Leopold's history:
The Leopold dojo opened in 1992 by Sempai Steve Newton who was joined in July 1995 by Sempai Ron Jorgensen. This partnership continued until December 1996 when Sempai Steve opened another dojo in the city of Geelong.
In 1996 Sempai Ron initiated a junior development program for kids aged between 5 and 8 at the Leopold Primary School. This program has proven very successful with many of the Kick Start Program kids graduating into the mainstream dojo at St Marks Church hall, Vicarage Road, Leopold. Leopold club steadily grew with humble beginnings of 7-12 students in the early years, peaking at one stage with 63 students. The students ages ranged from 5 years through to 70 years and in that day, there was three generations of the one family training.
In January 1998 Sempai Chris Paul joined the Leopold dojo from the Corio dojo. The opportunities that now exist with the International Kyokushin Karate (Matsushima) and the Australian Kyokushin Karate Association, through Shihancho Gary Viccars located in Geelong are extremely encouraging. Being able to train with Kyokushin legends such as Shihancho Gary Viccars, Hanshi John Taylor (Sydney) and many other local high grades, is strengthening the Matsushima group here in Victoria and Australia.
Sensei Ron started karate in January 1989, has fought and placed in light and full contact tournaments, state and regional. He aspired to Shodan in November 1994, Nidan in 1998, Sandan in 2004 (with Sensei Chris) and to Yondan in June 2012 (in Japan).
Sensei Chris started karate in 1991 and also has fought and placed in many light and full contact tournaments together with Kata tournaments, regional, state and New Zealand. He attained Shodan in June 1996 and in December 1999 he progressed to Nidan after a gruelling 9 hour grading. He attended the World Tournament in Japan in 1995 and has trained in many parts of the world. Both instructors have attended nearly every Kyokushin seminar held in this state in the duration of their training and were trained under the watchful eye of Sensei Luke Grgurevic from white belt through to Shodan with the assistance of Sensei Scott McQuaid (now Shihan) who has also been inspirational in his devotion and persistence to them both. Late in 2004 Sensei Ron moved to Gladstone Queensland and opened a dojo in that area. (He currently runs the Portland dojo).
Sensei Chris continues to be head instructor with Sempai Peter McCarter, Nidan and Sempai Wendy McCarter, also Nidan, as co-instructors.
Sempai Peter and Sempai Wendy started training in September 1998 after meeting Sensei Ron and his wife Debbie (now Sempai) at swimming classes whilst their children learnt to swim. They struck up a friendship that continues today.
Sempai Peter and Sempai Wendy have graded together for every grading over the past 16 years. They attained their Shodan grade in 2006 and Nidan in 2009. They have both judged and refereed in Australian and New Zealand and also had the honour to judge in the 9th China Kyokushin Karate Open Tournament in October 2013.
On 28th November 2015 the now Sensei Peter, completed the arduous third dan grading at the Corio dojo, successfully passing after 5-3/4 hours.
Other karate-ka to obtain their Shodan grading are: Torin Nuzum, Brett Timney (re-located to Newcastle), Nathan Agnew and Joanne Collier.