Queenstown
Club Location
Queenstown Playcentre
20 Robins Road
Queenstown Primary School (the building closest to the fire station)
The dojo is in the middle of Queenstown. We run childrens classes for all levels, and adult classes for black belts.
Club Training Times
Club Training Times
Adults (Ages 13+ black belt only)
Mondays
– 7:00pm
Thursdays:
– 7:00pm
Children (Ages 6+)
Mondays & Thursdays
– 6:00pm – 7pm
Our childrens classes operate during the school term
Club History
Craig McLachlan started the club in 1989. The club has hosted Higaonna Sensei, Terauchi Sensei, Bakkies Sensei, Molyneux Sensei, Kuramoto Sensei, Fujimaki Sensei, Sensei Joe Roses, Sensei Chris Larkin and Sensei David Lambert among others over the years.
Craig gifted the club to his senior student Chris Rae in 2017 after teaching for almost 30 years.
Club Instructors
Chris Rae Yondan (4th Dan)
Chris began his training in Dunedin in 1995. He sat his Shodan (1st degree black belt) in Dunedin under the New Zealand kambukai (technical committee), his Nidan (2nd degree black belt) in Naha, Okinawa under world chief instructor Nakamura Sensei and world vice chief instructor Molyneux Sensei, his Sandan (3rd degree black belt) in Naha, Okinawa under Nakamura and Terauchi Sensei and his Yondan (4th degree black belt) under the New Zealand kambukai (technical committee).
He studied under Craig McLachlan for many years after moving to Queenstown.
Chris also trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (ground fighting) and kobudo (traditional weapons like the bo, sai and nunchucku).
(Retired) Craig McLachlan Yondan (4th Dan)
Craig has been training since the mid-1980s when he spent two years at Higaonna Sensei’s Kiyose Dojo in Tokyo and is a huge proponent of Higaonna Sensei. Craig speaks Japanese, regularly travels to Japan and is a ‘freelance anything’ – check out his website at www.craigmclachlan.com.