News

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Some older news from the dojo....

25 May 2016

Please note that all classes are CANCELLED on Friday 10th June (this applies to both adults' and children's classes).

Adults' and children's classes at the YMCA are also CANCELLED on Saturday 11th June.

Students are encouraged to attend the North-east Regional Seminar on Saturday 11th June instead. This seminar will be held at Bremer State High School. Please see the link for details. Children's sessions are free at the seminar.

9 May 2016

Please note that even though this Friday (May 13th) is a public holiday for Ipswich, we are still running classes at the dojo.

5 May 2016

Mike Sinagra (5th Dan, Perth Kokikai) will visit our dojo on Friday 20th May! Please make sure you attend these classes (kids and adults) if you can - an evening not to be missed!

25 April 2015

Great seminar at the UQ dojo yesterday! Thank you again to James Moss for some excellent teachings, and to Steve Henderson for hosting the event. Congratulations to Cam Moodie and Col Crowther for their 6th Kyu tests, Kiet Huynh for his 5th Kyu and to Steve Grant for his 3rd Kyu.

8 April 2016

We are on holidays for the children's classes. The first class back for term 2 will be on Tuesday 12th April, and the Friday classes will resume on 15th April. The first Saturday class with be on 16th April, and we will resume Saturday adults classes that day too.

14 March 2016

James Moss (Aikido Brisbane dojo at Woolloongabba) will teach a 3 hour class at the UQ dojo (St Lucia) on Sunday 24th April, from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. We will have gradings at the end of the session.

12 March 2016

New belts and coloured tips this week and next in the children's classes!

7 March 2016

There will be a children's session at the Regional seminar this year. All children training at Bullockhead Creek are encouraged to attend. Please see Myriam if you have any questions.

11th February 2016

As of 1st March, we will extend the weekday adults classes to 1.5hrs of training! So, Tuesday and Friday classes for adults will run from 7:00pm until 8:30pm. Saturday classes remain at one hour, from 8:30am until 9:30am.

24 January

Reminder: No classes on Tuesday due to the public holiday. See you all Friday! (Adults and kids)

19 January 2016

Classes for adults begin again tonight! See you at 7pm.

1 January 2016

NEW CHILDREN'S CLASSES in 2016!

We are making some changes to the children's timetable from January. This is to accommodate our growing dojo, and to make sure we don't overcrowd our classes.

The first change is that the 4-6yrs age group will now be for 30 minutes (the younger kids sometimes find it hard to concentrate for 45 minutes). These classes will begin at 5:00pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, and at 9:30am on Saturdays.

The older kids class will be separated into two groups: a class for 7-9yrs and another for 10yrs+. These are 45-minute classes. The 7-9yrs will begin at 5:30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, and at 10:00am on Saturdays. The 10yrs+ group will begin at 6:15pm on Tuesdays and Fridays and at 10:45am on Saturdays.

Remember that children's classes are only held during school terms.

Adult classes are, for the time-being, still one hour long. We will hopefully increase these to 1.5hrs at some stage during the year. Adults classes begin at 7pm on Tuesdays and Fridays and at 8:30am on Saturdays. Saturday classes for adults are only held during school terms.

We do not teach any classes on public holidays. Some classes during the year may also be cancelled to cater for special events.

Please consult the calendar for timetable details.

14 December 2015

This week we celebrate the end of year for adults' classes at Bullockhead Creek. Tuesday will be a special bokken kata class, and Friday will be a special jo kata class. Please bring your weapons and any spare to share with others. We will not have the mats laid out for these classes.

Wednesday night we are having our end-of-year dinner at the Spring Lake Hotel. Please let us know if you can come. Any adult Kokikai student who has trained this year at our dojo is welcome to attend.

Help us celebrate the end of a truly wonderful year for our dojo!

25 November 2015

End of year is coming fast! We are already in the midst of gradings for the children (congratulations to all of you who graded last night!) and we will soon break for Christmas. Our last children's class for 2015 will be Friday 11th December, and the last adults' class will be Friday 18th December. The last week of adults' classes will be a special treat - weapons kata! We will also have a break up dinner for the adults on Wednesday 16th December (details to be confirmed, but please lock in that date).

16 November 2015

The Summer Seminar was a blast! Thank you to all those who came along to train with James Moss sensei yesterday. It was a great four hours of aikido! For some of us, it was wonderful to catch up with old friends, reminisce, train, and continue our never-ending discovery of new things in our aikido. For many others it was a chance to visit another dojo and to meet new friends for the first time. As a dojo, we are learning and growing all the time. And the whole Brisbane region, in particular, is enjoying a period of establishing solid foundations, with new dojos, like the UQ dojo we visited yesterday. Steve Henderson sensei did a fabulous job in hosting the seminar. It's by making these events possible that we get to see how much we have developed and matured, and to take pride in these achievements. Congratulations to Steve Grant for his 4th Kyu promotion, and to Adam Ross, Kiet Huynh and Sebastiao Silva for their 6th Kyus during the seminar. We are very proud of you!

15 October 2015

Spring Camp was a blast! Congratulations to Chris Dunbar and John Naggs for attaining 2nd Kyu (brown belt) status, and to Myriam sensei for her Sandan! James Moss form the Aikido Brisbane dojo at Woolloongabba has kindly provided photos from the event. Myriam's Sandan grading is also on YouTube here. Enjoy!

23 September 2015

Friday 25th September is our last class for a couple of weeks! That is for both children's and adults' classes (the dojo is closed during this time). See you all back on the mats on Friday 9th October. In the meantime, please send best wishes to a few of these people who are going to Sydney to get some different coloured belts!

12th September 2015

Thank you to everyone who showed up today for the dojo photo session! I am amazed at how much we've grown! Would you believe that there are more than 20 people who couldn't make the photo session today? Our dojo is in fact 50% bigger than is shown in this photo!

30th August 2015

Please note some changes to the timetable over the next two months:

- Saturday morning children's classes on 12th September will be in the School Hall (upstairs) (for this day only)

- No children's classes over the school holidays

- Special 2hr classes for adults on 22nd Sep and 25th Sep!

- Dojo is closed 26th Sep - 8th Oct (your instructors will be in Sydney for Spring Camp - wish them luck in their gradings!)

- Saturday morning adults' classes beginning 10th October! *

* Saturday morning classes during school terms only

28th August 2015

Saturday morning adult classes are beginning from 10th October from 9:00am to 10:00am, just before the regular kids classes. Saturday morning classes are during school terms only. See the calendar for details.

17th August 2015

Spring Camp is announced! I will have brochures and more information at the dojo, but be quick! It's only a matter of weeks away now...

