THE FOUNDING OF

THE INSITUTE

In 1998 Noonan Sensei opened the Tasseikan Dojo in the Oatley Public School Hall where students trained up until 2009, when Michael’s desire to give students not only the very best instruction in Traditional Karate but the very best training facility was realised.

The Australian Institute of Karate was officially opened in May 2009 and attended by some of Australia’s highest ranked Karate practitioners as well as international guests.  Each year the Institute hosts international Karate luminaries, giving students access to teachers and knowledge seldom seen in this country.

Whilst it is traditional for senior grades to help lower grades all official Instructors must have a minimum of 15 years of training experience and Assistant Instructors 7 years of experience. All teachers have a (NSW Police) Working with Children clearance.

Noonan Sensei regularly leads groups of committed students to Japan for intense training and cultural immersion. The Tasseikan Dojo is known world wide in Chito Ryu circles and many of its students have competed at an international level with great success, including several world champions.

ABOUT

THE STYLE

A legitimate style of Traditional Karate, with direct and present links to historically recognised Masters, strikingly different from what has unfortunately become the status quo in Australia.  WARNING – WE’RE NOT ALL THE SAME

The style of Martial Arts taught at The Australian Institute of Karate is Chito-Ryu Karate-Do. With deep roots in Karate’s long history Chito-Ryu was founded by the late Dr Chitose and continued by his son, the current Head of Style. Dr Chitose was recognised, by the All Okinawa Union of Karate-do and Kobu-do, as a Master of the Art and awarded the title of Hanshi (the highest acknowledgement available) in 1968.

Renowned for his fighting ability, Chitose Snr was a ‘Kake-Dameshi’ (Challenge Match) fighter in Okinawa. He became the Sixth Master of Tode, in a successive lineage that began with; the First Generation Beechin Chinen, who along with the Second Generation Beechin Matsumura, was a member of King Shokei’s Royal Guard, the Third Generation Uekata Awane was a member of King Shoiku’s Royal Guard, Fourth Generation was Beechin Hokama, and the Fifth Generation was Chitose’s teacher Sesho Aragaki. He was also under the tutelage of such luminaries as; Chotoku Kyan, and Kanryo Higaona.

Chitose Snr studied the various Okinawan Martial Arts, Shuri no Te, known today as Shorin-Ryu, which was based in Shuri City, a town of nobles and samurai and Naha no Te from the commercial trade town of Naha, now formalised as Shorei-Ryu. Chitose moved to mainland Japan in the 1920s and realised that Japanese Martial Arts had much to offer and provided him with valuable insights. He sought out Japan’s greatest martial artists of the day and began training Judo/Jujutsu with the Kyuzo Mifune Sensei and Kendo with Hakudo Nakayama Sensei, both legendary Martial Artists. He further developed a relationship with the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba Sensei.

His Martial Art’s legacy reflects his lifetime of dedication, his access to legendary teachers and his medical knowledge. The style has been enhanced to ensure the movements and training do not damage the body and is therefore able to be practiced well into old age.

Chito Ryu consists of the full spectrum of fighting techniques, many lost in today’s modern Karate phenomenon. Kicks, punches, strikes, throws joint locking and pressure point manipulation are among the arsenal, providing a well-rounded and thorough fighting system.