Goju Kai Karate Do Sydney Australia
School
of Yamaguchi I.K.G.A.
Founder : PAUL
STARLING Hanshi 範
士 8th Dan - VICE PRESIDENT IKGA
Paul Starling Hanshi
範士
It was as an Army Officer
that Paul also honed his skills at leadership and
the self discipline that helped him build Sydney
Goju Kan and the Macquarie University Karate Club
into successful traditional Japanese Dojo.
[photograph
courtesy of Blitz Martial Arts Magazine]
Goju Kai
Sydney Goju Kan was founded in 1970 by World IKGA
Vice President Paul Starling Shihan who has
remained a loyal and devoted member of Goju Kai
Karate do Australia for over 60 years: he was the
first graduate in 1973 as Shihan Renshi from Gogen
Yamaguchi Saiko Shihan's prestigious Nihon
Karate do Senmon Gakko, and the only Australian
Shihan to Graduate He has now retired from
teaching daily classes and is a mentor to his many
devoted long time students who he taught privately
after 2005. Gogen Hanshi was Saiko Shihan 最高 師範 meaning Supreme / Highest Master
Teacher.
Paul
Starling commenced training in the Gogen Yamaguchi
school of Goju Kai Karate do as a teenager over 60
years ago, in the early 1960's, with the founder
of Goju Kai in Australia; Merv Oakley Shihan 錬士. At that
time there were very few Karate Instructors
qualified to teach in Australia, and only a
handful were legitimately graded to any black belt
level of proficiency. Oakley Shihan is a pioneer
of Australian Karate, and had travelled to the
Hombu Dojo in Japan to train with Gogen Yamaguchi
Hanshi for extended periods during the 1960s.
Paul had trained in Judo from a very young age with a very distinguished teacher; Sensei Ron Cox, and for many years continued training in Judo and Goju Kai Karate do concurrently on a daily basis He traveled long distances from his home via public transport in order to achieve his desires to train with the very best teachers in Sydney.
After graduating from Barker College in Waitara Sydney with his Leaving Certificate (equiv. Higher School Certificate), he commenced a career with Unilever Australia and also the Australian Army CMF, due to the influence of his father Lieutenant Colonel Noel George Reid Starling who worked tirelessly in order to promote Sydney Goju Kan using his extensive marketing skills. A career Army man, he was said to have been the longest serving soldier in the Australian Regular Army when he passed away in 1999. (Lieutenant Colonel Starling, born in 1913 had added a number of years to his birth date in order to sign on as a soldier in approx 1926.)
Paul had trained in Judo from a very young age with a very distinguished teacher; Sensei Ron Cox, and for many years continued training in Judo and Goju Kai Karate do concurrently on a daily basis He traveled long distances from his home via public transport in order to achieve his desires to train with the very best teachers in Sydney.
After graduating from Barker College in Waitara Sydney with his Leaving Certificate (equiv. Higher School Certificate), he commenced a career with Unilever Australia and also the Australian Army CMF, due to the influence of his father Lieutenant Colonel Noel George Reid Starling who worked tirelessly in order to promote Sydney Goju Kan using his extensive marketing skills. A career Army man, he was said to have been the longest serving soldier in the Australian Regular Army when he passed away in 1999. (Lieutenant Colonel Starling, born in 1913 had added a number of years to his birth date in order to sign on as a soldier in approx 1926.)
Photo
of Paul with his father Lt Colonel Noel G.R.
Starling
discussing his appointment as
Shidoin 1970
-
Paul represented Australia at the WUKO World Karate Federation's very First World Karate Do Championship in Japan in 1970.
-
and also again at the second World Championship in Paris in 1972.
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Paul Starling was also a founder member of the Australian Karate Federation.
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Founder member -The Kokusai Karate do Shihan Kai.
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Founder member -The New South Wales Karate Federation.
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Founder- the Goju Kai Macquarie University Karate Club. 1968
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Karate Instructor of the Year (Blitz)
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Chancellor's Lifetime Achievement Award- Macquarie University
-
First Shihan graduate of Gogen Yamaguchi Kaiso' Nihon Karate do Senmon Gakko &
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only Australian to graduate as Shihan 錬士 (Master Teacher).
