria, South Australia & overseas, particularly Asia. When overseas, I have been involved in international tournaments. In 1992 in Hong Kong, I competed in the ‘JKF Goju Kai Karate Championships’. It was a very rewarding experience meeting people from all over the world. I was also lucky enough to gain two third places in the championships. The courtesy & respect shown by our hosts was humbling & outstanding. In 2002, I competed in the Australian Goju Kai Karate Championships held in Sydney. I obtained first place in the veterans fighting division of the championships. I did this for my father to honour him, who is sadly dying of cancer. I gave my trophy also to my Dad.