Every year, Karate Academy Sydney’s journey to Japan reminds us why we train the way we do. Our 2026 Japan karate training trip took in three unforgettable stops: traditional Goju Ryu and Ryukyu Kobudo training in Okinawa, the annual Seiwakai International training camp in Omagari under Fujiwara Hanshi, and the JKF Goju Kai Seminar and 52nd JKF Goju Kai Championships in Yokohama. It’s not just about the training, although there’s plenty of that. It’s about the people, the history, and the chance to learn directly from the masters who shape our art. Here’s how this year’s trip unfolded; I travelled solo this time around.
Okinawa Karate Training: Where It All Began
The trip kicked off in Okinawa, the birthplace of karate, training under Dell Hamby Sensei and getting what can only be described as “the Hamby treatment.” Anyone who has trained with him knows exactly what that means, it works you down to the bone, in the best possible way.
Between sessions there was time for the essentials too, including a coffee stop at what we like to call “the office,” otherwise known as Starbucks Okinawa.
A definite highlight of the Okinawa leg was attending a kobudo class at the hombu dojo, training in the very place where Ryukyu Kobudo has been preserved and passed down for generations. A humbling experience every time.
A huge thank you to Akamine Kaicho and Hamby Sensei for their hospitality and for so generously sharing their wisdom. Every session with them is a genuinely valuable experience, and we’re already looking forward to next time.
As anyone who’s done this trip before knows, you fit in as much as possible between karate training sessions in Okinawa. Being lucky enough to have training start at 8 pm meant there was time to visit Tokashiki Island for the second time, spending three hours straight snorkelling and getting completely lost in the underwater wonder. What this Aussie forgot, however, was the sunscreen. A painful few days followed as a result.
Omagari: A Week of Seiwakai Goju Ryu Training, Culture and Connection
From Okinawa, the journey continued to Omagari, Akita Prefecture, for the Seiwakai International Training Camp, running from the 19th through to the 25th of August. After the travel, it was straight into a full run of Goju Ryu training days.
This year’s seminar was structured a little differently, with all the senior instructors taking part and sharing their skills, teaching approaches and ideas on kata and kumite. Learning from so many instructors and role models in the one seminar was fantastic, with each one bringing their own experience, knowledge and perspective to the group.
The heat in Omagari is something you never quite get used to, no matter how many times you’ve been. But the group powered through session after session and made the most of every moment on the mat.
The 22nd was a welcome day off, spent shopping around Akita before heading down to the Maruko River Night Market. This summer festival, held along the Maruko Bridge area of Daisen City, runs on a fun “Midsummer Ghost Stories and Test of Courage” theme, complete with a family-friendly haunted walk and stamp rally, traditional comic ghost-story storytelling performances, and food stalls and a beer garden lining the riverside. A perfect way to recharge between training days and soak up a bit of local Akita culture.
What makes this Japan karate trip so special goes well beyond the hours of training itself. It’s the travel, the effort, the late nights, and reconnecting with friends from around the world who you might only see once a year. Karate is what brings everyone together, from wherever they’ve travelled from, and that sense of connection is hard to put into words.
Fujiwara Hanshi’s welcome, as always, was warm and genuine. His humility and the way he greets every single person is something we deeply admire, and it sets the tone for the entire camp.
The week wrapped up on the 25th with the sayonara party, complete with a performance from who might just be Omagari’s funniest magician. A brilliant, light-hearted send-off before boarding the Shinkansen and heading to Yokohama for the next leg of the trip.
Yokohama: JKF Goju Kai Seminar and the 52nd JKF Goju Kai Championships
The final leg of the trip took the group to Yokohama for the JKF Goju Kai Seminar and the 52nd JKF Goju Kai Championships.
This part of the trip always flies by. So many incredible instructors were on hand, each bringing years of knowledge and experience, and even taking away the smallest piece of that knowledge felt like gold.
The championships themselves ran like clockwork, with an incredible standard of karate on display all day. A huge congratulations to the Australian competitors, with four Australians making it into the top 8 — a brilliant result on the world stage.
Until Next Year
And just like that, another Japan karate training trip has come to an end. From Okinawa’s hombu dojo to the heat of Omagari and the high-level competition in Yokohama, this year’s trip was once again a reminder of what makes our karate journey so special: the training, the traditions, and the people who make it all worthwhile.
Thank you to everyone who welcomed us, trained with us, and shared in this experience. Until next time!
Want to be part of the journey? Karate Academy Sydney trains students of all ages in traditional Goju Ryu Karate, Kobudo and Competition Karate, with a genuine pathway to international training and grading in Japan.