19th June 2015

The last children's class for Term 2 will be on Friday 26th June, and the first children's class for Term 3 will be on Tuesday 14th July. Adult's classes continue running during school holidays, but please note the following exceptions: Tuesday 7th July and Friday 10th July are both cancelled and replaced with a special two hour class by Mike Sinagra on Wednesday 8th July, from 6pm. Remember the North-east Regional Seminar is also on during the weekend of 11th-12th July. Please see Myriam for details.

20th April 2015

Please note that there will be no classes at Bullockhead Creek dojo on Saturday 25th April. We are not able to offer classes during Anzac Day, due to Trading Laws. Term 2 Saturday morning classes will resume on 2nd May.

14 April 2015

Shuji Ozeki sensei held a special two hour seminar at the Woolloongabba dojo last night. John and Myriam attended as representatives of Bullockhead Creek dojo. It was a great class, with lots of laughter and learning! Some more photos can be found here.

23 March 2015

We are nearing the end of our first Term for children's classes!

Last Friday class for Term 1: March 27th

Last Saturday class for Term 1: March 28th

Last Tuesday class for Term 1: March 31st

The Easter break starts with Good Friday on April 3rd, so there are no classes that day. The school holiday break will be for two weeks from Easter, and then....

First Tuesday class for Term 2: April 21st

First Friday class for Term 2: April 24th

First Saturday class for Term 2: May 2nd

8 February 2015

Shuji Ozeki sensei will be visiting Brisbane again in April! He will hold an adults class at the Woolloongabba dojo on Monday 13th April, from 6pm to 8pm, followed by dinner at a local pub. Please let me know if you are interested in coming to this event. Mat fees will apply.

23 January 2015

Welcome to the New Year! We've just started adult classes again this week, and children's classes will begin next week. Lots of exciting training and events are planned for this year and we look forward to seeing you all on the mat!

4 December 2014

Congratulations to those who graded last week! Ray Taylor (6th Kyu); Krystal Leontiev, Mark Knopjes and Steven Grant (all 5th Kyu); and Chris Dunbar and John Naggs (both 3rd Kyu).

Children's classes have also undertaken a series of gradings recently, for coloured belts and tips. Congratulations everybody!

20 November 2014

Children's classes will break for the holidays on Saturday 13th December 2014, and resume on Tuesday 27th January 2015. Adult's classes will break for the holidays on Saturday 20th December 2014 and resume on Tuesday 20th January 2015.

In 2015 there will be a new timetable

Tuesdays and Fridays

5:30pm - 6:15pm: 4-6 year-olds

6:15pm - 7:00pm: 7-12 year-olds

7:00pm - 8:00pm: adults

Saturdays

10:00am - 10:45am: 4-6 year-olds

10:45am - 11:30am: 7-12 year-olds

Please visit the Timetable and Calendar pages for details.

18 November 2014

Tonight's children's classes enjoyed a surprise visit by Paul Coonan Sensei (3rd Dan) and his mum Ann Coonan (2nd Dan). Paul was Myriam Sensei's first teacher when she started training 13 years ago! Wonderful to catch up again and enjoy a thoroughly delightful class - the kids loved it!

7 November 2014

Due to the G20 Summit public holiday in Brisbane, there will be no class at the dojo on Friday 14th November.

7 October 2014

We have just returned from another excellent annual Spring Camp at the UNSW dojo in Sydney! Myriam, Jade and Chris made it to camp this year, and Jade graded for 1st Kyu. With a severely injured shoulder, it was a very brave and impressive test for Jade. She dug deep and we were all rewarded with an excellent display of great technique, but mostly a demonstration of the four principles, particularly 'positive mind'. Well done Jade!

21 May 2014

Aikido Kokikai has a new dojo! Classes will commence at the University of Queensland dojo this Friday, from 6pm. Steve Henderson (Shodan) is dojo leader and chief instructor. Please go along and help support his new students!

20 May 2014

Michael Sinagra (4th Dan, dojo leader Perth Kokikai) has confirmed that he will be making a visit to the dojo on Wednesday 9th July, for both classes. Please try to come to these classes if you can - this is a wonderful opportunity to see and train with one of the best Kokikai practitioners in the world!

15 May 2014

Our Big Day in May is on in just two weeks! Please come and support the dojo on our open day and fundraising event, from 10am to 3pm. There will be lots of skipping, lots of rolling, a few people being chucked around, yummy food and lots of information to share with visitors about Kokikai and training in our dojo. We'll also have some great demonstrations, by both adults and children, so bring your family and bring your friends!

26 April 2014

The next 10 week beginner course for adults is due to start on Monday 28th April. There are still places available, so please come along to the dojo if you are interested!

22 April 2014

Welcome back to children's classes at the dojo! I see you have all been practicing your googie egg rolls over the Easter Break - well done!

17 April 2014

Congratulations to all adult students who graded last night: Emelie, Krystal, Sarah, Nick, and Michael for 6th Kyu (all beginner course graduates!) and Chris and Richard for 4th Kyu. You are all awesome. And a big thank you to James Moss sensei who came to our dojo from Woolloongabba to teach and oversee gradings, along with one of his students, Michael, also a recent 4th Kyu. Certificates will be presented in class after the Easter Break.

4 March 2014

Term 1 for the children's classes is now complete. Congratulations on a wonderful ten weeks of aikido and fun! Please have a great Easter break, and we'll see you back on 22nd April for the Tuesday classes and on 26th April for the Saturday classes!

18 March 2014

More great news! Our dojo space is now much larger, as we have secured tenancy of the flat behind the dojo. We've managed to allocated one large room in the flat to mat space, and have removed a dividing wall to allow passage between the two training spaces. Please drop by and have a look, we are very house proud!

4 March 2014

Great news! We are introducing additional adults classes to our timetable. Last night we held our first Advanced Training class at 7:30, which was a great success. So, from next week we will have a General Training class on Wednesday night at 7:30 as well. From next week, the new timetable will be:

Monday 6:00-7:30pm (Adult Beginners)

Monday 7:30-9:00pm (Adult advanced)

Tuesday 5:30-6:15pm (Children 4-6yrs)

Tuesday 6:30pm-7:15pm (Children 7-12yrs)

Wednesday 6:00-7:30pm (Adult General Training)

Wednesday 7:30-9:00pm (Adult General Training)

Friday 6:00-7:30pm (Adult General Training)

Saturday 10:00-10:45am (Children 4-6yrs)

Saturday 11:00-11:45am (Children 7-12yrs)

28 February 2014

We are introducing a second Monday night class! This class will run from 7:30pm to 9:00pm and it will be for advanced training. It follows the 6:00pm to 7:30pm Beginner class. At this stage, we ask that you let Myriam sensei know beforehand if you plan to come to the advanced class. See timetable for details.

12 February 2014

The latest AKA newsletter is now available. Please enjoy these excellent articles!

4 February 2014

We've had a good turnout of new students in the adult beginner course which started last night! There are still places available and it's not too late to sign up for the course. Senior students are welcome to come along and help the beginners on Monday nights.

