After three years with no senior karate instructors travelling to Australia, Goulburn hosted one of the world's best during a national training seminar.
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The 2022 International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-do Federation (IOGKF) Australian National Training Seminar was held at Trinity Catholic College from Friday, October 21 to Sunday, October 23.
Hosted by Sensei Paul Parlett from the IOGK Goulburn Karate dojo, he said the event was a "massive success" and drew in 90 students from around Australia.
Joined by their families, students from Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra and Orange travelled to Goulburn to learn from guest instructor Sensei Bakkies Laubscher (ninth dan).
"The last time he was here in Goulburn was in 2015, so having that three-year gap and then having someone so highly skilled and at that senior level come and teach is pretty special," Sensei Parlett said.
Sensei Bakkies is the highest-graded westerner in the world in traditional karate, and the most senior student of Supreme Master Morio Higaonna, a traditional karate world icon.
He has been practising traditional karate for 60 years, and during that time has travelled the world to teach and share his knowledge in more than 29 countries.
"We had six and seven-year-old children there who were just in awe," Sensei Parlett said.
"[I was] watching these little kids' faces and they were just staring at this guy just mesmerised.
"It was mind-blowing just seeing the reaction that people had when watching a karate master live."
The seminar focused on sharing the fundamentals of traditional Goju Ryu Karate with a focus on self-defence and survival.
Sensei Parlett said the training ranged from basic kicks and punches to senior-grade advanced sparring drills.
Goulburn Mulwaree councillor Daniel Strickland attended the opening of the seminar to welcome Sensei Bakkies to the city of Goulburn.
As one of the youngest sixth degree black belts in the world with more than 38 years of traditional karate experience, Sensei Parlett said the weekend seminar even taught him a few things.
"I've done [karate] for not all of my life but most of my life and there's just this thirst for knowledge that doesn't stop," he said.
Sensei Parlett (sixth dan) is the head instructor of Goulburn's oldest karate school.
The Institute of Traditional Karate in Goulburn offers classes for pewees, juniors to seniors twice a week. For more info get in touch with Sensei Paul Parlett at learnkarate@bigpond.com.
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