10/08/2026
Huge congratulations are in order for our Chief Instructor, Sensei Noel Turner, who has officially been awarded the rank of 8th Dan Black Belt (Hachidan) in Shindō Jinen Ryū Karate-Do!
This high honor was formally conferred on August 7, 2026, by the International Yudanshakai Executive Council (IYEC) of Japan Karate-Do Ryobu-Kai International. The promotion reflects more than five decades of relentless commitment to karate. Sensei Turner first stepped onto the mats in the early 1970s and took the helm of Gympie Karate Club back in 1977. Since those early days, his leadership has helped shape generations of martial artists across Gympie, regional Queensland, and the wider Oceania region.
Achieving Hachidan requires far more than technical mastery. The council highlighted his lifelong dedication to preserving authentic teachings, his decades of service as a referee with the Queensland Karate Federation, and his leadership on the international executive board. He even helped physically construct our Gympie dojo building with his own hands back in the 1980s.
We could not be prouder to train under someone who embodies the true spirit, discipline, and tradition of Budō every single day.
