They went in as underdogs, but six athletes from Thirroul’s Samurai Dojo have returned from the Karate World Championships in Finland with a major triumph to celebrate.
The northern Illawarra team represented Australia at the June event, which drew more than 800 competitors from 16 countries and was run by Kimura Shukokai International (KSI).
Half the group were under 18, with the youngest just 11 years old. Three of the six placed within the top 10 in their divisions, while their chief instructor, Paul Pirie, placed third and earned Australia its first ever medal in the tournament’s 30-year history.
“I think we’re ticking those underdog boxes, which I’m quite proud of,” Paul says.
“We’re kind of doing all this by ourselves - we have a huge style in other countries but not in Australia.
“And you know, my dojo’s got just under 100 people - our style probably doesn’t have more than 160 people in the country.”
Samurai Dojo has been part of the Thirroul community for six years, teaching traditional Kimura Shukokai Karate to students of all ages.
“The literal definition of our style means ‘a way for all’,” Paul says.
“And whilst I don’t want it to be a place where everyone gets an award for turning up, I do think everyone should get something out of it.
“I hope that everyone that comes for a class, whether it’s their first class or their 500th, thinks ‘yep, I got something out of that session’.”
It takes a village
Although only six students competed, Paul says it was a whole-dojo effort.
“Whilst only six of us went to the tournament, we’ve got just under 100 students in the dojo and if it weren't for their support in training and pushing us, we couldn’t have done it,” he says.
“Our students and families back home supported us every step of the way, with many staying up late to watch the event live from Finland.
“I was getting messages live from Thirroul saying the kids' class had actually stopped training to watch Toby, our 11-year-old, from home.
“That’s the sort of thing that really drove the team to do well."
Paul says the entire dojo pitched in with bake sales, movie nights and raffles to help cover the costs of sending the team overseas.
“Karate is a very cheap sport until you actually want to compete. Not everyone gets selected and not everyone can afford to go if they are," he says.
“All up we raised about five grand, which was enough to cover team tracksuits and entry fees for some of the events. Flights and all those things, people still have to pay for out of pocket."
The team is already back in training, aiming to bring home more medals for Australia at the next world tournament, which will be held in Estonia in 2027.
“I’m excited about where we’re taking this,” Paul says.
“We got back and I said 'okay, we’ve got two more years guys, and we’ve got to start working today'.”
Thinking of giving karate a go? Check out Samurai Dojo online.
