Shihan Keiji Tomiyama visits Australia 2023

From 21 to 27 April 2023, Mr Keiji Tomiyama, President of Kofukan International (Shihan, 9th Dan Tasshi Shito-ryu) was hosted in Australia for a series of training seminars and workshops.

The highlight of the program was the weekend workshops attended by nearly 70 karate-ka, with students from Kofukan dojos in Baldivis, Byford, Forrestdale, Halls Head, Kalgoorlie, Kwinana, Meadow Springs and Pinjarra, and six visiting black belts from other karate clubs.

Classes were also held in the evenings on Monday at the Halls Head dojo and on Tuesday and Wednesday in Kwinana. In addition, training for senior ranks were held during the day Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to practice high level kata and kobudo (tonfa and bo).

The packed program also included social events: a black belts’ dinner on Saturday and a Kofukan Family Dinner on Sunday. The Sunday family dinner was a great success with over 60 members and their families bringing a dish to share representing their heritage, while being entertained by the skilled guitar and vocals from David Atkinson.

On Thursday 27 April, a grading was held and Shihan Tomiyama passed Lindon McKenna to Sandan (3rd degree black belt) and Robert Sage to Nidan (2nd degree black belt).

Kofukan Karate Australia would like to thank everyone who attended and made the events a success, especially families from Kalgoorlie who travelled so far to participate. And of course we especially thank Shihan Tomiyama for returning to Australia for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instructors and students learn a lot from his visits and we look forward to his return next year.