The 35th JKF Goju Kai Australia Seminar & Tournament 2025 was nothing short of phenomenal! Hosted in true Aussie spirit, this event brought together some of the finest martial artists from across the country — and what a privilege it was to be part of it.
🥋 Learning from Legends: Seminar Highlights
We had the absolute honour of training under Sato Hanshi (8th Dan), Takegawa Hanshi (8th Dan), and Ishida Kyoshi (7th Dan) from Japan . Their technical brilliance, humility, and deep understanding of Goju-Ryu karate left every participant motivated and inspired.
Every session was packed with high-level content, from Kata and Bunkai to partner drills, Randori, and Shime techniques. The atmosphere was electric, the dojo was buzzing, and every karateka left stronger and more focused than ever.
🎉 Congratulations to Sabrina Sensei!
A huge congratulations to Sabrina Sensei, who had an absolutely stellar weekend:
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✅ Passed her 2nd Dan JKF grading
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🥇 1st place in Kata
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🥇 1st place in Kumite
Her dedication, perseverance, and spirit continue to inspire us all. Well done, Sensei Sabrina — this achievement is well deserved on every level.
🏆 KAS Dominates the Tournament!
Karate Academy Sydney (KAS) came in strong and left an unforgettable mark on the tournament. Not only did our team perform exceptionally well across all divisions, but we are thrilled to announce that:
Chris, Alex, and Sabrina have officially qualified for the JKF Gojukai International Tournament in Japan this July 2025! 👏
We’re so proud of every single competitor who stepped onto the floor. At KAS, we know that win or lose — we either win or we learn.
KAS Tournament Results
🥋 KATA
7 yrs & under – Mixed
🥈 Brandon Trang
🥉 Antonio Accoto
4th Veronica Chemaly
5th Gemma Lee
6th Frances Karvouniaris
8–9 yrs – Male
4th Joshua Chemaly
6th Ziggy Mansour
9th Harrison Lee
10–11 yrs – Male
🥈 John Atsas
4th Mitchell Hunt
5th James De Abreu
10–11 yrs – Female
🥉 Saba Mardani
12–13 yrs – Male
5th Patterson Dang
6th Zachary McQuillan
12–13 yrs – Female
4th Maria Kontoleon
14–15 yrs – Male
🥈 Nathaniel Anastasovski
14–15 yrs – Female
🥈 Alexandra Maniakas
🥉 Victoria Kontoleon
5th Sophie Wong
6th Georgia Tolis
7th Evelyn Dang
16–17 yrs – Male
🥉 Bastian Astudillo
16–17 yrs – Female
🥇 Sabrina Vetrisano
🥈 Georgie Crisafis
🥉 Sienna Pagaimo
50 yrs & over – Male
5th Sandy Favaro
🥊 KUMITE
7 yrs & under – Mixed
🥇 Brandon Trang
🥈 Veronica Chemaly
🥉 Antonio Accoto & Lenny Mansour
5th Frances Karvouniaris
8–9 yrs – Male
🥉 Joshua Chemaly
6th Ziggy Mansour
8–9 yrs – Female
🥇 Alexandra Kontoleon
🥈 Ivy Coorey
🥉 Sienna Siwek
5th Imogen Mendes
6th Lily Siwek
7th Amalia Accoto
10–11 yrs – Male
🥈 Mitchell Hunt
🥉 John Atsas & James De Abreu
10–11 yrs – Female
🥉 Saba Mardani
12–13 yrs – Male
5th Zachary McQuillan
6th Patterson Dang
12–13 yrs – Female
🥈 Maria Kontoleon
14–15 yrs – Male
🥈 Nathaniel Anastasovski
14–15 yrs – Female
🥈 Georgia Tolis
5th Evelyn Dang
7th Sophie Wong
8th Alexandra Maniakas
16–17 yrs – Male
🥇 Bastian Astudillo
16–17 yrs – Female
🥇 Sabrina Vetrisano
🥈 Sienna Pagaimo
18+ yrs – Male | Over 75 kg
🥇 Chris Vetrisano
🥉 Timothy Woolmer
6th Alex Vetrisano
7th Ethan Price
40 yrs & over – Male
5th Sandy Favaro
This weekend was a celebration of karate at its finest — tradition, spirit, competition, learning, and camaraderie. We couldn’t be prouder of our KAS team and community. Thank you to everyone who trained, competed, coached, supported, or cheered us on.
We’re fired up and counting down to Japan 2025! Let’s keep pushing forward and representing with pride. 💪
#JKFGojuKai #GojuRyu #Kata #Randori #Bunkai #Shime #KarateFamily #KASTeam #TrainHard #KarateJourney #KASStrong #KarateSeminar #KarateTournament #Gojukai #JKFJapan2025