On Tuesday the 31st of August New Zealand’s most senior Shotokan instructor, Goran Glucina Shihan (7th Dan) very generously taught at the Christchurch Shotokan Karate Club. Goran Shihan has lived, trained and competed for many years in Japan, and is the only graduate in Australasia of the SKIF (Shotokan Karatedo International Federation) Instructors Course! With him, he brought Arisa Iwasaki Sensei (3rd Dan) who is a former JKA (Japan Karate Association) World Champion, and JKS (Japan Karate Shoto Federation) All-Japan Champion._________
After training we went for dinner at Brendan and his wife’s house, and enjoyed a wonderful meal with them, Lyall Sensei, Arisa Sensei and Goran Shihan. Mizuho and I would like to express our thanks to all of you for this time, as it was the first karate social event we’ve had since returning from Japan. It was great spending time with Goran Shihan and Arisa Sensei, and made us feel like we were back in Japan! I also greatly appreciate the advice, anecdotes and encouragement that Goran Shihan gave me… Arigato gozaimashita Shihan! Mizuho and I both look forward to seeing you and Arisa again in the near future.
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I’d like to conclude this post by mentioning the New Zealand karate seminar of the year… Once again Goran Shihan will be hosting his teacher Kancho Hirokazu Kanazawa (10th Dan), and for the first time assisting him here, his son Nobuaki Kanazawa (6th Dan). To get details please click on the following link: http://www.skif.co.nz.
© André Bertel, New Zealand 2010. 
