Kenbukan Australia - Goju Ryu Karate

Adam Shihan visited Albury Wodonga Martial Arts last night and had a fantastic time learning some new kata. The Beechworth dojo is set in a beautiful location with high-quality instruction and a strong sense of community. Keep up the great work Sensei Justin!

‼️GUEST INSTRUCTOR AT AWMA BEECHWORTH‼️

A big thank you to Adam Ball Sensei (5th Dan Goju-Ryu Kenbukan) for dropping in at our Beechworth Fundamentals class tonight while he’s visiting from Canberra.

Sensei took the group through Saifa kata, and shared some Bunkai that related back to the drills we had practiced earlier in the night.

Thank you, Adam-sensei! 🙇‍♂️

Over the weekend, Shihan Adam had the privilege of training in Kobudo at the 5th Annual Kobudo Chief Instructor Seminar with Shihan Bill Johansen (Brisbane Koryukan), graciously hosted by Sensei Reece Cummings at his beautiful dojo in Mitchell.

The seminar covered a range of traditional Okinawan weapons, including the Bo, Sai, Nunchaku, Tonfa, and Tanbo. Shihan Bill’s exceptional skill, depth of knowledge, and inspiring teaching style made the experience both challenging and rewarding.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to train under his guidance and to connect with so many dedicated martial artists.

Days 2 and 3 of the 5th Annual Kobudo Chief Instructor Seminar with Shihan Bill Johansen (Brisbane Koryukan) were packed with training and camaraderie. Saturday morning focused on Saijutsu, with the afternoon dedicated to Tonfajutsu and Nunchakujutsu. On Sunday morning, participants from 6th Kyu and above explored a range of practical Tanbo drills. It was also great to come together on Saturday night for a social dinner, enjoying time off the dojo floor.

We were pleased to be joined by Jean Vega san, a student of Victoria Shibucho, Sensei Wolfgang Vogel.

The event was made possible through the connections and friendship fostered by the IRKRS and Hanshi Patrick McCarthy.

Calling all Traditional Karate and Kobudo Practitioners aged 30+

The 2025 Australian Masters Games is coming up fast! Don’t miss the chance to be part of this historic event in Canberra on 25 October. Registrations are already rolling in, and it's look to be a well-attended event!

✅ Open to all practitioners aged 30+
✅ Categories in Traditional Karate Kata & Kumite and Traditional Kobudo Kata

🔗 Register now: aftk.org.au/events/2025amg

Help us promote traditional karate and kobudo throughout Australia – share this with your networks and be part of history!

A couple of weeks ago, we had the great honour of hosting Sakihama Sensei for a very special visit. As a true master of Goju Ryu Karate, his presence on the floor was both humbling and inspiring. We’re also incredibly grateful to Manami-san, who not only trained alongside us but generously gave her time and energy to translate for Sensei throughout the visit.

I’d especially like to thank Sensei Kayla of Kenbukan Australia for all of the organisation behind the scenes—this visit simply wouldn’t have happened without her. We are deeply appreciative of the time and effort she put in to make it all possible.

We’re so thankful to everyone involved for their knowledge, patience, and spirit. Their visit was a powerful reminder of the deep roots and living tradition we are privileged to be part of.

We feel incredibly lucky to belong to the Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate Kenpo Kai family. Thank you for helping us grow and stay connected to the heart of our art.

Congratulations to Our AMAC Champs! 🥋

A huge congratulations to Maddoc, Aiden, and Alice for their incredible performances at the AMAC Australian Titles!

🌟 Maddoc: 2nd place in Traditional Weapons and a finalist (top 4) in Kata—what an outstanding effort!

🌟 Aiden: Two 3rd place finishes in Kata (17-18 years) and Sparring (17-18 years)—amazing dedication and skill!

🌟 Alice: 4th place in Kata—such an impressive result on a national stage!

We’re so proud of all three of you for your hard work, determination, and sportsmanship. You’ve all done an amazing job representing your club. Well done! 💪👏

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It was great helping out at Karate Canberra while Reece Cummings Sensei is away in Okinawa. The students were eager to learn new techniques. Everyone worked hard and supported each other. Being around that kind of energy is contagious! I can't wait for the next class.

Congratulations to Aidyn, Maddoc, Harry, and Alice for their outstanding performances at the AMAC ACT State Titles on Sunday! With just four students competing, they brought home an impressive six state titles. What an achievement!

Here are the results:

Aidyn
🏆 1st (State Champion) Kata 16-17y
🏆 1st (State Champion) Point Sparring Adults
🏆 1st (State Champion) Freestyle Sparring Adults
🏆 1st & 2nd Demonstrations
🥈 2nd Point Sparring 16-17y

Maddoc
🏆 1st (State Champion) Kata Adults
🏆 1st & 2nd Demonstrations
🥉 3rd Traditional Weapons Adults
🥉 3rd Point Sparring Adults
🥉 3rd Freestyle Sparring Adults

Harry
🏆 1st (State Champion) Kata

Fantastic effort, everyone! Your hard work and dedication have truly paid off. Keep up the amazing work, and we look forward to seeing more great results in the future!

An excellent article featuring my Sensei, Kuba Hanshi.

It's a great read to get some insight into the mindset of traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate.

Also if you have time you can look through the pictures and play where's Adam.

【Exploring the spirit of the Ryukyu】Series 9 (HIDEN 01/2024)「Kuba Yoshio SENSEI」 | BUDO JAPAN - Ttraditional Japanese martial-arts 【Exploring the spirit of the Ryukyu】Series 9 (HIDEN January 2024)「Kuba Yoshio Sensei 10th Dan & Kancho Kenpokai Kenbukan」Interview/Writer: Daniel MardonPhotography/translation: Yuko Takahashi Kancho Yoshio Kuba and Daniel Sensei standing in front of ……

Congratulations to the Kenbukan Australia team today at Australian Martial Arts Championships (AMAC) ACT round 1.

Freestyle sparring: Sam 1st, Aidyn 2nd, Nick 3rd.

Full Contact sparring: Maddoc 1st, Nick 2nd.

Traditional forms: Maddoc 1st. Sam 2nd. Aidyn 3rd.

2022 Kuba Hanshi seminar is over and we can't be happier with our training. We are lucky to have a great master like Kuba Hanshi to guide us on our Karate journey.

A special thank you to Kayla sensei for organising the event and making sure everything ran smoothly.

Thank you to our friends Eric and Gwen who joined us from New Caledonia. It's always great to see you.