About Us

About

DOJO HEAD

Sensei Chris Gower, 5th Dan

Sensei Chris has lived and breathed Kyokushin for over 30 years. He is a fighter and held the NZ title in his weight category for 7 years, represented NZ many times, including at the prestigious World Open Karate Tournament in Tokyo in 1995. In 2005 Chris won the World Heavyweight title for men aged 35-40, the first Kyokushin World Title ever held by a Kiwi!

Chris has travelled to Japan to train or compete more times than he can remember. He lived the hard road as an early foreigner in Japan, training under the late Sosai Oyama at Tokyo Honbu and being among the few foreigners at the time to be permitted to fight in the All Japan National Tournament. He met the current international director of Kyokushin, Kancho Matsui Shokei in Tokyo just before he became World Champion and hosted him in NZ for a month of training.

Chris maintains close ties to Japan and, while maintaining a traditional Kyokushin school, is enjoying the recent resurgence globally of old style techniques such as grappling and headpunching. Sensei Chris has invaluable personal experience but he is continually seeking new answers and continually drawing on resources offered by the international group or wherever else he can. He is one of the highest graded Kyokushin exponents in NZ.

In 2007 Chris decided to aim towards full time instructing. He currently takes most of the junior classes and is working hard researching and developing programs for all age groups. Early in 2008 Chris took a group of 20 kids from the dojo to Tokyo for a tournament and training and after all he’s achieved in 30+ years he describes this trip as his ‘best ever Kyokushin experience’.  Chris completed a 50 man kumite to grade to 5th dan under Tokyo Honbu representative, Shihan Honmer, in early 2008.

Sempai Jill Gower, 2nd Dan

Sempai Jill co-founded Poneke Dojo with husband and instructor, Sensei Chris. She has travelled to Tokyo to support our NZ Reps, train and compete eight times since starting Kyokushin in 1994. Jill sat Shodan (blackbelt) in 2001 having, earlier in the year, had her first child, organised the National Tournament, won the NZ lightweight women’s title… and taken second place in the kata competition!

With two young kids Jill finds it harder to get to the dojo but has developed an academic interest in sports science and sports psychology for Kyokushin training. Her day job at Sport NZ has only fuelled her interest in getting more kids and adults in the clubs to ‘push play’.  She has done a little cross training in BJJ, fought in ‘combat submission fighting’ and travelled to Japan to investigate the development of women’s mixed martial arts there.   She graded to nidan (2nd degree black belt) in Oct 08.


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Club Instructors

Shihan Alex Terris, 5th Dan

Poneke Dojo is extremely fortunate Shihan Alex chose to make his training comeback with us!  Shihan brings a bit of ‘old school’ to the dojo on the first monday of every month.  Not sessions for the light hearted!  As the Shihan says “you bring the right attitude and leave the rest to me”!  He also drives the black belts to continual improvement via regular ‘high grade’ kata classes.  We are extremely grateful to have his support and expertise.  Shihan walks the walk & graded with Chris to 5th dan at a gruelling physical grading in early 2008.

Sempai Steve Newby, 2nd Dan

Sempai Steve is more proof Kyokushin can be enjoyed at all ages. Steve attained his blackbelt, took an 18 year respite, then returned to Kyokushin at Poneke Dojo and in 2007 attained his 2nd Dan at age 50 mumble. Steve is a selfless supplier of advice, motivation and inspiration.

Sempai Phil Kirkman, 2nd Dan

Sempai Phil has been training at Poneke Dojo since the dojo opened in 1999. He is an inspiring, physically gifted instructor of the adults Wednesday class. Phil is a fighter, regularly participating in tournaments and match fights. He has represented NZ in Australia and in Japan at the 2003 World Open Tournament. Phil has a Japanese wife and daughter, speaks Japanese, studies the culture and visits and trains in Japan regularly.

Sempai Vijay Ranchhod, 2nd Dan

Sempai Vijay has been training at Kyokushin for over half his life! He had attained Shodan (blackbelt) before he entered the adult class. As a youth Sempai Vijay trained under notaries like Sensei Chris Gower, Sempai Paul Kleer and Sempai Robin Hammond, who were in their heyday. He is a talented tournament fighter. The Ranchhods are a Kyokushin family, Vijay’s younger siblings include one brown belt and two black belts!

Sempai Conway Te Rito, 2nd Dan

Sempai Conway is one of Poneke’s first blackbelts in that he began his Kyokushin training with us as a whitebelt. Conway is a physically gifted athlete and took up Kyokushin in his 30s following years of playing club rugby. Conway achieved black belt in record time and was a guaranteed starter for tournaments. He represented NZ at the World Open Tournament in 2003 and in 2005 took the Heavyweight World Title for men aged 40+. Conway met his goal for 2008 by attaining his 2nd degree blackbelt.

Success at the 2005 World Seniors Champs in Tokyo for Poneke Dojo Head Instructor Sensei Chris Gower (right) and Sempai Conway Te Rito (left). Sensei Gower winning the 35-40yr old division and Sempai TeRito winning the 40-45yr old division. Both proving you’re never to old to participate in Kyokushin tournaments!