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Vice President International Karate do Goju Kai Association IKGA since 1990
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Director of Oceania IKGA 1990- 2004
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Australian Branch Chief IKGA 1989- 2004
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Former New South Wales Branch Chief IKGA 1972 -2004
- Paul has also
represented Australia as an International official
at WUKO World Karate do Championships and the Australian
Karate Federation.
Whilst
in Japan at the Karate do College, Paul had stayed
with Gogen Yamaguchi Hanshi in his home attached
tothe dojo at Suginami while the dojo was being
renovated. He also acted in a secretarial capacity
for the IKGA (International Karate do Gojukai
Association). In this role he had became very
closely aligned with the Yamaguchi family in
Japan, and he has since returned on many occasions
with very large groups of his students to train
with both Gogen Yamaguch Hanshi prior to his death
in 1989, and also with Goshi Yamaguchi Shihan,
Gosen Yamaguchi Shihan and also Wakako Yamaguchi
Shihan.
Whilst in Japan in 1970 representing Australia at the First World Karate do Championships, Gogen Yamaguchi suggested the name of Sydney Goju Kan for Paul's own Dojo, and the School has been in operation ever since. Along with the Macquarie University Karate Club (established 1968) The North Sydney branch of Goju Kai Karate do , along with the other foundation Dojo ie: previously in Hornsby, Asquith and West Pymble, Sydney Goju Kai members of Paul Starling Shihan trained with, and competed against their Melbourne Goju Kai colleagues under the tutelage of Constantino Tino Ceberano Shihan in the foundation years and until 1989 when Ceberano Shihan formed a new school apart from the Yamaguchi family. It was at that time that Paul Starling Shihan became the Chief Instructor of Goju Kai Karate do Australia until retiring from that position 15 years later in 2004 due to a sudden illness.
Whilst in Japan in 1970 representing Australia at the First World Karate do Championships, Gogen Yamaguchi suggested the name of Sydney Goju Kan for Paul's own Dojo, and the School has been in operation ever since. Along with the Macquarie University Karate Club (established 1968) The North Sydney branch of Goju Kai Karate do , along with the other foundation Dojo ie: previously in Hornsby, Asquith and West Pymble, Sydney Goju Kai members of Paul Starling Shihan trained with, and competed against their Melbourne Goju Kai colleagues under the tutelage of Constantino Tino Ceberano Shihan in the foundation years and until 1989 when Ceberano Shihan formed a new school apart from the Yamaguchi family. It was at that time that Paul Starling Shihan became the Chief Instructor of Goju Kai Karate do Australia until retiring from that position 15 years later in 2004 due to a sudden illness.
Paul's most senior students began
training with him over 60 years ago:
Please see the profiles /Instructors section for more information regarding their accomplishments.
Paul refined techniques of Shihan 錬士 Instructors and Black Belts in 'Special Advanced Classes' previously at the Macquarie University Dojo.
Please see the profiles /Instructors section for more information regarding their accomplishments.
Paul refined techniques of Shihan 錬士 Instructors and Black Belts in 'Special Advanced Classes' previously at the Macquarie University Dojo.
- Amongst Paul's other numerous
achievements are voluntary positions over many
years:
- he was a former NSW State Coach for the New South Wales Karate Federation,
- State of New South Wales "A" Level
Referee Australian Karate Federation
- a former "A" Level National
Australian Referee for the Australian Karate
Federation,
- a former National Secretary for the AKF (FAKO),
- represented Australia as a
Referee/Judge at the WKF(WUKO)World Karate
Championships in Taiwan in 1982, where his
wife and student (Sandie)Alexandra Starling
Shihan became the very first Australian AKF
representative to win a medal when she won 3rd
place bronze in the Female Kata event.
- He was a lecturer on the very 1st
Level One Coaching Course run by the AKF for
the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme,
- and was on the committee that designed the original Level Two Coaching Scheme for the AKF.
- National Australian University Sports Coordinator for Karate do.
- Organizing Committe WKF World Karate
do Championships 1986 Sydney.
