SENSEI CHRISTIAN TAPIA
Sensei Christian started his martial arts training at the age of 6 under the influence and tutelage of his father Sensei Hector Tapia. Sensei Christian showed great enthusiasm and intuition for martial arts, imitating his father and joining him whenever he trained in the back room of the house, the designated dojo at the time. Sensei Christian would spend hours rehearsing techniques and pretending to be a great martial artist.
At the age of 9 his father asked Sensei Christian to make a decision and choose an activity and to follow it diligently with dedication, with honesty and with his heart. There was no doubt in Sensei Christian’s mind what the activity would be and the words were uttered deep from within “I want to do Karate-Do”
From then on, the training of Karate-Do would become his passion continuously practicing forms/katas, movement, jumping, kicking and punching with daily training on his own and further tuition from his father. There was nothing more beautiful in Sensei Christian’s mind than to feel the sensation the practice of Karate-Do gave him.
In the early seventies Sensei Christian started attending lessons on a regular basis at the Ken Shin Kan Karate-Do school, Goju-Ryu Style (Founded by Master Seiichi Yoshitaka Akamine) training under the tutelage of Sensei Raul and Roberto Fernandez de la Reguera, who currently hold the grade of 9th Dan and are international directors of the Ken Shin Kan Karate Do Academy.
In 1974, now 14 years old, Sensei Christian arrived in Australia with his family. Sensei Christian commenced training with his father at a park near their home. They would train regularly and a number of onlookers joined them for what would become the beginning of their first martial arts school in Australia.
A club was established with a regular number of students, where Sensei Christian helped his father to instruct lessons, in Goju-Ryu Karate Do.
At the age of 16 Sensei Christian received his 1st Dan black belt in the Gojuryu style. Sensei Christian now holds an 8th Dan Degree black belt in Gojuryu and currently is the director and founder of his own academy and style the “Bushido Reiryoku Kan Martial Arts Academy”.
The Bushido Reiryoku Kan Martial Arts Australia is a compilation of Sensei Christian’s 55 years of experience in martial arts, amalgamating the Chinese arts, such as Kungfu, Chen style Taichi and the Japanese Arts such as Karate Do, Japanese Jujitzu and Kobudo (weapons Training).
Sensei Christian has acquired a 4th Dan in Japanese swordsmanship (Samurai Katana) with the Mushintodo Kenbukan under the tutelage of Takagi Tesshu Sensei. He also has a diploma in Shiatsu Japanese Massage therapy. (Acupressure and pressure points)
Sensei Christian has progressed in the development of his martial arts and along the way he has trained and become proficient in the training of Capoeira, Javara (Hapkido), Philippino Knife Fighting, Kungfu and Taichi.
Sensei Christian has travelled extensively to Japan and China in the search and continuous thirst for knowledge and practical experience, researching the martial arts from both the outer physical and the inner internal aspects of the martial arts.
These being a part of the makeup of Sensei’s Christian understanding of the martial arts, dedication and experience, hence founding the Bushido Reiryoku Kan Martials Australia, an effective system of practical and realistic applications of martial arts and self-defence skills.