Sempai Dave Maguire, 1st Dan

Sempai Dave has been training in Kyokushin for almost 20 years. He is a fighter and sports arguably the meanest leg attack in the country. Dave is one of the few students to overcome distraction and successfully migrate to Kyokushin training while on OE in the UK. While there he won the British Open. Dave has visited Japan to support the NZ and British teams and more recently to compete in the 2005 and 2007 Senior World Tournaments.

Sempai Haines Eng, 1st Dan

Haines

Sempai Haines came and went from Kyokushin for almost 20 years before grading to black belt in 2008.  Haines is an unassuming guy.  When he started Kyokushin he never imagined achieving black belt and standing in front of the class, let alone competing in Australia or travelling to Japan to compete in the World Master’s tournament.  Haines is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to kata and is not someone to challenge to a push up competition!

Sempai Estelle Adamson, 1st Dan

Estelle

Sempai Estelle is a strong believer it’s what the inside that counts.  Not starting Kyokushin until ‘post kids’ she found the physical requirements really challenging but she’s as strong as an ox and holds the tamashiwari record among the dojo women for punching through 4 x 1 inch thick pine boards!  She provides an excellent role model for anyone who thinks karate is strictly for the young and naturally flexible!

Sempai Jamie Eades, 1st Dan

Sempai Jamie started training in Kyokushin when he was about 9 years old.     He achieved blackbelt in October 2009 and repeated his 2008 performance by taking the heavyweight national title and then defeating the superheavy title holder to become National ‘Yokozuna’ or grand champion!  In 2011 he represented Australasia at the World Tournament, going toe to toe with the new World Champion.  He now holds a NZ kickboxing title and has moved to Auckland in search of new sparring partners.  He will be one to watch over the next few years!

Sempai Chetan Ranchhod, 1st Dan

Chetan holds some notoriety at the dojo!  He was one of our first students, little brother to two high grades and as a little kid, he would much rather take strikes of the shinai than exert himself!  Never a kid to train for his own sake, it took until he was put in a position where he’s had to lead by example before he really pulled out all stops… and discovered there was something in this training thing after all!  Chetan’s selfless nature and persistence have transformed him into a flashy fighter and an excellent role model (who should have empathy for the kids who don’t love pushups)!  Chetan got his Japan wings in ’08 and graded to shodan in Oct ’09.

Sempai Darsheka Ranchhod, 1st Dan

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I’m tempted to post Darsheka’s original membership photo because she joined the dojo when she was 5 and the size of your average 3 year old!  Darsheka graded to shodan in Oct 2009 and has her sights on nidan before she’s 20.  She’s from a Kyokushin family with 3 highly graded big brothers and she gives them all a run for their money.  A beautiful technician, Darsheka has an easy grace and, frequently the under-weight, she has a huge heart for fighting!  She has travelled to and fought in Japan and is already a confident instructor.

Sempai Christian Mooij, 1st Dan

2009 was Christian’s year!  He grew about 3 feet in the past 3 years which makes karate really difficult!  The intensity of his shodan training (Christian graded in October ’09) made him extremely strong and his stances are now the best in the dojo!  Christian also came with us to Tokyo to train and fight in 2008.  A quiet guy,  Christian has really hit his stride since shodan and enjoys instructing which is fantastic news for the junior dojo!

Sempai Dominic Manning, 1st Dan

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Dom graded to black belt in 2009.  He’s a motivated athlete who maintains an impressive schedule of activities and is developing a scary physique as a result!  Dom is an extremely gutsy fighter who is not afraid to take it or give it!  He also came with us to Tokyo in 2008 where he got his international fighting wings.

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Others

Sensei Paul Kleer, 3rd Dan

Sensei Paul has been living between Japan and NZ for ten years. Paul has been one of NZ’s top fighters, representing NZ numerous times and competing with the top 32 fighters at the World Tournament in 1995. Sensei Paul has studied Kyokushin extensively in Japan and his studies have extended to the culture and language. He previously operated his own dojo in Newtown. When in Welly students at Poneke are lucky to enjoy Paul’s dedicated coaching experience. We also have Sensei Paul to thank for building a relationship between Poneke and one of Japan’s largest dojo, Kokubunji Dojo. NZ has benefited enormously from seminars brought to us by kata specialist and head of Kokubunji Dojo, Shihan Eguchi and his wife, World Women’s lightweight Champion, Sempai Miyuki Eguchi. Sensei Kawasaki, full time kid’s instructor in Tokyo transferred to Wellington for two years and, since then, has brought some of Japan’s top junior fighters to visit. In 2008 21 of Poneke’s juniors visited Kokubunji in return and were treated to extraordinary hospitality including a tournament in our honour with 200 kids competing!!  Sensei Paul has also forged the way for other Wellington students aspiring to study in Japan. Sensei Troy Freeman and Sempai’s Rachael Ray & Sam Minns have all benefited from the hospitality of Sensei Paul and the Kokubunji Dojo.