2 February 2014

Our Saturday morning children's program has begun! Thank you to new students who turned up yesterday, and it looks like we are getting even more next week!

25 January 2014

Thank you Theresia Hall for making a visit to our dojo last night! Theresia is from the UNSW dojo in Sydney and is on a national Kokikai tour, visiting Kokikai dojos across Australia, from Melbourne to Perth. Welcome back any time Theresia, it was truly great to train with you and enjoy a delicious meal afterwards...

21 January 2014

Please note there is no training on Monday 27th of January, due to the Australia Day public holiday. Children's classes will start on Tuesday 28th of January, and Saturday 1st of February. The adult beginner course will start on Monday 3rd of February.

9 January 2014

Happy New Year! Our January 2014 newsletter has just been compiled. Please enjoy a trip down memory lane for 2013, some info on new class timetables, short courses, and some excellent promotional bargains to kick off the new year of training!

13 December 2013

The first of our Beginner courses for adults concludes this Saturday. Thank you to those who decided to learn aikido with us! We will hold another Beginner course from 3rd February, this time as a 10 week course. Stay tuned for more details!

10 December 2013

Congratulations to Michael and Dru Wilshire on their 9th Kyu gradings tonight - well done!

And congratulations to all those kids who have completed the first year of children's classes at Bullockhead Creek! We hope you enjoy your holidays, and we'll see you back on the mats on 28th January!

Tuesday class 4-6yrs

Tuesday class 7-12yrs (and Nathaniel!)

4 December 2013

Congratulations Alister on your 9th Kyu grading last night! Well done!

2 December 2013

Here are some important dates for end of 2013 and beginning of 2014...

Tuesday 10th December:

Last night for children's classes Term 4, 2013.

Saturday 14th December:

Last day for adult's beginner course (and gradings).

Friday 20th December:

Last night for adult's classes for 2013.

Monday 6th January:

First night for adult's classes in 2014.

Tuesday 28th January:

First night for children's classes Term 1, 2014.

The full schedule of children's classes for 2014 will also be posted on the dojo door.

27 November 2013

Congratulations to Charlotte, Josh and Sheridan on their 8th Kyu gradings last night!

22 November 2013

Congratulations to Allan Nguyen on an excellent 6th Kyu grading this evening! The video is available on our YouTube channel.

19 November 2013

Congratulations Savvas and Hannah on your 8th Kyu gradings today, and John on your 9th Kyu! Well done!

16 November 2013

The first of our beginner courses for adults started today!

12 November 2013

Congratulations Zac on your 8th Kyu grading today!

5 November 2013

Congratulations to Lisa, Lyndon, Paterson and Sage for excellent performances in attaining their 8th Kyu ranks in the children's classes tonight! More gradings coming up over the next few weeks...!

27 October 2013

The first of our five-week beginner courses for adults will start 16th November!

23 October 2013

We are well into Term 4 of children's classes for this year! Such excellent mayhem!

9 October 2013

Seven students from Bullockhead Creek dojo have just returned from another amazing Spring Camp with Shuji Maruyama Sensei. Myriam, Jade, Martin, Jon, Josh, Jeremy and Chris made the trip this year - our fundraising efforts to help students attend Camp have really paid off! It represents a significant proportion of our adult dojo student-base having now experienced first hand the teachings of Sensei - and seen "proof" with their own eyes! And it's always a great opportunity to catch up with old friends from other parts of Australia, and to make new acquaintances.

Sensei with Bullockhead Creek dojo

Camp photo 2013

We had four students test for 2nd Kyu (brown belt) ranks at Camp. Congratulations to Martin, Jon, Josh and Jeremy for their outstanding performances - you have done your dojo very proud! Photos and videos will be available soon.

23 September 2013

Please note that the dojo will be closed on Friday 4th October and Monday 7th October, as many of us will be in Sydney for the annual Spring Camp. Children's classes begin on Tuesday 8th October for Term 4, and adult classes are back to normal on Wednesday 9th October.

20 September 2013

Congratulations to Jennifer (Tin) Hoang, for her 6th Kyu promotion last night, and to Benjamin Biggs and Wee-kiat (Richard) Tio for their 5th Kyu! Well done in your superb performances everybody! Your videos are now available here.

17 September 2013

Term 3 of children's classes at Bullockhead Creek dojo is now over... Please have a great holiday everyone, and see you on the matts on 8th October for the beginning of term 4!

28 August 2013

Aikido Kokikai Australia has a new website. Check it out!

22 August 2013

We will be holding Kyu gradings on Friday 20th September. There are a few students eligible for 5th and 6th Kyu gradings this time round - please speak to Myriam about your grading, and let us know if you would like to join us for dinner afterwards.

6 August 2013

Please note that next Wednesday (14th August) is a public holiday (as it will be the Ekka Show Holiday) and there will be no class. Plenty of opportunity to catch other classes during the week though!

22 July 2013

Eight of our students have just returned from the 2013 North-east Regional Seminar at Lismore dojo. Thank you to all students who made the trip from dojos in Brisbane and Sydney to visit the honbu dojo for our region, and to learn from a well-loved and respected 4th Dan instructor from Perth, Michael Sinagra. It was a very special event for us, and we have many classes to look forward to in terms of remembering and practicing all that we were taught.

Congratulations also to Chris and Jeremy for excellent 5th and 3rd Kyu gradings - we are very proud of your performance in your tests!

19 July 2013

Bullockhead Creek dojo would like to extend a very special thank you to Michael Sinagra sensei, 4th Dan from Falcon dojo in Perth, WA, for tonight's class at the dojo. We had been waiting with much excitement for his visit, and it truly was a wonderful class. Lets hope we have him visit us again soon!

6 July 2013

Our dojo now has a YouTube channel!

18 June 2013

Congratulations to all those children who graded for their 9th Kyu (yellow tip) this week! This was the first ever lot of children's gradings taken at Bullockhead Creek dojo, and we saw 13 children step up to perform wonderfully and do many parents' proud! We hope you feel good about your achievements! We are going to have a holiday for children's classes now for a couple of weeks. See you all back on the mats on 9th July!

12 June 2013

Next Tuesday (18th June) is the last night of term for the children's classes at Bullockhead Creek. This will also be a grading night for those who are ready to get their yellow tip! And, these gradings will also be the first children's gradings that we have ever had at our dojo, and we are all very excited...

11 June 2013

AKA once again held its annual dojo leaders' forum on the weekend, at UNSW in Sydney. Dojo leaders from around the country gathered for a day of brainstorming on Saturday, followed by about 3 hours of training on Sunday. It was a great success for AKA, with many new ideas and strategies explored for helping the future growth each dojo.

Our dojo, in particular, was asked to present ideas about how it has managed to achieve what it has in just a few short years, and Myriam's presentation was well received. That you to those students who contributed to the preparation of the that talk, and thank you to all students who have contributed to the success that we are enjoying right now with the dojo. It really is all about the students!

