Kambukai member
Rajesh began training in 1979 at Sensei John Jarvis’s Newtown dojo, and four years later graded to Junior Shodan. In 1986 he began competing in a number of karate tournaments, and went on to represent New Zealand several times between the late 1980s and 2007. Highlights of his tournament career representing New Zealand include:
– Coming 5th at the 1989 Goju Ryu World Championships in USA
– Bronze at the 1990 Oceania Karate Championship in New Caledonia
– Coming 4th at the 1991 APUKO games in New Zealand
– Coming 12th at the 1991 Goju Ryu World Championships in Okinawa
– Winning gold and silver at the 1996 Goju Ryu Asia Pacific Championships in Australia
– Winning gold and silver at the 1997 Goju Ryu Asia Pacific Championships in Fiji
– Coming 2nd at the 1999 Goju Ryu Asia Pacific Championships in New Zealand
– Coming 2nd at the 2007 Goju Ryu World Championship in India
Rajesh graded to Nidan in 1988 , Sandan in 1991, Yondan in 1995, Godan in 2005 and achieved his current grade of Rokudan under IOGKF world Chief Instructor Higaonna Sensei. After becoming Head Instructor of the Wellington dojo in 1999, he oversaw the relocation to its current premises at Massey University in 2002. In 2006 he was was appointed to the IOGKFNZ Executive Technical and Management Committee which oversees the quality of Goju Ryu teaching, management and leadership throughout New Zealand. Rajesh identifies training with a number of the world’s top instructors as a key highlight of his ongoing study of Goju Ryu karate-do.