Wellington Kyokushin Karate | The Strongest Karate

Who We Are

Tradition Meets
Real Fighting

Founded in 1979 by Sensei David Downes, Wellington Kyokushin is one of New Zealand's longest-running martial arts clubs. Affiliated with the International Kyokushin Organisation (IKO), we've produced national and international champions across every age category over four decades.

Kyokushin isn't performance karate. It's bare-knuckle, full-contact, and built on the hardest training philosophy in martial arts. You'll learn to hit, to take hits, and to carry yourself differently. The discipline you build on this floor goes with you everywhere.

⚡ Kids Train Alongside Adults

We don't separate kids into their own classes — and that's intentional. Younger students train on the same floor as adults, learning from watching, competing with, and being challenged by people further along the path. It's how traditional dojos have always worked. It's how real character gets built.

Real Striking. Real Defence.

Learn to punch, kick, and fight — blending traditional Kyokushin with practical self-defence and modern stand-up technique.

Progressive for All Abilities

The structured belt system takes you from your very first stance to the dojo floor. No experience required, no ceiling on how far you go.

Confidence Through Achievement

Every belt, every class, every technique landed — it compounds. Students come in uncertain. They leave unshakeable.

極真

Train hard. Fight hard. Never quit. The spirit of Kyokushin is the pursuit of the ultimate truth through the hardest training.

— Masutatsu Oyama, Founder of Kyokushin

For Everyone

One Dojo. All Ages.

From 8 to 80 — Kyokushin meets you where you are and takes you further than you think.

8–12

Juniors

Discipline, focus, and real confidence. Kids develop fast when they train alongside adults — genuine role models on the same floor.

13–17

Teens

Channel the energy. Build something to be proud of. Teens progress quickly and can pursue competition when they're ready.

18–25

Students

Affordable, accessible, and one of the best things you'll do at uni. Saturdays are perfect for casuals fitting training around study.

26–45

Adults

No background required. Just the will to show up. Adults who start later often wonder why they waited so long.

45+

Seniors

Kyokushin builds functional strength, balance, and mental sharpness. Some of our most dedicated students have been well into their 40s and beyond.

The Foundation

The Man Who Built
The Strongest Karate

Masutatsu Oyama

大山倍達

1923 – 1994 · Founder of Kyokushin Karate

Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Used for educational/informational purposes.

In 1964, Masutatsu Oyama formally founded what would become the most demanding karate style ever created. He called it Kyokushin — meaning "the ultimate truth." He wasn't speaking metaphorically.

What set Oyama apart was not just his legendary physical conditioning — spending 18 months in isolated mountain training, meditating, surviving off the land, forging an indestructible spirit — but his relentless pursuit of what actually worked in real combat.

Oyama studied and absorbed the best from multiple fighting arts — traditional karate, boxing, judo, wrestling — refusing to be limited by style or tradition. Where other martial arts protected their techniques, Oyama road-tested everything. The result was a karate that incorporated the footwork and combinations of boxing, the powerful low kicks and conditioning of what would become Muay Thai, and the uncompromising full-contact pressure-testing that no other karate style had dared attempt. Kyokushin was the original mixed martial art.

He then challenged himself with a 300-man kumite — fighting 300 opponents over three consecutive days. He won every fight. No martial artist in history has come close to repeating it.

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300-Man Kumite

Three consecutive days. 300 fights. Every fight won. No other martial artist has attempted anything close.

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The Original MMA

Oyama drew from boxing, wrestling, judo and kickboxing to forge a system built on what works — not tradition alone.

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Mountain Isolation

18 months alone in the mountains — meditating, surviving, and forging the spirit that Kyokushin is built on.

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Global Legacy

Practiced in 130+ countries by over 12 million people. Wellington has trained Kyokushin since 1979.

Wellington Kyokushin is affiliated with the International Kyokushin Organisation (IKO) — Oyama's direct lineage — under the NZ branch of Shihan Stephen Takiwa. When you train here, you train within the authentic Kyokushin tradition he built.

What We Offer

Training Pathways

From your first class to the national stage — a path for every level and every age.

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Foundation · All Levels · All Ages · Gi Required

General Karate

The core of everything. Learn traditional Kyokushin stances, strikes, combinations, kata, and controlled sparring. Where every champion starts — and where beginners feel immediately at home.

Punching & kicking technique
Self-defence applications
Kata (forms) & sparring
Fitness & coordination
Belt progression

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No Gi · Casual Friendly · Saturday Only

Fight & Fitness

No uniform, no formality. High-intensity training drawing from Kyokushin, Muay Thai, and boxing. Pad work, bags, and conditioning — get seriously fit while developing real striking skills. Perfect for casuals and a great way to try the dojo without commitment.

Pad & bag work
Muay Thai & boxing drills
No sparring required
Core & conditioning
No gear needed — just show up

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Advanced · Full Members

Advanced & Fighter

Push past tournament fighting. Advanced multi-art techniques, real self-defence scenarios, high-intensity sparring, and competition prep. For serious students ready to go further.

Advanced sparring
Multi-art combinations
Real self-defence scenarios
Body conditioning
Competition preparation

Your Progression

The Belt Journey

The same belt system practiced across 130 countries. Every grade is earned through grading — not time served. You won't be rushed. When you pass, you've genuinely earned it.