It was apparent throughout the weekend that we certainly do also have a great organization for Kokikai in Australia, and that we can all be proud of the achievements we have made so far, and of the huge potential that we have built for ourselves by the way we have decided to structure our national organization.

4 June 2013

Monday 10th June is a public holiday, so no class will be held that day.

30 May 2013

We have just had another fantastic weekend event at the dojo! We held our very first roll-a-thon fundraiser - an experiment to see if we could get sponsors to pay for each of us to perform 500 ukemi rolls in two hours. We had never done this sort of thing before, and we certainly found it difficult! Of six students, however, five completed the task, and one retired erm, dizzy and nauseous. Next time, Jon will have to eat a smaller breakfast! You can watch the evidence of our feats here.

The roll-a-thon was held on the same day that the Darra Community Group presented PicKnit - a community festival celebrating the official opening of the Darra Community Hall after rebuilding from the 2011 floods in our area. We decided to try another "first" and have a Japanese cuisine stall near the dojo, partly to advertise our classes, and partly to try and add more to our fundraising efforts - another success! We had so many people come to try our gyoza and tea that we sold out! Many sales were for second helpings, and one customer even came back five times! It certainly was amazing food, prepared by one of our new students, Chris. Thank you Chris!

2 May 2013

We have reached the thirty student milestone this week in our dojo! We have 17 adults and 13 children registered as students with our national organisation, AKA. Congratulations to all students who have helped the dojo to grow!

25 April 2013

Bullockhead Creek dojo would like to extend a big thank you to Shuji Ozeki sensei, founder of the UNSW dojo and of Kokikai Aikido in the Eastern States of Australia, for visiting our dojo last night and sharing his knowledge and experience with us. It was an occasion that many students will not forget! We had sixteen students on the mats, including visitors from the Lismore and Woolloongabba dojos. Congratulations also to Jeremy Watney in grading for 4th Kyu and Joshua Volkmann for attaining 3rd Kyu - well done!

16 April 2013

Welcome back to children's classes at the dojo! Lots of great fun, games, and throwing people coming up over this term!

28 March 2013

Congratulations to all those who graded for 6th Kyu last night! Benjamin, Chris, Richard, Grant, and Brett all did our dojo proud! Well done! Certificates will be available when classes resume after the Easter break.

26 March 2013

Well that brings us to the end of term 1 for children's classes in 2013. Thank you to all new students, parents and assistant teachers who made Myriam sensei's first lot of children's classes so enjoyable! Please enjoy your holiday, have a very Happy Easter, and we'll see you all again for more fun, games and throwing people on 16th April!

14 March 2013

Shuji Ozeki sensei (Founder of Aikido Kokikai Australia and the UNSW dojo) will be visiting Bullockhead Creek dojo on Wednesday 24th April! It will be for our normal adult class, along with gradings for 3rd Kyu candidates. All members of the dojo, and new students still to join up, are welcome to this class and to dinner afterwards. It is a very special honour for us to have Ozeki sensei visit our dojo.

Shuji will also be visiting Sydney for his annual Autumn Camp at UNSW. All students who are subscribed to AKA are welcome to go along. If you are able to make a trip to Sydney I highly recommend it. Please see Myriam sensei for more details if you are interested in this opportunity also.

6 March 2013

Aikido Kokikai Australia (AKA) is now officially listed as a public company limited by guarantee (not-for-profit). We have an executive committee (President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary) and an AKA committee made up of one dojo leader per dojo. The committee form the membership of AKA. Students of the each dojo are now subscribers to the services offered by the members of AKA (aikido lessons). This change in structure should have no direct impact on your day-to-day training, and you are still a member of Bullockhead Creek dojo, with all the benefits that AKA provide (including insurance cover, ability to grade, ability to attend other dojos and take part in special training events). However, as this is a different model to the one we have been operating under until now, it requires some updating of our records. In particular, the AKA membership form that you would have signed before joining classes at the dojo has been superseded by an AKA annual subscription form. Even though it is not yet time to renew your subscription (this will happen in July/August), please update your details on the new form, so that we can file it with our records. You can get a form at the dojo. Please also have a read of the AKA constitution, which can be accessed from the AKA website https://sites.google.com/site/kokikaiaustralia/ under the FAQ section question 8. If you have any questions about the form or new arrangements for AKA, please ask Myriam.

28 February 2013

In response to feedback from parents, the children's classes will now be extended to 45 minutes each. The class for children aged 4-6yrs will run from 5:30pm to 6:15pm, and the class for children aged 7-12yrs will run from 6:15pm to 7:00pm (both on Tuesdays). Prices remain the same.

21 February 2013

Kyu gradings will be held on Wednesday 27th March, followed by dinner. We have a cohort of new students all ready to grade for 6th Kyu, please ask Myriam if you are unsure of your eligibility to grade.

16 February 2013

The North-east regional seminar for 2012 has been announced! We will travel to Lismore on 20th July for two days of training and grading, with Michael Sinagra sensei (Falcon dojo leader, 4th Dan) leading the seminar. Please keep these dates in mind, and watch out for more details as they come to hand.

11 February 2013

Children's classes have had a flying start! Thank you to all those who turned up last Tuesday for their very first aikido lesson, we all had a great time and learned a lot! There are still spaces available in our children's classes for ages 4-6yrs and 7-12yrs. Please contact Myriam (0414 302 724) or Email: dojo-enquiries@bullockheadaikido.com for more information.

31 January 2013

Apologies to all those affected by the class cancellations this week. The dojo will be ready for normal classes on Friday, 1st February.

Children's classes begin on Tuesday 5th February, including a mini-orientation at 5:30pm to make up for the cancellation this week.

23 January 2013

Please note there will be no training on Monday 28th January, due to the Australia Day public holiday.

3 January 2013

Welcome to another year of training at Bullockhead Creek! Our first adult class was held last night, with a great turn-out and a wonderful atmosphere, and with a number of new students. We are also very excited about children's classes beginning on Tuesday 5th February. If you have children wishing to take part in kids' classes, please contact Myriam (0414 302 724) to register your child, or come along to our orientation on Tuesday 29th January at 5:30pm.

20 December 2012

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! Bullockhead Creek dojo has closed for the year, and will re-open for adult classes on Wednesday 2nd of January. Please stay tuned for more information on children's classes, which will also start in early 2013.

Thank you to all students who attended our last class and came to the break-up dinner for 2012. Although the weather has been very warm, we had a wonderful turnout, and some excellent bokken training in the park!

See you all next year!

14 December 2012

Children's classes will be offered at Bullockhead Creek dojo next year, from the beginning of the first school term. Please contact Myriam about registering your child, or if you have any specific questions about these classes. We will post more information closer to the start date, and brochures are also available at the dojo.

