Eltham Martial Arts Academy - Musubi Dojo

13/09/2026

Sensei Kiley & Sempai Kieran at Patrick Pinto ’s recently hosted Kudo seminar 👊

A snippet from Sensei:

“It’s been a while since I put on this dogi… and as you can see, it’s shrunk a bit in the wardrobe! 🤪🤦‍♀️ Either that or I got thicker…

8 years ago I travelled to Japan because I wanted to experience Kudo from the source. Thanks to then Australian Branch Chief Paul Cale, I was given a letter of recommendation and experienced amazing training at Kudo Honbu and in Sendai with Alexei Kononenko.

I came back humbled, full of ideas and wanting to learn more.

As fate would have it, my Kudo time was cut short. I refocused on my dojo, Kyokushin, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu.

So I was surprised and happy when Kudo popped back into my social media feed through Sensei Patrick Pinto. I asked if I could attend today’s seminar.

After a terrible night’s sleep, I woke up feeling about as good as a dog’s breakfast 😂 — but I forged ahead. So glad I did.

Today covered so much, yet barely scratched the surface of what Kudo has to offer. It reminded me why I wanted to train Kudo in the first place: it joins almost everything our dojo offers under one system and one banner.

It’s the spirit of our dojo name — Musubi — and I love that.

Thank you to Shubicho Dave for making the trip and giving us a lesson to remember. Your enthusiasm for both the art and the Budo was obvious. Osu.

Here’s to seeing what Kudo has in store for me and the dojo.

If there’s one thing I know: if you stop learning, you stop growing. If you stop growing, you die — metaphorically and physically.

Here are some pics from 8 years ago… and today.

Feeling grateful. Full circle. And, I’ll be honest… REALLY sore. 😂

Thanks Lili Cat for being an ace partner and super-strong, crazy martial arts girl today! Mwah xo 👊

And thanks to everyone who held the fort at the dojo so Kieran and I could attend.”

13/09/2026

Last Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu session with Mattias before he moves to Belgium on the other side of the globe

It’s always strange to see people who’ve been an important part of the community go away for good

Also, yes Wayne Comyn you look fabulous in your GI

09/09/2026

The end of yesterday’s kyokushin karate class

You know what I like so much about this video, the way the more experienced students present themselves—their posture, their demeanor, use of voice and how all the little kids have such beautiful examples of correct behavior without forcing it

06/09/2026

𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐨

Aikido is an interesting martial art. From the outside, it can look fake and is sometimes dismissed as ‘bullshido’ that wouldn’t work in a real confrontation. If you feel that way, let me share my experience.

I’ve trained in several martial arts since childhood: Judo from age six, Sanda as a teenager, then Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Systema and self-defence. Each influenced me differently. Most are considered effective, but I felt they lacked something: Budo.

With my limited understanding, Budo is the deeper aim of the fighting arts — presence, flow, intuition and the loss of ego. It comes from the samurai era, when training prepared people for life-or-death situations and every lapse in focus could have grave consequences.

You might argue that all fighting arts are built around this. I’d argue otherwise. Unlike combat sports such as Muay Thai and BJJ, Aikido is traditional in nature. How you behave matters: saying osu, bowing, staying humble and overcoming frustration. As a blue belt, I feel it’s more about how you carry and project yourself. Technique is the vehicle, not the destination.

Peter and I completed our grading together. It lasted only about 20 minutes, but for those 20 minutes, we were ON. Time and my surroundings seemed to disappear. I tuned completely into my training partner, blended with his movement and maintained constant eye contact. Whatever emotions or opinions I had didn’t matter. Only what was happening right there, right then.

I made mistakes, but the spirit of Budo — as I currently understand it — was there.

To me, Aikido is the glue that can hold other martial arts together. It creates a foundation: quiet intensity, relentless presence and acceptance of whatever comes your way.

If you have no martial arts experience, I wouldn’t necessarily begin with Aikido. BJJ, Judo or Muay Thai may offer quicker, clearer experiences of success while building resilience through being hit, thrown and choked.

But if you want to embrace the martial way and strengthen your presence, Aikido may be for you.

03/09/2026

Ladies & gentlemen, lots of things happening soon, check out our latest newsletter to stay up-to date

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29/08/2026

It’s been a month of competitions for Karate ….. and for our Kickboxers ….and this has come up a few times. I’ve been thinking of te-sharing this video for a while …. And today I found it …. So here it is, ten years later, and still rings true. Osu.

Here are my top three reasons for not telling your child, student o...

27/08/2026

Lost property …. You have one week to collect then it’s gone !

23/08/2026

Things have kicked off at the 4th All Australian Kyokushin Championships here in Syd. Gambate’ all competitors . A beautiful tournament setup ….. complete with T.shirts , printed programs and amazing venue King George Recreation Centre at The Rocks !

22/08/2026

Save the Date

Two incredible instructors, one unmissable weekend. Join us as Ramlan Ortega Shihan (7th Dan, Chief Instructor of Aikido Shudokan Malaysia) and Enrica Cheung Kyoshi (6th Dan) lead a special seminar at Aikido Shudokan Coburg!

📍 1 Woolacott St, Coburg
🗓️ Sat 7 Nov (1–5pm) & Sun 8 Nov (10am–2pm)
💰 Early Bird $150 (before 7 Oct) | $175 after

Bringing the Yoshinkan Aikido community together — don’t miss it! Email [email protected] to register 👊

16/08/2026

If you were planning on getting a heart attack, choking on food or getting bitten by a spider, now would be the best time to do it as our team has just updated their CPR & first aid certification.