Luke Byrne
Rank 4th Dan Black Belt (JKA)
Started karate 1991
Original instructor Terry Byrne (Luke's father) and Sensei Ron Brown
Favourite katas Nijushi-ho and Unsu
Luke’s love of the martial arts first appeared at the ripe age of three when he took to training in the backyard with his black belt father. After a brief stint practicing tae kwon do as a young boy, it wasn’t until turning 13 that he decided to join the local karate club.
Making up for lost time, Luke committed himself to learning as much as he could about the art and trained tirelessly in his spare time. He was triple graded on his very first examination and slated for the national team for the impending world championships by the Japan Karate Association’s (JKA) chief instructor at the time.
It is with this unwavering dedication, determined positivity and pure passion for all things karate that Luke has forged a successful competition career and reputation as a first-class instructor.
A seven-time member of the Australian national team, Luke’s stand-out achievements include winning silver in the kumite event at the WTKA World Championships in Italy, placing third in the kata at the Northern Regional All Japan Qualifier and claiming both the South East Asian and Oceanic kata and kumite championships. Placing second in kata and kumite at the Australasian Championships as well as the team kata event at the South African International are also among his competition highlights.
A qualified physical education teacher, he brings a unique realm of knowledge to EMA and possesses a comprehensive understanding of individual learning abilities and motor skill development. Drawing on his background as an educator, he implements a number of inventive teaching systems into his training which enable him to develop and modify strategies to meet individual student needs and help them reach their full potential.
In addition to karate, Luke also trains across a variety of complementary forms of self-defence including tae kwon do, boxing, kick boxing, kung fu, jiu-jitsu and judo. The multi-disciplinary approach he takes to his own training allows him to deliver students well rounded tuition in the martial arts.
The father of five has embraced karate as a way of life and is careful to remind his own children and students that the true nature of the martial art is not about kicks and punches but rather in the pursuit of character development.