Children's orientation day: Tuesday 29th January, 5:30pm

Email: dojo-enquiries@bullockheadaikido.com

Phone: (Myriam) 0414 302 724

5 November 2012

Please note that the final day of training will be Wednesday 19th December, followed by a two week break for Christmas and New Year. The dojo will re-open on Wednesday 2nd January. We will have a break-up dinner after training on the 19th - usual time and place - please let Myriam or Jade know if you are coming.

20 October 2012

Thank you to all those who helped out with the Bullockhead Creek dojo stall at the Darra Street Festival last night! Our stall had some amazing exposure with video projections visible to (and keenly watched by) passengers on all outbound trains stopping at Platform 1, which is where we were located. Many people also stopped by from the street-side, and we were able to give them lots of informational material to take away with them, as well as origami toys and games for the children. Lets hope this amount of interest transposes into more students on the mats!

15 October 2012

Mark Hatfield, our founding instructor at Bullockhead Creek dojo, has opened a new dojo in Massachusetts, U.S.A. If you ever have the chance, please go and visit Tosoku Martial Arts!

3 October 2012

Farewell Alex (Felix) Myers --- we will miss you! Felix is leaving Australia for an indefinite period overseas: Thailand, and Taiwan and possibly Japan. We hope you find some wonderful experiences and hope to see you back soon!

2 October 2012

We have just returned from another fantastic Spring Camp with Shuji Maruyama Sensei, who once again brought Joe from Nagoya with him! It's always great to catch up with those two, to see old friends from other parts of Australia, and to make new acquaintances. What another great experience for us, with four students attending from Bullockhead Creek. Jade Manley tested for and attained her 2nd Kyu (brown belt) on her first trip to camp and we are very proud of her achievement! Next year we hope more of you will come along, and also grade for brown belts, which will be terrific for the growth of our dojo. In the meantime, stay tuned for lots of stories and new ideas that we will be sharing with you over the next few weeks, as well as photos!

18 September 2012

Last night we had another excellent grading from Jared, who passed 6th Kyu in great style. Congratulations Jared!

14 September 2012

Congratulations to Blake and Jon on their excellent gradings this week! Blake successfully passed 6th Kyu and Jon has now attained 3rd Kyu rank. Both gradings were exceptional and we are all very proud!

31 August 2012

Kyu gradings will be held on Wednesday night 12th September, with a celebratory dinner at Maxim's Restaurant afterwards. Jared and Blake will test for 6th Kyu and Jon will test for 3rd Kyu. Good luck everyone!

13 August 2012

Just a reminder that there will be no class this Wednesday 15th August, due to the Ekka (Royal Brisbane Show) holiday.

23 July 2012

Bullockhead Creek dojo held it's first Open Day on Saturday, as part of the Darra Community Group Family Fun Day at the hall. It was a great success! We opened our doors from lunch time til 3pm, inviting people to come on into the dojo space, take a seat and watch a group of dedicated Kokikai students train their art. We had videos and hand outs, but nobody seemed to notice them! All eyes were on the mats. A big thank you to all those who participated, it was greatly appreciated. Apart from being a great day of free training for us, we also had new students turning up to the very next lesson!

9 July 2012

Six of our students have just returned from the North-east Regional seminar in Lismore, the second multi-dojo get-together for our region, which will very likely continue to be an annual event. Attendance was far greater than expected, with students from Bullockhead Creek, Woolloongabba, Lismore, Avalon Beach and UNSW attending, up to 25 people on the mats at any one time - a hugely successful turn-out!

The seminar was organised to celebrate the development of Kokikai in Australia's North-east region, in particular the pivotal role that Lismore dojo has played in this development, and to honour the lineage of highly respected teachers who have a connection to Lismore dojo. Students were able to meet and make connections with others, both from within their region and from as far afield as Sydney, and to learn some of the history of how their part of Kokikai in Australia has been shaped and continues to grow.

Kyu gradings were also held at this event, and Bullockhead Creek dojo would like to congratulate all those who tested. In particular, we are very proud of the performance given by Josh Volkmann who attained his 4th Kyu rank on Saturday - a great effort Josh!

2 July 2012

The dojo will be having an open day 21st July! Please try and make it between 11am to 4pm to help hand out lots great information about Aikido Kokikai and training with us. There will be some special offers for new students, information about kids classes starting early next year and some cool videos and demonstrations happening. Tell your friends to come along!

28 June 2012

The dojo now has a stock of uniforms for purchase, ranging in size from 4 to 6. Please let Myriam know if you need a new gi.

21 June 2012

There is movement at the station with dojo renovations again! Our secret worker elves have embarked on an epic sink upgrade project: tiling a splash-back and re-configuring the plumbing and electrics - it's going to look like we train in a catalogue! A very big thank you to all involved! Work will continue for the next couple of weekends if you would still like to get involved.

18 June 2012

The annual AKA Dojo Leaders Meeting was held in Sydney this weekend, at UNSW. Myriam attended as dojo leader and representative of Bullockhead Creek, and will pass on discussion topics after class.

5 June 2012

Please note there is a public holiday on Monday 11th June, and no class.

30 May 2012

We have developed a short survey to gauge student satisfaction at the dojo. Please take a few minutes to help us out with our research. Click here to take the survey.

5 May 2012

Please see Myriam sensei if you are interested in attending this event:

2 May 2012

There will be no class next Monday due to the Labour Day public holiday.

24 April 2012

A reminder that there will be no training tomorrow night as it will be the Anzac Day public holiday. See you all at class on Friday!

17 April 2012

Myriam sensei has just returned from an awesome visit to the UNSW dojo in Sydney, to train with Shuji Ozeki sensei on his annual seminar tour to Australia. Ozeki sensei brought Kokikai to Australia over twenty years ago, founding the UNSW dojo which is now our national headquarters. His teachings are distinctly infused with great insight, wisdom, and a particular sense of gentleness of spirit that all students are encouraged to experience. Shuji tends to extend his visits to a couple of other dojos in Australia each year, and is currently visiting Perth. There is a chance that he may make it to Brisbane next year, but if not, a trip to Sydney to learn from him is highly recommended!

12 April 2012

Congratulations to Jeremy who graded for 6th and 5th Kyu last night!

29 March 2012

Congratulations to those students who graded last night: Steven (6th Kyu), Jon (4th Kyu) and Martin (3rd Kyu). Your performances were very impressive, with well-deserved promotions to your new ranks. Certificates will be distributed soon!

For those students unable to make testing this week, we look forward to seeing your gradings either in the next few weeks or during the regional seminar in July.

20 March 2012

Unexpected and wonderfully heartwarming outcomes continue to manifest from the aftermath of the 2011 floods! One such gift is the transformation of the parklands and building-spaces immediately surrounding our dojo. So grateful we are to train in such relaxed and tranquil surrounds of new gardens, refurbished courtyard and a spiffily repainted building. Thanks Brisbane!

