Hayley Talbot, Clarence Valley Independent
Renbukan Karate Dojo has operated for over 50 years in the Clarence Valley with several of the original instructors still training hard and instructing each week.
We are a not-for-profit community group keen to revive our 50-year-old Clarence Valley club after the challenges of the last few years and to share our passion and skills with new students.
Many hundreds of Clarence Valley men, women and children have trained Renbukan Karate on the Lower Clarence since the 70s with 7th Dan Shihan Ross Roberts and his stable of 5th, 4th, 2nd and 1st Dan black belts and students. Ross Roberts is one of only two Renbukan Shihan (master rank) outside of Japan and has represented Australia at the world championships in Tokyo before weight divisions were introduced.
Karate is for everyone. It was developed and refined in occupied Okinawa when entire families (including children and the elderly) needed to defend themselves effectively without weapons. It is an art that can be learned and practised by everyone. It focusses on the development, conditioning and refinement of body, mind and spirit, where strength is useful, but skill is paramount.
This coming June we will have a “Gasshuku” (karate training camp) in Yamba where all of the dojos from places such as Roma, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Gold Coast etc will attend to train karate with us.
The Dojo doors at the Yamba Bowling Club auditorium, which has been the home of Renbukan Karate for over 20 years, are open and all are welcome to our beginners and family class at 5:15pm Monday nights.
The cost is as it has always been – $5 per class or $10 for a family. No bookings required, all welcome.
We are proud of the world class training we offer in a most affordable and accessible way and are eager to revive the enthusiasm of Karate in the Clarence Valley.
Nostalgic pics from days gone by. Photos: Contributed
This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 8 March 2023.
