12/06/2026
I’ve successfully arrived in Japan. I say successfully because my original flight was cancelled at 7pm the night before I was due to fly 😱 thankfully I was able to quickly book another flight and stick to my plan of arriving in Japan with enough time to settle in before competition day.🥹🕺🏽
The hospitality has been amazing, as always and the food has been even better! It has been a blessed few days.❤️
After a good sleep last night, I found myself reflecting on all the messages, comments and support I’ve received. To be honest, I’m still overwhelmed with gratitude. I miss my family very much back on the Gold Coast but I’m incredibly happy to be back in Japan. For those who know me well, Japan has always felt like a second home…
I’ve had a few people ask about my connections in Japan, who I’m affiliated with and other details. The truth is that since 2012 I’ve built strong relationships here, not only through Karate but through genuine friendships. I’m fortunate to have incredible friends, extended family, martial artists and organisations that have welcomed and supported me over the years. These relationships were never built on politics or personal gain they were built on respect, trust and friendship & I cherish that.
This morning I was thinking about something I spoke to my students about last week. Things don’t always go the way we want. Life has a way of throwing challenges and obstacles in our path. What matters is our ability to keep moving forward and do our best with the situation in front of us or do we pull the pin and call it a day…
There’s a huge difference between motivation and discipline.💯
Motivation is great when we’re feeling good and everything is going our way. Discipline is what we fall back on when things don’t go to plan. Repetition, consistency, hard work & most of all tenacity these are the things that carry us through. Like my Tāmoko on my body the Mangōpare design represents tenacity & unyielding fighting spirit🦈
Discipline is something we all need.
I hope everyone is having an amazing day. Thank you again for all the support. I appreciate every message, every comment, and every person who has been part of this journey, OSU! 🇯🇵