2 March 2012

Bullockhead Creek dojo will be closed for Good Friday (6th April) and Easter Monday (9th April), but all other classes remain as per our timetable. If you are planning to take extended holidays during the Easter period, please enjoy your break, and we look forward to seeing you back at training!

25 February 2012

The next round of Kyu gradings are scheduled for Wednesday 28th March. We have several students who will be eligible to stand for 6th Kyu through to 3rd Kyu promotions, and we know that you will all perform well during your tests! Please ask Myriam sensei if you have any questions about your grading.

16 February 2012

As of this week, Felix Myers (1st Dan) will be conducting Friday night classes at Bullockhead Creek. Congratulations Felix on your new responsibility in the dojo, we are all looking forward to your classes!

12 February 2012

Bullockhead Creek dojo and Lismore dojo are proud to announce a confirmed date for our regional seminar! We will hold this year's seminar on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th July, in Lismore. Please stay tuned for more details about this exciting event!

21 January 2012

We were very honoured to host another interstate guest at Bullockhead Creek dojo this week! Alex Baird from Avalon dojo in Sydney came to our Friday and Saturday classes as part of a spontaneous aikido road trip he decided to make to our region. He also visited Tamworth, Lismore and Woolloongabba over the last couple of weeks. It was a great experience to catch up with him again and to spend a few hours training. Welcome back any time Alex!

7 January 2012

Welcome back to training! We are now into our third year of operation at Bullockhead Creek dojo. We have some major events and new opportunities planned for 2012. Please let us know if you would like to be involved in some of the planning and organising - there are a lot of tasks we would like to delegate, especially to senior students who would like the opportunity to develop some leadership skills in Kokikai.

24 December 2011

We have written a newsletter for the dojo, covering all the ups and downs and roundabouts of this amazing year! Please find a copy on our downloads page.

23 December 2011

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! We are now closed for the holidays. Classes resume on Wednesday 4th January - see you then!

7 December 2011

Grading certificates are ready! Congratulations again on your great performances during your gradings in October. We will present certificates to each student after class, beginning from tonight.

22 November 2011

The last class for 2011 will be on Wednesday 21st December, followed by a short break for Christmas and New Year, after which we will return to training on Wednesday 4th January. We aim to have a break-up dinner after class on Wednesday 14th December, at our usual favourite restaurant, Maxim's at Darra. Hope to see you all at dinner on the Wednesday and back for another great year of training in January!

19 November 2011

Thank you to all those students who have contributed to the recent renovations at Bullockhead Creek! With expert engineering / sustainable living advice from Jon, and hands-on work by Felix and Josh, we have been able to increase ventilation capacity within the dojo. Thank you Jade for monitoring the climate impacts within our space during training on Monday - the results suggest we have made a real improvement to our training comfort!

11 November 2011

Thank you Jeremy for taking time out of class this evening to help a poor stranger who found herself at our dojo door during training. Completely lost on the wrong side of town and needing some help finding her way home, Beck found her way to our training space, and was then lead home by Jeremy on his motorbike. He missed out on half a class of aikido but gained the respect of his training partners and the gratitude of a lost motorist.

26 October 2011

Congratulations to all students who graded this evening! Josh (6th and 5th kyu), Jon (5th kyu), John and Martin (4th kyu) and Jade (3rd kyu) all showed some great performances in getting their promotions... well done everybody!

19 October 2011

Some photos from training tonight have been added onto our Picasa album. Thanks Jon for the excellent photography!

9 October 2011

The next round of kyu gradings will be held on Wednesday 26th October at Bullockhead Creek dojo. We have several students who will be elligible for promotion from 6th kyu through to 3rd kyu. If you are testing, please consult the grading requirements on the downloads page and speak to Myriam sensei if you have any questions. Good luck everybody, and remember to enjoy your grading!

6 October 2011

Myriam, Felix and Martin have just returned from a wonderfully successful Spring Camp in Sydney! Sensei was in great spirits and in fine form: he brought his usual bag of ki exercises, signature techniques and new ideas to share with us over three days of intense but greatly enjoyable training. This year, Sensei also brought Joe from Nagoya, adding to the opportunities for growth in friendship and free exchange of new ideas. We hope Joe is able to visit us again soon!

Bullockhead Creek dojo enjoyed another milestone at camp this year, with Felix's promotion to shodan rank. We are all proud of his performance during his grading, and look forward to his contributions as assistant instructor in the dojo.

Mark sensei shows Felix how to tie his hakama

10 September 2011

Our first regional seminar has been a great success! We saw students from all dojos in our region attend three sessions of inspiring aikido by Mark sensei - his last major seminar before migrating back to the USA. Mark will be sorely missed, but he leaves behind a wonderful legacy embodied in the dojo that he's built up over the last two years. Part of that legacy was demonstrated in the growth that we've seen in his students, culminating in a fantastic grading during the first session of the seminar by Nathan for his 2nd Kyu promotion. Congratulations Nathan, it was a great job!

Ki testing drill

Class photo after Friday night's session - check out that belt!

We now plan to hold a regional seminar as an annual event, probably in July of each year. All students in our region will be invited closer to the time - stay tuned!

30 August 2011

Bullockhead Creek will be hosting a regional seminar on Friday 9th September and Saturday 10th September. All students are invited to this seminar, including students from the School Street dojo (Woolloongabba) and from Lismore dojo in Northern NSW. This will be an excellent opportunity to meet other Kokikai students, and to learn from senior instructors from other dojos in our region. We will also be holding a special grading for Nathan on Friday night, for his promotion to 2nd Kyu (brown belt)! The seminar will close with a yum-cha lunch at 2pm on Saturday. Please contact Mark Hatfield or Myriam Raymond if you wish to attend.

Seminar schedule:

Friday 9th September

6:00pm - 7:30pm Training and senior grading

Saturday 10th September

10:00am - 11:30am Training

11:30am - 12:00pm Short break with coffee, tea and light food provided.

12:00pm - 1:30pm Training

2:00pm Lunch at Maxim Restaurant (The Menu) 19 Darra Station Rd.

The seminar will be held at Bullockhead Creek dojo, 27 Kokoda St Darra.

Training sessions will be $10 each.

12 August 2011

Students are reminded that there will be no class next Wednesday night (17 August) due to the annual Brisbane Ekka holiday. Please take advantage of Monday, Friday or Saturday classes if this holiday affects your usual training schedule.

2 August 2011

Spring Camp registration forms/camp brochures are now available! Senior students who are grading for 2nd kyu and above will need to fill out a grading application form before the end of August. For those attending camp who also wish to take part in the welcome and farewell dinners for Maruyama Sensei, please see Myriam sensei to get your name on the register. All AKA students are welcome to attend Spring Camp.

