About Steve Nener's martial arts journey
When I was 11, my father gave me the option of choosing boxing or judo as a means of self-defence at the Morley Police and Citizens Club. I wanted to learn what he did but I couldn’t afford kung fu classes. My brother and I went along to Jan de Jong’s school of ju-jitsu. Right from the start I loved the classes in both judo and karate. I used to train near
ly every night with my brother Brett Nener, who was doing karate with Kao at The University of Western Australia (UWA). By the time I was 18 in 1978, Brett had discovered Aikido in Japan and asked me to attend a class at the UWA Martial Arts Aikido Club under head instructor Sensei Yoshiaki Unno. I spent the next 15 years training under Sensei Yoshiaki Unno. In this time, I gained my first and second degree black belts in Aikido, Jo and sword. Sensei Yoshiaki Unno Sensei was Kancho Minoru Mochizuki 10th Dan. Unno held the grades of 7th Dan Aikido, 7th Dan karate and 6th Dan kobudo (weapons). He also held Dan grades in many other disciplines. Unno left the UWA club to open his own dojo Yoseikan Budo martial arts club at William Street, Perth. This became a club with 300 members trained in Aikido and karate. Many international black belts visited Unno to train under him (including Chuck Norris and 9th Dan Sono, the head instructor of the Yoseikan Budo in Japan). I was able to hone my skills with the help of many visiting Dan grades from Japan. Later on, Unno moved his dojo to his private address and asked me to help him
re-establish the school. I taught and trained there for many years. In traditional Japanese culture, it is expected that a student go out and seek knowledge of his chosen discipline. So in 1992, I went back to UWA to train with Brett under Fujimori Sensei. In 1997, I went to Japan to complete my third Dan under 7th Dan Sensei Fujimori. We visited many Aikido schools and trained with some of the best Japanese Aikido experts. Sensei Fujimori visited again early in 2010 and presented me with my 4th Dan in Aiki-jujitsu. In 1996, I started Tai Chi with Grand Master Sefu Wong. Tai Chi added a whole new dimension to my knowledge of martial arts. The Chinese and Japanese disciplines are quite different and it is not until you study both that you can see the different, yet complementary styles. This shows the importance of learning several disciplines. My years of training have culminated in the search for something greater than the physical realm. The journey of any martial artist is to learn his/her own physical strength, boundaries and limitations. Once you have achieved and understood your physical boundaries, you’ll start to understand your own inner spirit and mind, and the different perspectives of the art. Over the years, I have gained so much from some of the most disciplined martial artists that I feel I have much to offer those who seek to learn this unique art of Aikido.