White Belt — Ungraded

Start here

Orange Belt

10th Kyu

Orange Belt black tip

9th Kyu

Blue Belt

8th Kyu

Blue Belt black tip

7th Kyu

Yellow Belt

6th Kyu

Yellow Belt black tip

5th Kyu

Green Belt

4th Kyu

Green Belt black tip

3rd Kyu

Brown Belt

2nd Kyu

Brown Belt black tip

1st Kyu

Black Belt

1st Dan +

What Grading
Looks Like

Gradings are held periodically throughout the year. Your sensei will tell you when you're ready — it won't be rushed, and it won't be handed to you. Results are recognised at IKO affiliated dojos worldwide.

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Kihon — Basics

Stances, punches, kicks, and blocks performed with precision and power. The foundation everything is built on.

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Kata — Forms

Choreographed sequences encoding real fighting techniques. Each kata has a name, a history, and a purpose.

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Kumite — Sparring

Controlled contact fighting at higher grades. This is where training is tested under real pressure.

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Fitness & Conditioning

Kyokushin demands physical toughness. Grading tests your endurance as much as your technique.

When We Train

Schedule

Weekly

Monday

6:00 — 7:30 pm

General Karate Class

Traditional Kyokushin for all levels and all ages. Technique, combinations, kata, and sparring. Beginners through advanced. Gi required.

Weekly

Wednesday

6:00 — 7:30 pm

General Karate Class

Mid-week session. Drill technique, sharpen your game, test yourself. All abilities, all ages welcome. Gi required.

Saturday Special

Saturday

2:00 — 3:30 pm

Fight & Fitness Training

No gi, no formality. Pad work, conditioning, real fighting skills. No uniform needed. Ideal for casuals and a perfect entry point — bring a mate and just show up.

Never trained before? Show up to any session — we'll take care of the rest. The Saturday session is especially welcoming for first-timers. Location: Club Kelburn, 65 Salamanca Road, Kelburn, Wellington.

Getting Started

Simple to Join

Try 1 Week For Free

Come along to any session for one full week at no cost. No obligation, no pressure — just turn up and train. See if it's for you.

Joining is simple and genuinely cost-effective. All you need is a Club Kelburn membership — which gives you access to the facility — plus a small one-off dojo joining fee to register with us and the IKO.

Already a Club Kelburn member? Even better — you only need to pay the small dojo joining fee and you're in. Get in touch and we'll sort the rest.

No lock-in contracts. No expensive gear to start — most beginners begin in comfortable training clothes, and we'll help you sort a gi when you're ready.

Try 1 Week Free

Show up to any session. Wear comfortable clothes. No cost, no commitment — just train.

Get a Club Kelburn Membership

An affordable membership giving access to the Kelburn facility. Already a member? Skip straight to step 3.

Pay the Small Dojo Joining Fee

A one-off fee to register with Wellington Kyokushin and the IKO. We'll walk you through it.

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Unlimited Training

Cost Effective · No Lock-In · All Ages

One membership covers all sessions — Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Train as often as you like and progress at your own pace.

All weekly sessions included
IKO registered grading pathway
Training for all ages & abilities
Experienced, encouraging instructors
Club Kelburn facilities access
Saturday Fight & Fitness — no gi needed
First week completely free

Get In Touch

The Team

Your Instructors

4th Dan Black Belt · Kyokushin

Sensei David Downes

Head Instructor — Karate (All Ages)

Sensei David founded Wellington Kyokushin in 1979 and has been shaping fighters and people ever since. With over 45 years of experience — training in NZ, Australia, Hawaii and Japan with world-renowned masters — his teaching is hard-won and deeply practical. His classes are demanding, purposeful, and full of life. He will push you further than you thought possible.

4th Degree Black Belt45+ Years International TrainingFounded 1979

Black Belt · Kyokushin / Muay Thai

Sempai Sudhir Singh

Head Instructor — Fight & Fitness

Sempai Sudhir brings the energy that will make you question what you've got left — and then find out you have more. A Kyokushin black belt with 16+ years of martial arts experience and 6 years of Muay Thai, trained across NZ, Australia, and Hong Kong. Speed, fitness, and real striking are his weapons. His Saturday sessions are intense, demanding, and the best thing you'll do all week.

Kyokushin Black BeltMuay Thai 6+ Years 16+ Years ExperienceInternational Fighter

What's Coming

Upcoming Events

Apr 2026

Grading

Belt Grading

Demonstrate your progress and test for your next belt. Open to all students who've met the requirements. Every grade is earned — not given. Talk to Sensei David when you think you're ready.

Jun 2026

Tournament · Wellington

NZ Nationals

The New Zealand Kyokushin National Championships are coming to Wellington. The biggest event on the NZ Kyokushin calendar — come and watch the country's best compete, or talk to us about entering.

Every

Saturday

Open Dojo

Bring a Mate Saturday

Every Saturday at 2pm is open to anyone — members and non-members alike. No gi, no experience needed. Bring a mate, try a session, and see what Kyokushin is really about. First visit is always free.

TheStrongestKarate

Tradition MeetsReal Fighting

One Dojo. All Ages.

The Man Who BuiltThe Strongest Karate