23 July 2011

This week Bullockhead Creek dojo was pleased to host yet another visitor from interstate at some of our classes! Michael from Lismore dojo (NSW) came to Friday and Saturday class, and he gets to join our gallery of visiting students -- this photo is from after jo training on Saturday. Welcome back any time Michael, we really enjoyed training with you!

Felix, Mark sensei, Michael

21 July 2011

Bullockhead Creek has a Picasa album account, check out some of the great photos from training recently!

2 July 2011

Memberships for the training year 2011-2012 are now due, forms are available on the downloads page. Please see Mark sensei or Myriam sensei about your membership within the next few weeks.

18 June 2011

Bullockhead Creek dojo was honoured to host two wonderful classes by Glen Davison (4th dan) this weekend. This photo is from Friday night's class, before our yummy dinner. We look forward to Glen's next visit from Sydney!

Jade, Myriam sensei, Mark sensei, Glen sensei, Felix, Jon

13 June 2011

Glen Davison sensei (4th dan, Rockdale dojo, Sydney) has confirmed his visit to Bullockhead Creek dojo this week. Please join us for special classes with Glen on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th June, regular class time. We also plan to have dinner after class on Friday evening - please let Mark sensei or Myriam sensei know if you plan to join us for dinner.

6 June 2011

The dojo leaders conference was a great success! On Saturday we discussed and mapped out a proposed new structure for our national organisation. On behalf of all our dojo members, we voted in principle support for the new structure and constitution. Details of these are available from Mark sensei and Myriam sensei. The historic outcome reflects not only the massive commitment of time and effort displayed by the current executive committee, but also the hard work over many years by the original founders of AKA, and by other members. Congratulations to all who worked on this.

On Sunday we trained for three hours, with special focus classes provided by 4th dan teachers. Mark sensei taught some of the strategic principles of technique application that we have already been going through in our training at Bullockhead Creek. We were also taken through many other techniques and concepts by Mike Sinagra sensei (Falcon dojo, Perth), Glen Davison sensei (Rockdale dojo, Sydney), and Allen Iu sensei (UNSW dojo, Sydney), which Mark sensei and Myriam sensei are keen to pass onto you over the next few weeks at training.

30 May 2011

AKA Headquarters have confirmed the dates for our Annual Spring Camp in Sydney: 1st - 3rd October. Shuji Maruyama Sensei will be attending to instruct the camp, and this year he will bring Joseph Pielech with him. All students are welcome to attend this event. See Mark sensei or Myriam sensei if you have any questions.

27 May 2011

Due to the dojo leaders conference in Sydney on 4th and 5th June, there will be no training on Friday 3rd June at Bullockhead Creek. Those students affected by this closure are urged to take advantage of training opportunities on Monday and Wednesday instead. Classes will return to normal on Monday 6th June.

24 May 2011

Glen Davison sensei, 4th dan from Sydney, is planning to make a trip up to Brisbane to train with us. We have not yet confirmed a date, so watch this space for more info.

23 May 2011

Uniforms are in! If you ordered a dogi, they are now available to collect at training.

15 May 2011

Now is the time to let us know if you need a new or extra do-gi for practice. Mark sensei will be putting in an order with our local supplier very soon, and we may be able to get a discount on a batch order. An extra gi is very useful if you find it difficult to wash and dry your uniform between classes.

12 May 2011

Certificates are ready for those who graded on 13 April. Congratulations again on your promotions!

7 May 2011

For the second year in a row, Aikido Kokikai Australia (our national organisation) is providing funding to allow dojo leaders from around the country to participate in a weekend conference in Sydney. The dojo leaders conference will be held at UNSW on 4th and 5th June, and will allow dojo heads to learn from some of the more experienced practitioners in Australia. Myriam sensei will be attending the conference as a dojo leader for Bullockhead Creek. Mark sensei will also attend in his capacity as a high ranking aikidoka, and to catch up with national collegues before his departure for the U.S.A.

3 May 2011

The Bullockhead Creek dojo has now had its own website for a year! Feedback from students indicates that a considerable proportion of our new recruits have found us through google, and the helpful and informative content of our website has attracted them to come try us out. I suppose we must also be doing the right thing within the dojo, because student retention rate is quite high. Well done to the webmaster, but also to senior students who make the newbies feel so welcome.

19 April 2011

Our last class before the Easter/Anzac Day break will be this Wednesday 20th April, with a resumption of training next Wednesday 27th April. There is also a public holiday on Monday 2nd May, with no training. Please see the calendar and class timetable for details.

13 April 2011

Congratulations to all those who graded this week: (from left to right) Jonathon for 6th kyu, Jade for 4th kyu, Nathan for 3rd kyu, Eddie for 3rd kyu and Martin and John for 5th kyu. Great job everyone!

11 April 2011

Shuji Ozeki sensei, the founder and president of Aikido Kokikai Australia and the UNSW Aikido Club has been to visit us once again for a weekend of training in Sydney. The annual Autumn camp was held on 9th - 10th April at UNSW. We look forward to catching up with Shuji on his next trip to Australia!

31 March 2011

Great news! Our co-tenants at Bullockhead Creek dojo have found new premises, which means we now gain full access to all the space in our part of the building. We will soon have a significant increase in mat space - stay tuned!

11 March 2011

Bullockhead Creek Dojo is proud to announce the most recently registered instructor in Australia: Myriam Raymond sensei. Myriam sensei was placed on the AKA instructor register today, a well earned and long overdue acknowledgment. Congratulations to Myriam sensei!

15 February 2011

The next round of gradings at Bullockhead Creek dojo are due to be held on Wednesday 13th April, which is about a week before the Easter/Anzac Day holiday period. At this stage we have six students who will be ready to test for 5th Kyu through to 3rd Kyu: Martin, John, Chris, Jade, Eddie and Nathan. After gradings we plan to have a celebratory meal at one of our wonderful local restaurants, so please make a note of this date!

Grading requirements

5th February 2011

It was nice to have a surprise visit by Felix from Lismore dojo, via Moree. Welcome Felix, and we hope to see you train with us more often!

18 January 2011

Last night Bullockhead Creek Dojo held its first classes following the 2011 floods. Our class schedule will continue as normal.

Please note: Saturday classes have been postponed indefinitely. Watch here for more information.

Finally, Mark sensei has acknowledged some of those among our members who have shown generosity of spirit in helping others through the flood crisis.

17 January 2011

Bullockhead Creek Dojo wishes to extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by the 2011 floods. Although our members did not escape the loss of property, we believe that everyone is safe.

The dojo itself came within six inches of flooding, but remained dry. The power was restored today, and in an effort to help our students return to normal as soon as possible, we intend to open tomorrow for our usual Monday class.

In addition, Bullockhead Creek Dojo will not be accepting class fees for the remainder of the month. All training for paid members will be free of charge until at least 1 February. New members will need only to pay their annual membership for the remainder of the year (pro-rated to $35).

