08/03/2025
Happy International Women's day to all our female students and as per Sensei Gabriela Schmidt-Morrell post below.
It's not often you have a female only Sensei run grading (in fact a first for New Zealand) , this shows not only the support we have within our association from Sensei Patrick Quaid and Paul Mitchell Hanshi, but also the fact that we have strong, capable and technical female leadership that has been developing over the last twenty years between Wanaka Samurai Karate, Queenstown & Cromwell, Vicky Norman, Liz Simpson
For yesterdays international woman‘s day, I would like to mention Shukokai Karate NZ with 3 female instructors out of 4!
Thank you to our chief instructor Sensei Pat for trusting me/us to run the gradings and thank you Sensei Liz and Sensei Vicky for your backing, help and leadership in this process.
Our association ran the first women lead grading last month, and there are more to come!
I appreciate the fact that it often needs men to support women into traditionally male dominated areas.
My gratitude goes firstly to my husband Dion and my children having my back, helping and cheering all these years while starting, running and building up my dojo in Wanaka solo as a female.
I also thank parents and students for trusting me in teaching the way of karate, and supporting them on their journey to choosing a life of non violance from a position of strength and ability.
Thank you to all my Senseis across the world for their unwavering support and help they have given me and continue to do so.
Go us, Shukokai NZ! We love karate!
