TOGKF Brisbane

Sensei Marius - Instructor in the Brisbane West area (Pullenvale and Brookfield) since 2019. For more info on Sensei Marius visit his Fb page https://www.facebook.com/Pullenvale-Family-Karate-Centre-273004493454409

Sensei Gavin Hill - Queensland Chief Instructor

Train anywhere, anytime with Sensei Bakkies Virtual Global Dojo.
Register now: https://www.traditionalschoolofkarate.com

Our feature today is one Sensei Paul Parlett!

Interviewed by Sensei Joseph Te Iti:

Sensei Paul Parlett (6th dan) started his karate journey in 1984 under the late Shihan David Lambert in Goulburn, N.S.W., Australia. "I can clearly remember walking up the 2 flights of stairs into the Goulburn dojo, where I was met by a stocky looking man with dark hair and a strong Scottish accent. I was nervous, afraid and excited all at once." Sensei Paul describes himself as being “…naughty annoying kid in the class up until high school…” but this writer remembers Sensei Paul being the naughty, annoying kid in class well beyond high school age.

Back in 1984 Sensei Paul remembers that there were no junior or children’s classes and that all the classes were combined. He says that Sensei Lambert’s classes were long, tough and sometimes brutal. Sensei Paul believes that even in today’s dojo, there is a place for such training. “This is traditional karate as it was then, and how I think it should still be now.”

Under Shihan Lambert’s mentorship, Sensei Paul trained rigorously until Shihan Lambert’s passing in May 2000. The dojo was then handed on to a young Paul Parlett to continue the teachings of traditional Goju Ryu karate. He remembers vividly Shihan Lambert saying to him, "You need to travel and do as much karate as you can, it’s up to you now."

Under the tutelage of Sensei Paul, the Goulburn dojo grew until there was no choice but to find a bigger space for the dojo. Determined to keep the dojo growing Sensei Paul found a fitness center that was able to accommodate the size of the classes, and the dojo has never looked back since going on to become longest running karate dojo in the area.

Like most young Karate-ka Sensei Paul enjoyed the competitive side of Karate for a number of years (2002 – 2010) and achieved great success in semi contact and full contact karate tournaments. During that period, he was Australian full contact, semi contact and kata all styles champion for 5 years running. He was also IFKKA Kyokushin national champion, being the only non-Kyokushin competitor in the heavyweight division. "I retired from tournaments in 2010, I had achieved what I had set out to do which was to challenge myself, make new karate friends through competition and to continue the legacy of my late mentor, besides my future wife was not impressed with me coming home all banged up and injured all the time."

Two years later and after finally working up the courage to face his future father in-law and ask him for his daughter’s hand in marriage Sensei Paul married the love of his life Andri Laubscher. Yes, you read that right, he married Sensei Bakkies’ only daughter.

Of course, Sensei Paul has traveled extensively to Gasshuku around the world including, of course, the home of traditional Okinawa Goju Ryu karate – Okinawa. “Shihan Lambert thought the world of Higaonna Sensei, how could I stay loyal to my late mentor if I did not stay loyal to Higaonna Sensei?” After 39 years with Higaonna Sensei, he cannot imagine training without the guidance and structure that he provides. "Traditional karate comes from the source which is Okinawa, and from the master. A lot of karate these days is full of young people concerned with 'titles' and social media followers. But Loyalty should be at the heart of every karateka".

Welcome to TOGKF Brisbane. We are promoting the Traditional Goju Ryu Karate brand of Sensei Morio Higaonna. After many years as founder and head of the IOGKF, during which time it became the largest Goju Ryu karate organisation in the world, sensei Higaonna decided it was time to take Goju Ryu back to its Okinawan roots. Hence the Traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate Federation - TOGKF- came into being.