User:Desparoz

G'day, my name is Des and I've been a registered user on Wikipedia since 2005!

I live in Sydney, Australia, and teach scuba diving (I'm a PADI Course Director), first aid and karate.

My main interests on Wikipedia are Karate (including Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karate and Shorinjiryu Koshinkai Karatedo), Okinawan kobudo and scuba diving.

I have studied Shorinjiryu Karate since 1983, and have a keen interest in the history, technique and philosophy of Okinawan karate and kobudo. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to live in Tokyo, Japan for two years in the early 1990s, studying karate at the Shorinjiryu Kenkokan hombu dojo as a direct student of So Shihan Masayuki Hisataka, Hanshi, 9th Dan, the current head master of the style. During this time, I co-wrote with Hisataka Sensei the manuscript of a book that ultimately formed the foundation of the book published as Essential Shorinjiryu Karatedo.

I have also had a chance to study karate with Kaicho Shunji Watanabe, Hanshi, 9th Dan, a key disciple of the founder of Shorinjiryu, Kaiso Kori Hisataka.

I currently teach karate and kobudo to adults in a small dojo in Sydney, the Kengokan Dojo. I serve as the President of the Australian Shorinjiryu Karatedo Association. I am one of the founding senior instructors of Shorinjiryu Koshinkai Karatedo.

I am happy to participate in discussions about karate and kobudo.