In 1983 the Okinawan Goju-Ryu group finally merged with Goju Kai in mainland Japan and this was a historically significant event. Gogen Yamaguchi Hanshi instructed the entire worldwide Goju Kai to assemble and as many as 15-20 countries sent teams to Japan to convene and celebrate including Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa, England, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico, Italy, Sweden,

All leading Hanshis, Kyoshis and Shihans of the Goju Kai were present. Tino Ceberano Shihan was a leading organisational figure in the Goju Kai at that time, in fact the most senior foreigner, and it was important that only did he take a good team over but put on a top quality demonstration that would capture attention and demonstrate the quality of training from Down Under.

On the night, Tino Shihan has his Victorian team with him, all well trained and rehearsed for their part in the demonstration you’ll see in this video. The team performed their routines in shopping malls for many months beforehand and had to really work to raise funds for the team to make the trip, also managing to obtain sponsors that were displayed on their track suits and smart blue blazers. It was a coordinated seven to eight month preparation.

In the video, the Victorian Goju Kai team is seen performing a medley of kata, simulated combat and bunkai. In the best attempt to identify the group while they perform the kata, we can identify (front row) Garry Fraser, Steve Gunnaridis, Noel Griffith, (next row), Clemente Christophole, Paul Ceberano, Andrew Constandinitis and team captain Brian Curren.

The demonstration was widely applauded and attracted a lot of attention to the Australians. Tino Shihan choreographed the routine and the precision was performed and executed as they had carried out in many hours of practice of throws and break falls. A routine like this must flow and each black belt had to be able to roll, fall and recover without hesitation or injury.

Tino Shihan recalls taking his green belts to the park in Nth Balwyn where they would do break falls over and over, sometimes to the beach and often on the wooden floor. His own Marines training involved learning to land from a twenty foot drop in parachute training when a chute can suddenly fold and let you down very quickly and heavily. The old training regime involved repetition after repetition and making it to an international team meant you’d made the grade.