Welcome

"Victory lies in striving and effort. Not necessarily in winning.

In karate as in life, you must never give up.

It is only when you give up that you are truly defeated"

Chief Instructor

Sensei John Hackett

Yondan (4th Dan)

Website last updated 23-May-2009

What is Shotokan Karate?

Shotokan karate is a Japanese martial art and is the most widely practiced form of karate in the world today.

Authentic Shotokan Karate Australia (ASKA) is not a sports/competition orientated karate school, all our training is geared toward practical self defence. Students are also instructed in the use of the Bo (staff) and the philosophical aspect of karate-do i.e. "that you must try to become the very best person you can become". Therefore we are a traditional karate school in the fullest meaning of the term.

We are a family orientated club and welcome men and women of all ages and levels of individual fitness and physical ability as well as junior students from school age. ASKA students learn how to avoid violence in the first instance as well as learning how to deal with violence should it occur.

ASKA does not have a "one hat fits all" mentality. We do not expect every student to perform the same technique with the same degree of excellence. Each student's individual physical ability to be able to perform a set technique is taken into account. The focus on training at ASKA is to help each student fulfill their individual potential.

Everyone has their own reasons for training. Some people simply want to be more flexible or to increase fitness and that is reason enough to join us.

Karate training, like life, is a constant struggle to succeed. As in life, with karate you must work hard, persevere, suffer failures and corrections and go on, if you are to achieve your goals. Sensei John

ASKA Instructors have been issued with Qld Blue Cards after successfully undergoing the Working with Children Check.

ASKA trains throughout the year including over all school holiday periods. We do not train on public holidays and we have a break over the XMAS-New Year period (see calendar page for dates).

Self Defence

Karate is never to be used for instigating violence. Karate was developed in a time of civil unrest in Okinawa as a means of self defence for the general population and the skills taught should only ever be used in that context. Our primary aim as a truly traditional karate school is to pass the art on for that purpose.

By practicing techniques which are potentially harmful to an attacker, students learn moderation. By experiencing how very easy it is to cause injury the karate-ka develops a responsibility not to cause injury.

A properly trained karate-ka (one who practices karate) will avoid a violent confrontation and always seek peace and tranquility. If this is not possible then karate training contains all the fundamental elements of physical combat that can be used in self defence situations.

If threatened the karate-ka’s response to violence or the threat of violence will be directly proportional to the level of threat he faces.

The combative elements contained within karate training for use in self defence include:

The more dangerous techniques are only explained at brown belt level and above.

Let there be no mistake. Karate training can produce an extremely violent response to an attack on the person of a trained practitioner if that is what is required.

In the dojo (training hall) ASKA students practice non contact karate i.e. they do not strike each other. Just because we do not strike or counter strike each other with force at training does not mean that we can’t, it means that we choose not to.

Students learn control and practice effective karate that can be used in self defence situations in a safe family environment. At the same time their karate training provides increased levels of fitness, self confidence, self control and a general increase in the student’s level of well being both mentally and physically.

ASKA welcomes all enthusiastic karate-ka.

NEW ADULT AND JUNIOR STUDENTS AS WELL AS PEOPLE WITH PREVIOUS KARATE EXPERIENCE ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AT ASKA.

As Funakoshi Gichin Sensei said karate is easy to learn. But for you as a student to become proficient in this art requires a true commitment of spirit, as well as perseverance and patience. Basic techniques look easy but looks can be deceiving.  

A well trained karate-ka understands the complexity in the simplest techniques and just makes them look easy.

Karate-ka from other traditional styles and clubs are welcome to join ASKA.

You will not be penalized when you join ASKA simply because you have trained somewhere else. Unlike other style associations, ASKA values the efforts you have made by undertaking previous karate training. Providing you have maintained your training you will retain your current certified grade.

Traditional styles mean one of the four traditional karate styles, i.e. Shotokan, Wado Ryu, Shito Ryu and Goju Ryu.

Karate-ka from non-traditional karate styles are also welcome to join ASKA. An assessment will be made by the Chief Instructor  to see where you fit in to our ranking structure.

Karate-ka joining from either traditional styles and associations or from non traditional free style karate clubs and associations will be required to learn the ASKA syllabus up to and including their present grade and then as ASKA members, to learn the ASKA syllabus for all future gradings.

Authentic Shotokan Karate Australia is a member of both the

• Australian Federation of Traditional Karate Inc (AFTK Inc) and the

• Australian Karate Federation Qld Inc (AKFQ Inc)

ASKA Insurance and ASKA Members Insurance Policies

Authentic Shotokan Karate Australia Insurance Certificate 2009/2010

Authentic Shotokan Karate Australia Members Insurance Certificate 2009/2010 

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DISCLAIMER: Please note that the information and the training methods contained on this web site can be dangerous. Neither the author, nor the host of this site, nor any other person, or persons, accepts any responsibility what so ever for any injuries, damages, or death caused to, or by, any person, or persons, as a direct, or indirect, result of the use of any of the information, advice, movements, and or techniques, described in the articles contained on this web site, or any other linked web sites, pages or articles. Anyone following the information, advice, movements, and or techniques provided here, does so at their own risk. All of this material and any of the linked web sites are intended to be for educational purposes only.