University of Wollongong Kendo Club Members

University of Wollongong Kendo Club
Kendo, Iaido and Jodo Practitioners

Ted Rixon

Sensei Ted Rixon introduced the study of Kendo to the Illawarra. He achieved his Yondan at Easter 1996 before a high level panel of Japanese visitors at the Australian National Championships in Perth. A former Australian Open champion He has represented Australia at the world titles and has been captain/coach of the Australian national team.

Current NSWKA Kyu squad coach, past President of the NSW Kendo Association 1997-2001, and Chairman of the Australian Kendo Technical Board he completed a level two qualification in coaching Kendo accredited by the Australian Insititute of Sport (the highest level currently available in Australia) and a level three qualification in sports general.

He converted from karate to kendo in the mid 1970s.

Paul Rixon

Sensei Paul Rixon (brother of Ted) is currently a Rokudan (6th Dan, Melbourne 2002) Renshi (Shogo awarded 2007) in Kendo. He has represented Australia at the World Championships(Kyoto, Japan 1997, Seoul, Korea 1988), been Australian Open champion (1987), ACT Open champion (1993) and represented NSW in the Open Team Championships on numerous occasions.

Since 2001 he has been an Instructor at both Wollongong Dojo and Burwood Dojo. He has been chairman of the NSW Technical Board, Australian Kendo board and is the current NSW Kendo Technical Committee Secretary and NSW Dan Team Coach.

Takashi Itakura

Sensei Itakura previously had been instructing at UOWKC on a regular basis for several years and became a member in 2009. Graded to Godan Satiama Japan, July 2004.

David Bunder

Dojo steward since the early 1990s, graded to Yondan in April 2004 (Gold Coast), the first of Sensei Rixon's students to reach that level, David has been practicing kendo since 1989. At one point he was the only regular student practicing in the club, a tribute to his dedication. Currently he is club Treasurer and was NSW Kendo association Treasurer from 1997 to January 2001. He runs the kendo training in the absence of Sensei.

Kendo highlights -
2007 Nationals, member of the gold medal winning NSW Dan team.
2001 Ulladulla Games, Member of Gold Medal winning Wollongong Team.
2000 Nationals, member of the gold medal winning NSW Dan team.
1999 Nationals, fought in the preliminary round for the silver medal winning NSW Dan team at the Australian Championships.
1995 and 1996 Australian National Kendo championships, a member of the back to back gold medal winning NSW kyu team.
1996 - 3rd place Australian National kyu individual competition.
1996 - NSW State Championships, a member of the silver medal winning Wollongong team.

Shoko Bunder

Originally with UOWKC from February 1997 untill her return to Japan in July 1997 first as a language student at the Wollongong English Language Centre (WELC) and then as a student at the University of Wollongong, Shoko is a yondan (Canberra, MArch 2005) who was a very active member of the UoW Kendo Club for the duration of her stay, and our 1997 President. She came back to Wollongong in February 1999 and resumed training with the club. 2006 NSW Womens Kendo Champion.

Robert Brown

The longest surviving student of the Wollongong Kendo Club, from its Buxton days in the early 1980s, Robert graded to Nidan in Kendo in Perth in January 2001. He is the dojo's Iaido instructor (Yondan, Seitei Iaido, Hobart, January 2007), leading the Sunday Iaido training. He is also Yondan in Seitei Jodo, a grade also obtained in July 2008 in Sendai, Japan.

Competition highlights: 2009 National Iaido and Jodo Championships, finalist 4 Dan individual Iaido Championship, 2006 National Iaido and Jodo Championships, finalist 3 Dan and above individual Iaido Championship, finalist Iaido Open Teams Championship, Semi finalist Jodo Open Pairs Championship.

Currently National Vice Chairman of the AKR Jodo Technical Board.

Andrew Whitehead

A long term friend of the Wollongong Club, Andrew has been training with us regularly since 2004, assisting in our Iaido training. He holds a Sandan in Kendo, Nidan in Seitei Iaido, and is also graded in Shinkage Ryu Kenjutsu, Aikido and in Naginata, 1st Kyu Seitei Jodo.

Aden Steinke

Commenced the study of Kendo in early 1994 at the advanced age of 32, he graded to Nidan in Kendo in Sydney in August 2000. Currently club secretary, a position he has occupied since 1995, he was NSW Kendo Association Secretary from 1997 to 2000. He holds a Sandan in Seitei Jodo, (Canberra 2009) and a Sandan in Seitei Iaido (Perth 2008). Currently National Secretary of the AKR Jodo Technical Board. He also holds a Nikyu in SMR jodo from the Sei Ryu Kai (Saitama 2007).

Competition and Training Highlights -
1996 - NSW State Championships, Sydney, a member of the silver medal winning Wollongong team.
1996 - Australian National Championships, Perth, was a reserve for the gold medal winning NSW kyu team.
1997 - Australian National Championships, Melbourne, a member of the silver medal winning NSW kyu team.
1997 - Kendo trip to Japan.
1998 - Australian National Championships, Wollongong, a member of the silver medal winning NSW kyu team. Founders Cup, Newcastle, fighting spirit award.
2000 - 2000 Australian Kendo Foundation International Open Tournament, Picton, presented with the Geurillot Sensei Shield for spirit of kendo by Ron Bennett Sensei.
2000 - 3 weeks training with the Tokyo Police.
2002 - 2nd National Jodo Championships, 3rd place in kyu pairs.
2002 - University of Wollongong URAC Club Recognition Award.
2003-2004 6 months in Japan training in Jodo (Nishioka Sensei`s Sei Ryu Kai) and Iaido (Kokubunji Iaido under Komera Sensei) where he graded to 2nd kyu.
2006 - National Iaido and Jodo Championships, Finalist Iaido Open Teams Championship, Semi finalist Jodo Open Pairs Championship.
2007 - Sei Ryu Kai Gasshuku, Saitama Japan, completed introduction to the omote set of SMR.