fbpx
Kansai Karate Academy was established by Stephen Kelly in Queensland in 1993. Kansai Karate Academy is part of the worldwide Shito-ryu Shukokai World Karate Union which was established by the founder of Shito-ryu Shukokai, Sensei Tani.

Kansai Karate is one of the leading martial arts organisations in the state of Queensland. In 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, Kansai Karate won the Quest Newspaper Business Achiever of the Year for Fitness and Sport, beating large fitness centres and personal training studios. It can boast the operations of a fully equipped, professional, full time dojo in Sumner Park and Satellite dojos in the suburbs of Clayfield, Moggill, Springfield and the Gold Coast.

The award winning Queensland Honbu (Headquarters) dojo is located in the western suburb of Sumner Park, which is approx. 15 kms from the city. Being a full time professional dojo, enables students to train safely 6 days a week, Monday to Saturday, in a facility that is equipped with jigsaw safety mats, kick bags, mirrors, TV/video, a parents/spectators air-conditioned viewing room, as well as many other training aids. Kansai Karate, also has a speciality karate retail outlet that carries brands such as Shureido, Adidas and SportsMaster.
Kansai at Sumner Park offers specialised classes to all, starting from age specific Kansai Cubs at 3 years of age to those adults of any age who wish to keep fit and learn self-defence.Kansai Karate Academy Chief Instructor and principle instructor at our full-time Sumner Park Honbu Dojo is Shihan Stephen Kelly who holds the rank of 8th Dan, Kyoshi, has trained and taught extensively for over 40 years. Shihan Stephen is a multiple State and 4 times National Champion and has won Gold (2x), Silver (3x) and Bronze at five World Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Championships held internationally.

Shihan Stephen is the Oceania Chief Instructor of the Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union and has trained exclusively with the founder of Shito-ryu Shukokai, Sensei Tani (10th Dan), as well as Sensei Yamada (10th Dan). Sensei Steve continually visits Japan to train with World Shito-ryu Shukokai International Instructor, Sensei Ishitobi Hanshi (9th Dan).

As well, Shihan Stephen is a elite karate coach, who has coached at the highest level in both Kata and Kumite, he has had the opportunity to train with many other of the elite Karate Coaches of the world, Ticky Donovan (English Coach), Antonio Oliva (Spanish Coach), Sakamoto (Japanese Coach) and Francis Didia (French Coach) to name a few. In 2002, Shihan Stephen won the Queensland Karate Associations overall kata competitor of the year award.

In 2002 and 2003, Shihan Stephen was awarded National Sports Star Award for Kata, from the Australian Karate Federation.
As a elite coach of Sports Karate Sensei Stephen’s Kansai Karate has been awarded the Queensland Karate Club of the Year multiple times.

At present Shihan Stephen Kelly is the Australian Karate Federation’s National Elite Kata Coach.