Saturday classes have been postponed. Watch the website for further news on when they will begin.

We would also like to mention several heroes among our ranks. Eddie has been leading a team with power washers, generators, and utes around the devastated Goodna area to assist everyone they could. John has signed on for the ugly, messy, and hazardous task of removing wet carpets. Chris has simply been helping where he could. I'm sure there are others worthy of mention, who will be added to this list in the coming days.

Mark has posted several entries from his personal journal from the last several days.

11 December 2010

Our first year of training is coming to a close, and it's been a wonderful start for the new dojo! With so many new students keen to train we will not close the doors for too long over Christmas. We'll have our last class on Monday 20th December, followed by a short break for Christmas and New Year and start training again on Wednesday 5th January. All students are welcome to our break up dinner for 2010 on Wednesday 22nd December (please contact Mark if you wish to come).

28 November 2010

We have just completed our second workshop for the year - another great weekend session led by Mark Hatfield, this time on women's self-defense. Mark covered a range of considerations for dealing with physically aggressive situations for women, using some very simple aikido based approaches. We hope to hold another workshop soon!

10 November 2010

We are pleased to announce that Bullockhead Creek dojo will be running a women's self defense weekend workshop on 27th - 28th November.

28 October 2010

Congratulations to all students at Bullockhead Creek dojo who graded this week! We saw some fantastic performances from students doing 6th Kyu, 5th Kyu and 4th Kyu tests - way beyond the standard expected at those levels. You can all be proud of your achievements. We certainly are!

25 October 2010

Bullockhead Creek has grown! Over the last few months we've seen a massive increase in membership - bolstering the club and making for some great training.

Chris, Nathan, Myriam, Mark sensei, Martin, John

13 October 2010

Changes to the training schedule - Classes will be moved back 30 minutes, starting Monday 18 October. Early classes will start at 5:30, and general training will run from 6:30 to 8. We hope that this will give our students more chances to train.

Changes to class content - Please see Classes for information on our new special-focus classes. Ki development will now be included in general training sessions.

10 October 2010

Welcome home to Nathan who has just returned from a trip to Japan, including visits to train with Sensei in Nagoya and Shuji Ozeki in Seki!

7 October 2010

Our instructors at Bullockhead Creek have just returned from another successful and inspiring Annual Spring Camp with Shuji Maruyama Sensei! Over three days of hard training and catching up with old friends from all over Australia, Sensei took us further into understanding what makes Kokikai Aikido so natural and so effective, not to mention so much fun! Join us for classes over the next few weeks to learn some new ideas from Sensei.

16 September 2010

Please note that Bullockhead Creek dojo will be closed from Tuesday 28th September until Tuesday 5th October (inclusive) while our instructors attend the Annual AKA Spring Camp in Sydney. Please see the calendar for more details.

5 September 2010

At Bullockhead Creek we are proud to announce that several of our students will be eligible to undertake gradings in October. For those students, please find official Kokikai grading requirements on the downloads page. Some helpful hints on terminology are located on the glossary page.

19 August 2010

We now have an up-to-date map of the Centenary Highway Interchange.

For easy access to the dojo, take Warrender Street from Darra, or the new service road from the Progress Road roundabout at Wacol (Exit 30 on the Ipswich Motorway).

9 August 2010

To all Kokikai students: Please take a few minutes to contribute to this cross-cultural survey about participation in martial arts and Kokikai. It's a great opportunity to help in the research that Barbara Litt (instructor from Pittsburgh, U.S.A) is undertaking for Kokikai. Barbara advises that the survey is still open for contributions from Australian students and instructors.

Take the survey now

30 July 2010

AKA Headquarters have confirmed the dates for our Annual Spring Camp in Sydney and also confirmed that Shuji Maruyama Sensei will be attending to instruct the camp. Please visit the camps and seminars page for more details.

Camp registration and grading application forms are now also available on the downloads page.

19 July 2010

Thanks to everyone who made our Beginners' Weekend Workshop such a success!

Three new people were introduced to Kokikai Aikido this weekend, all of them experienced martial artists. We all had a great time, and we were able to provide a senior student for each of the new people to train with, ensuring that they got the most out of their time in the dojo.

We hope to see them all back soon!

10 July 2010

Beginning this week the Wednesday 5:00 class will be an aikido-orientated fitness class. We will focus on strength training, flexibility, and cardio. Come along and find out how to get strong and fit without expensive machines or leering gym junkies!

9 July 2010

Thanks very much to Allen Iu, 4th dan and President of Aikido Kokikai Australia, for his visit. As always we had a great time training with Allen, and enjoyed his spectacular techniques.

23 June 2010

Congratulations to our kids on completing another term! Enjoy your holidays.

17 June 2010

Bullockhead Creek Dojo is pleased to announce our first Beginners' Weekend Workshop!

See our South West News article about the workshop

The Beginners' Weekend Workshop is a four-hour introduction to the modern martial art of aikido, split over two days. We will cover everything you need to feel at home in the dojo -- basic training procedures and etiquette, warm-up exercises, safety, ukemi (the art of falling safely), and much more.

You will also benefit from advanced demonstrations by instructors, so you can see where you will be going in the next few years of training.

For those who attend, discounted packages including national membership, a uniform, and three months' mat fees will be available.

The workshop will be held July 17-18, from 9:30am to noon. Price is $50.

Availability is limited. Contact Mark Hatfield on 0411 815 844 now to reserve your space, or click here to send an email.

7 June 2010

Myriam has just returned from the International Kokikai Convention in Nagoya, Japan. A large contingent of Australian students joined students from the USA and Japan to learn the latest ideas from Shuji Maruyama Sensei, which Myriam will pass on to students at Bullockhead Creek over the coming weeks. It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with some old friends and to meet new colleagues at the international level. Training was intense and a great experience. Myriam's trip also included a visit to Seki, to visit and train with Shuji Ozeki and to eat at his world famous soba noodle restaurant!

14 May 2010

Thanks to Felix for making the long trip up from Lismore to train with us tonight. We had a great time taking him through the second jo kata, and hopefully fulfilled his request for a "flowing lesson plan." We look forward to seeing him again.

7 May 2010

Today we held our first grading at the new dojo. Congratulations to Jade on her outstanding 6th kyu test.

Thanks also to Andrew for assisting with ukemi.

1 May 2010

Allen Iu, President of Aikido Kokikai Australia, visited our dojo this weekend while he was in town. Allen complimented us on the workmanship of the renovations, and was very impressed with the quality of the mats.

The next time he comes up, let's get him in for our Friday sessions!

19 April 2010

The Bullockhead Creek Dojo was pleased to host our first interstate guest. Gideon joined us from the Blue Leaf Dojo in Sydney, and showed us some of the spectacular ukemi that he has learned under Gregor.