Whilst at the JAPAN KARATE DO COLLEGE
(NIHON KARATE DO SENMON GAKKO) where Paul
trained full time for one year in 1973, he was
taught by Grandmaster
Gogen Yamaguchi (Goju Kai), Grandmaster
Hironori Otsuka (Wado Ryu), Grandmaster Iwata
Manzao (Shito Ryu), Grandmaster Tamae
(Rembukan), and Grandmaster Motokatsu (Gansho)
Inoue (Ryukyu Kobujitsu Hozon Shinko Kai). Also
trained by Goshi
Yamaguchi Saiko Shihan, and several other
Japanese Shihans of the time.
Paul played a pivotal role in the 1983 Classic Australian Movie 'The Coolangatta Gold' as a Karate Instructor, accompanied by several of his black belt students who played the part of the Karate class. Paul was approached by the film's director and writer (Igor Auzons and Peter Schreck) in 1982 and asked to train a leading actor, Joss McWilliam, in Karate methods full time over a period of 3 months in order for the actor to fulfill his role in the film. Joss trained diligently as a beginner on a daily basis with Paul and the senior instructors of the Dojo. His character in the film was a Black Belt Shodan however in reality Joss was actually a white Belt in Karate. See this link for further details: to be updated shortly
Paul played a pivotal role in the 1983 Classic Australian Movie 'The Coolangatta Gold' as a Karate Instructor, accompanied by several of his black belt students who played the part of the Karate class. Paul was approached by the film's director and writer (Igor Auzons and Peter Schreck) in 1982 and asked to train a leading actor, Joss McWilliam, in Karate methods full time over a period of 3 months in order for the actor to fulfill his role in the film. Joss trained diligently as a beginner on a daily basis with Paul and the senior instructors of the Dojo. His character in the film was a Black Belt Shodan however in reality Joss was actually a white Belt in Karate. See this link for further details: to be updated shortly
Many International, National, and State
champions have come from Paul Starling's Dojo
whereby various students have gone on to become
Internationally recognized instructors in their
own right. Amongst Paul's Black Belt Graduates
who have gone on to become Shihan are: Ingo De Jong
9th Dan HANSHI 範士 (IKGA Vice President, Director of the
European Block, Branch Chief for Scandinavia), Helmut
Moldners 5th Dan Renshi Shihan, deceased
(former NSW North Coast Branch Chief), and
Alexandra
(Sandie) Starling 5th Dan Renshi Shihan
(former WKF World Championship medalist The most
recent promotion to 5th Dan Shihan by
Grandmaster Goshi Yamaguchi, and now heading the
South Australian Branch is Horden Wiltshire
Shihan, with previous graduates including Greg
Gunns Shihan and Dr Burton), including promotion
to Hon. 5th Dan Jokyo for Ray Beattie OAM
.
Current IKGA Qualifications - Paul was awarded 8th dan (Hachidan) by Grandmaster Goshi Yamaguchi in 2014 then HANSHI 範士 in 2018. He had been graded to KYOUSHI 教士 License in Japan during 1988 by Gogen 範士 & Konomoto Hanshi in Shimizu 30 years previously, and confirmed by Saiko Shihan Yamaguchi in 1989, & then to 7th Dan in 1995 in Tokyo Japan. He was also graded to 6th Dan Kyoshi 教士 in Okinawan weapons with the Ryukyu Kobujitsu Hozon Shinko Kai, also at Shimizu in 1988 by Grandmaster Motokatsu (Gansho) Inoue in Shimizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Current IKGA Qualifications - Paul was awarded 8th dan (Hachidan) by Grandmaster Goshi Yamaguchi in 2014 then HANSHI 範士 in 2018. He had been graded to KYOUSHI 教士 License in Japan during 1988 by Gogen 範士 & Konomoto Hanshi in Shimizu 30 years previously, and confirmed by Saiko Shihan Yamaguchi in 1989, & then to 7th Dan in 1995 in Tokyo Japan. He was also graded to 6th Dan Kyoshi 教士 in Okinawan weapons with the Ryukyu Kobujitsu Hozon Shinko Kai, also at Shimizu in 1988 by Grandmaster Motokatsu (Gansho) Inoue in Shimizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Goju-Kai Karate-Do
2023.
