instructors
All our instructors have extensive training and teaching histories, are IKO appointed Judges & Referees, and are First Aid trained and Working With Children (WWC) checked.
Check out our black belt profiles.
Shihan Trevor Tockar
7th dan
Specialisations
Kyokushin karate
Shihan Trevor Tockar has practiced karate for 50 years, and was awarded his 7th dan in a ceremony at the 6th World Weight Category Tournament in Tokyo Japan (April 2017), having previously been awarded his 6th dan by Kancho Matsui in February 1996.
He began his training under Shihan Len Barnes at the Martial Arts Academy of the late Judo Master, Alex Butcher, and then moved with Shihan Barnes when he opened the Oyama Karate dojo in Sea Point (Cape Town) in 1971.
Sensei John Barker
4th dan
Specialisations
Kata Bunkai
Fighting
Fitness & Nutrition
Functional Training
Sensei John started his Martial Arts journey in 1995, training Shukokai Karate under shihan Lyle Abel and was awarded his first black belt in 2000. He was introduced to Kyokushin by shihan Trevor Tockar in 2001 and found that Kyokushin’s philosophy of discipline and self-improvement through rigorous training greatly rewards those who apply themselves. John graded to his Kyokushin shodan (2002), nidan (2009), sandan (2016) and was recently graded to his Yondan by Kancho Matsui (2019).
Shihan Lyle Abel
5th dan
Specialisations
Movement dynamics
Footwork
Fluidity
Shihan Lyle Abel began practicing Goju-ryu karate in 1976 and then trained in Shukokai where he was graded to nidan by the Chief Technical Master of Shukokai, Kimura-sensei in 1981 and to sandan by the president of Shito-ryu Shukokai Union, Yamada Haruyoshi-sensei in 1998.
Shihan Lyle, who frequently trained with practitioners of Kyokushin karate during his time with Shukokai, formally began practicing Kyokushin in 2001.
Sensei Anthony Tockar
4th dan
Specialisations
Fighting
Fitness
Padwork
Sensei Anthony Tockar began walking the same martial path as his father decades ago at age 5. He graded to his shodan in 2000 at the age of 15, and to his nidan in 2006. He was graded to his sandan in 2016 by a panel of shihans including Kenny Uytenbogaardt, Stuart Corrigal, Nikola Cujic, Trevor Tockar, and Con Kakatsos, and to his yondan in 2023 by Kancho Matsui.
Shihan Yoni Chriqui
5th dan
Specialisations
Technique
Kata
Graded to his shodan by Sosai Mas Oyama in 1993, Shihan Yonni brings an extensive training and teaching history along to North Bondi dojo. He has trained with, and been trained by the best of the best.
He is a well respected karateka, having judged and competed on a state, national, and international level. He is know for his humility and super-sharp techniques.
Sensei Graham Levy
3rd dan
Specialisations
Fighting
Padwork
Sensei Graham was instrumental in setting up the Maccabi Karate Guild and managed the karate team at the 2005 Maccabiah. He has won gold in the Masters kumite division for both Maccabi and All-styles Karate in the past.
Sempai Nora Lotter
2nd dan
Specialisations
Technique
Fitness & Nutrition
Functional Training
Sempai Nora has competed both nationally and internationally in Kyokushin, with 1st place wins for kata in Australia and New Zealand. She recently competed in the 2019 IFT (International Friendship Tournament) in Tokyo, Japan in April 2019.
She holds a lifelong impressive sporting track record; having competed at State and National level in Downhill Skiing, she was sponsored from the young age of 8 by ski-brand Blizzard. She also ran her own Personal Training and Sports Nutrition business for 5 years. As if these sporting achievements were not enough, Sempai Nora is an avid runner with a few sub-4 marathons under her belt!
Sensei Alex Karnasopoulos
4th dan
Specialisations
Technique & Form
Movement Dynamics
Sensei Alex began her karate journey in 1999 with Shihan Trevor Tockar, trained under Shihan Kenny Uytenbogaardt for many years and operated her own dojo in Cape Town for 4 years. She achieved her shodan in 2004, and was graded to nidan (2007), sandan (2011), and yondan (2017) by Kancho Matsui.
Sensei Alex ran the North Bondi dojo kids program, teen program and adult novice and intermediate programs until May 2019. Even though she has moved on and will be relocating to the US in the near future, she will always be an integral part of our Dojo family.
Sempai Dinei Daneris
2nd dan
Specialisations
Fighting
Fitness
Speed work
A transplant from IKO South America, sempai Dinei brings Brazilian flare and stamina to his training and teaching. He took his first step on the budo path under sensei Oscar Massitta, and has been training for 23+ years, having run his own dojo in Brazil for 8 years in Caxias do Sul.