Goju Kai Karate Do Sydney Australia
Alexandra Starling Shihan
Photo Graphics- Courtesy of Eugene Kitney Sensei.
WORLD UNION OF KARATEDO ORGANISATIONS-WUKO WORLD KARATEDO CHAMPIONSHIPS
Bronze
Medalist 1982-
TAIWAN. ROC 1st-Japan-[Mie Nakayama]
Sandie
Alexandra Starling & Goshi Yamaguchi in Sydney 1980
Alexandra
Starling
5th Dan Renshi Shihan, known as
Sandie, was the first Australian to win a place in an internationally recognised
World Karate do Championship. She was also the first Australian
woman to receive a Black Belt in the New South Wales branch of
the Australian Karate Federation (A.K.F.) and the first in New South
wales
to gain referee/judge status. In the International Goju Kai Association
she was also the first non-Japanese woman to be graded to Shihan
(Master rank) & 5th Dan [1989] , by the world reknown goju-ryu
master Gogen Yamaguchi . Over 60 Nations were represented from
throughout the World at the 6th World Karate Championships in 1982 with
Mrs Starling being the oldest competitor in the tournament , then aged
33yrs. In the final round of the Kata competition she gained a higher
score from the Japanese judge than the eventual winner- Mie Nakayama,
and was awarded a Bronze medal for Australia.
Alexandra
retired
from
competition after the World Tournament, her first and only attempt at
an International event. She then went on to become the first female
coach on a state/national level, and trained a large group of state and
national champions as well as International competitors until 1989. The
majority of her teaching has been confined to traditional Goju Ryu
rather than tournament style.
Australian Champion-1982-Female
Kata event.
Australian Kata Medalist 1978-1982
New South Wales Kata
Champion 1978,
New South Wales Kata Champion 1979,
New South Wales Kata Champion 1980,
New South Wales Kata Champion 1981,
New South Wales Kata Champion 1982.
New South Wales Kumite
Champion u/53k, 1980
Australian Female Kumite
Finalist Silver Medalist
Australian Karate
Federation- (Formerly FAKO. Australia's
only recognised body for Karatedo.)
Australian Team Member
& women's captain. 1982
Sandie
commenced
training in February
1974 at the North Sydney Dojo and Macquarie Iniversity Karate Club in
Sydney where she was first introduced to her husband Paul. Training on
a full time basis 6 days a week and 4 hours per day,( and 6 hours on
Saturdays), she persisted with this punishing regime and became
very proficient over a period of 4 years culminating in her gaining
full Shodan status in December of 1977. In those days classes were jam
packed with baby boomers who had witnessed the prowess of the reknown
Bruce Lee via his many movies, and it was not uncommon to be training
alongside 60 to 80 other students each night, the majority 99.9% of
whom were male. Not only was it practically unheard of in those days
for an Australian woman to gain a Black Belt in Karate do (there were
two in Victoria and one or two in Judo) and none in New South Wales; it
was also a period when women were NOT permitted to compete in Karate
Tournaments in any form , Kata nor Kumite.
Because
Sandie
Shihan had gained Black Belt status she was invited to
participate in the Australian Karate Federation meetings whereby she
argued vehemently for a women's division in tournaments to be
introduced. This was approved by 1978 however only Kata events
were permitted initially, in line with the (WUKO WKF) World Karate
Federation ruling. Initially having no interest in Kata competition
Sandie was particularly interested in competing in Jiu Kumite events as
opposed to point Shiai kumite which was not taught at her dojo, all
students being required to perform strongly instead in free
sparring round robin sessions often lasting up to 2 hours per
session. Because Sandie was mainly partnered with men her forte was in
this area rather than in the execution of competition Kata. After
competing and winning the innaugral tournament though, it was as the
first
New South Wales female Kata Champion that Sandie forged ahead
determined to improve to the point where she might one day gain the
Australian Kata Championship title. Travelling to the World Karate
Championship in Longbeach California in 1976, then on to Japan to train
at the Honbu Dojo of Grandmaster Gogen Yamaguchi and his son Yamaguchi
Goshi Shihan, she trained in private sessions with Wakako
Yamaguchi Shihan daughter of Gogen and sister to Goshi Yamaguchi
Shihan. She trained again with Wakako and Goshi Yamaguchi Shihans after
they
had travelled to Australia for Summer Camps at Tallangatta ( held by
Victorian Goju Kai) and later stayed with Paul and Sandie at their home
nearby to Macquarie University.
After
experiencing
Wakako Shihan's incredible technical ability it was
Sandie's aim to emulate Ms Yamaguchi's performance in the higher Kata;
training rigourously on a daily basis it was from 1978 through to
1982 Sandie remained the undefeated Kata Champion and was also
undefeated as Australian Champion having retired from competition in
1982 after her World Championship medal performance in Taipei Taiwan.
Although going on to coach many champions both male and female in State
National and International competition, it was still traditional
Japanese Goju Ryu training that meant the most to her so she took every
opportunity to train in Japan with the Yamaguchi family, at the Dojo of
Gogen Yamaguchi Kaiso, Goshi Yamaguchi Hanshi, Gosen Yamaguchi Kyoshi
and Wakako Yamaguchi Shihan. At the same time Sandie was
invited to train with many famous Karate masters by their Australian
Chief Instructors, including: Morio Higaonna Sensei from Okinawan Goju
Ryu whenever he was in Australia: Hirokazu Kanazawa Sensei from
Shotokan on many occasions, Suzuki Sensei from Wado Ryu, Kenshu
Watanabe Sensei, Frank Nowak Sensei, Phillip and Robert Kear and Tino
Ceberano Sensei as well as Inoue Motokatsu Kaiso from Ryukyu Kobujutsu
Hozon Shinko Kai.
Qualifications
5th Dan Renshi Shihan 1989
B.A. Modern History
M.A. Modern History
Macquarie University Sydney Australia
B.A. Modern History
M.A. Modern History
Macquarie University Sydney Australia
© 2009 WWW.GOJUKAI.COM.AU
Sydney
Gojukan~
School
of
Gogen
Yamaguchi
Founder
:
PAUL
STARLING
Kyoshi
7th
Dan
-
VICE
PRESIDENT IKGA
.