Ballarat Karate Club

Tonight at juniors we focused on guards, stances, and distancing learning how to move our feet to avoid attacks while staying balanced and ready. We finished the night with kumite, giving everyone the chance to apply the movements and techniques in a practical setting. Great effort from all involved, with plenty of focus, movement, and learning throughout the session.

Some of the best training sessions are the ones where no one turns up. It gives me a great opportunity to slow things down and really review my kobudo kata!Kama Nidan, Hamahiga no Tonfa, and most recently Tsuken Sunakake no Eku, taught by Hanshi Wayne Reddrop. Always something to refine, improve, and learn from every session. Just the sound of kobudo, focus, and repetition the Okinawan way.

Tonight’s training was a focused session led by Chief Instructor Wayne Reddrop (8th Dan).

The EKU segment of the session was taught directly by Wayne Reddrop to Jack Lyons (5th Dan) and Troy Wakefield (5th Dan). The instruction centred on key EKU principles, with emphasis on structure, control, timing, and precision of movement. The session reinforced strong technical foundations and the importance of applying technique with intent rather than speed alone.

While the EKU training was being conducted, Paul Schaper was running the kumite session simultaneously, maintaining activity and flow for the wider group. The kumite component was structured as round robin sets, with Paul keeping intensity high and incorporating push-ups between rounds to maintain conditioning, focus, and discipline under fatigue. The sparring emphasised distance management, reaction timing, and decision-making under pressure.

Overall, the session provided a strong balance of technical refinement and structured training, with excellent engagement throughout.

As the cold sets in, the dojo is still welcoming and ready for a solid night of training. Tonight it was just Andrew and myself, taking the opportunity to revisit a blast from the past! Grand Master Fusei Kise’s Okinawan warm-up, with a strong focus on basics and kicking.

We also added in offline techniques and kumite, rounding out a great session.

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Junior karate for Term 1 finished this week, with gradings held across both classes. Another outstanding achievement, with each student demonstrating their rank katas with confidence and focus.

The classes were finished off with some great technique in sparring, excellent efforts all round.

In the primary age group, Frankie, Rori, and Kit all graded to 7th Kyu. In the teenage class, Johnny graded to 8th Kyu, while Jackie and Audrey achieved 7th Kyu.

The night was overseen by Director of Juniors, Paul Schaper, and assisted by Andrew, Benny, and MX.

Congratulations to Paul Schaper who has been appointed Director of the Ballarat Karate Club junior program.

This is an important role for the club, with full responsibility for future gradings and the overall direction of the junior program. It’s a great recognition of your dedication, knowledge, and commitment.

Wishing you all the best as you take on this responsibility and help guide the next generation.

Pictured from left: Renshi Jack Lyons, Sempai Paul Schaper, Hanshi Wayne Reddrop, and Renshi Troy Wakefield.

Vale George Pyers

George was a very dedicated practitioner of Goju Kai under Hanshi Tino Ceberano, attaining the rank of 2nd degree black belt. George also became a member of long standing with the Ballarat Karate Club, training weekly with the clubs Shin Shi No Kai group. George added great value to the group with his willingness to share his knowledge and inturn enjoyed expanding his own knowledge of Okinawan Kobudo.

In 2018, George was graded to 1st degree black belt in karate and kobudo in Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito at the Ballarat Hombu dojo. Such was the high regard George held for the club, he donated his entire collection of weapons to the club at an informal ceremony of Shin Shi No Kai members with the presentation made by his son, Rory. George's enthusiasm for training and his friendly manner will be greatly missed. Our deepest condolences to George's wife, Cheryl and family.

Another successful sausage sizzle!! Thank you to all our legend volunteers who survived the heat!! 😅
And thank you to for having us!!

Tonight was the final class of the year for our awesome juniors and teens.
Congratulations to everyone who graded AND to those who came along and worked really hard to to support their friends! You are all amazing and we are so proud of you all.

Merry Christmas to all our families and thank you for your support throughout the year!

Ballarat Karate Club founder (1965) Kyoshi Barry Govan gave an impromptu demonstration and explanation to the clubs attending black belts of his Universal throw. Particular attention was drawn to how best to set up the throw against an advancing adversary.

This throwing technique was refined during Barry's years of security work and is part of the clubs 100 percenters which are a small number of techniques that have been tested and proven outside of the dojo walls.

Picture: Assisting Kyoshi Govan is former Chief Instructor Renshi Rod Hilton.