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.

I enjoy observing elite athletes in action, it could be athletics, world cup soccer, rugby league, mountain climbers & so on. I enjoy doing simple things in life. I like to fix & repair things around the house, selecting & planting plants for my Japanese garden.

I like to go camping & fishing especially on Moreton & North Stradbroke Islands. I like to prepare & cook good healthy meals especially dishes from Asia. I am interested in anything to do with physical fitness, health & well-being. I enjoy the outdoors & beautiful landscapes.

What do you do in your spare time to relax?

Taking time out is very important. I recommend that all people should do so. I like to spend time with my family.

I enjoy relaxing at the beach & swimming in the surf, where I can experience the raw power of nature. I like music, it is a good vehicle of expression. I like & enjoy good food & mixing with others. I like to go for a run in the cool parts of the day where I can unwind, think, and experience solitude. Being close to the water--seeing it & hearing it--helps me to relax. Meditation is an important part of my day, it allows me to focus & relax.

When did you first take an interest in Martial Arts, and how did Martial Arts first inspire you?

Even at a very young age, well under the age of 10 years, I was impressed by what I saw on television & how a Martial Artist was able to defend themselves by what seemed humanly impossible. I was particularly interested by how a smaller person, who was trained in Martial Arts, could defend themselves against a much larger attacker—-and usually, more than one attacker. I was also impressed by the respect the Martial Artists gained.

I grew up & lived in the tougher western suburbs of Sydney. Just before my thirteenth birthday, I was in a self-defence situation with a man 8 years my senior. I only got one punch in and as the situation ended the attacker beat me repeatedly. After that experience I went to see my father and said I wanted to learn Martial Arts. Dad eventually said yes, so that is how I first started my Martial Arts training.

By the time I was eighteen, I was very impressed by what this traditional Martial Art had to offer. It was explosive, extremely effective, and promoted the pursuit of excellence. I was inspired by the respect & dedication to training all the students showed – especially the higher grades. I would travel all over Sydney to train six days a week & twice on Saturday. I respect my first sensei, who laid my foundations in Goju Kai Karate. He required perfection and challenged me to improve myself and overcome my weaknesses. I thank my first teacher for this.

Goju Kai Karate inspired me to continually improve myself. It made me appreciate that to achieve anything in life it requires much dedication & self-discipline. Karate has inspired me in everything I do in my life; whether it be in training, relationships, work & every aspect of my life.