Thank you for taking
the time to visit the Australian Hombu Dojo Headquarters website of Goju
Kai Karate do School of Yamaguchi Founded in 1963. The Australian branch
of Goju Kai has a very long standing tradition of an unbroken lineage directly
to Grandmaster Gogen Yamaguchi and hence his successor and third son Goshi
Yamaguchi now 8th Dan and Hanshi.
Australian Chief Instructor
Paul Starling 7th Dan & Kyoshi, joined Goju Kai Karate do in the early
1960's and has remained a member ever since, making him the most senior
non Japanese Instructor in the IKGA association, as a World Vice President
of the IKGA, & director {Oceania division.}
Australia is a continent
as large as North America and distances between States have always been
prohibitive, yet Goju Kai has continued to flourish here during the past
37 years largely as a result of the combined efforts of the Shihan
instructors located in New South Wales, Victoria & Western Australia.
Although each Chief Instructor has their own unique and individual method
of teaching and running their Dojo, they are united in a determined stance
of loyalty and respect for the Yamaguchi family and for Yamaguchi Goshi
Shihan.
Perhaps it could be argued
that the strength of Goju Kai Karate do Australia comes from the fact that
each State is controlled by a Chief Instructor of very high rank, {at least
6th Dan}, and that of these Chief Instructors each has been training
and teaching for at least 30-35 years. At the same time, training with
these Instructors are six other Shihan Instructors of 5th Dan Rank who
have also each been training and teaching for approximately 25 years.
Instructors of the 4th
Dan rank {Jokyo}, and 3rd Dan rank {Shidoin}, work with their Chief Instructor
or Shihan, cohesively,
to keep in tact the traditional
precepts of Goju Kai Karate do which state that:-
We are proud to study the way of Goju Ryu.
We are courteous in manners
We are humble but strong
We cultivate the spirit of co-operation
We respect the Budo spirit of traditional martial arts.
The Australian branch
of Yamaguchi Goju-Kai maintains a strong link with the Japanese Headquarters
of IKGA. Grandmaster Goshi Yamaguchi Saiko Shihan visits our
Country on a regular basis (usually every 2 years), and since the 1960's
we have frequently sent individuals as well as large groups of students
and Instructors to Japan, ensuring that Australia keeps up
to date with the latest methods of teaching and training.
It has been said that
outside of Japan and the United States that Australia has the longest history
of Goju-Kai Karate-Do associated with the Yamaguchi Family. We are proud
of the fact that we have nine Shihan Instructors in the Australian branch
of the IKGA, which is explained by our 37 year history.
We hope that you will
find time to sign our guestbook, or email to us with any queries that you
might have regarding our School of Karate do. To navigate this site
please either view the pages that interest you from the Home Page/Site
Map, or otherwise please press the last navigation button at the top &
bottom of each page titled 'NEXT'.
As this site is continually
being modified, we hope that you will bookmark this site at the Home Page,
and return intermittently, pressing the reload button, to view a
regularly updated version of the site. Shortly we will be providing links
to ALL Goju Kai Karate do Dojo of the IKGA, { International Karate do Goju
Kai Association}, throughout the world, currently , we have Dojo
in 60 different countries, accordingly we will also be providing a members
forum, as well as co-ordinating and linking IKGA web pages throughout the
world.
Members may also be interested
to attend European, Canadian, Australian, African, South American or Asian
Summer and winter camps held regularly and taught by Goshi Yamaguchi Shihan.
Sydney members have previously attended Seminars in Sweden , Karlsgogaar,Corfu-
Greece & Japan, and Western Australians & Victorians attended Championships
& Seminars in Japan, India Malaysia & Brazil.
Please visit the Forthcoming
Events page for updates on Yamaguchi Goshi Shihan's visit to Australia
in October 2003.
http:// www.gojukai.com.au/seminar1.html
Explanations regarding
the following pages appear on the Home Page, however we will leave you
with a light hearted look at life from the pen of the very talented David
Lowrie. A Link to his 'Zen ' philosophy Page ' Dharma
the Cat ' can be found on our 'Cool Links' - friends page. Goju Kai International
& Australian Members, please email us with your website and email address.
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