About Sensei

Sensei Sandra Contreras, founder of OKUKAN dojo, Shitoryu, Melbourne Australia

Sandra Contreras (5th Dan), is founder of OKUKAN Dojo and of the Kindy Karate program.

Originally from Venezuela, she is an accomplished karateka. She was a Dojo assistant to the President of the Pan-American Shitoryu Karate Federation, Master Shoko Sato in the early 90’s. She was an unbeatable champion in her teens and early twenties and, as a result of Master Sato’s teaching, she became the sole representative of the Venezuelan National Team in the specialty of female kata, from 1990 to 1994. Sandra was a multiple medallist at the Karate events within the Pan-American Olympic Cycle (tournaments for selection toward Olympic participation) and won awards including National Athlete of the Year 1992, granted by the Venezuelan Sports Institute.

Sensei Sandra Contreras receiving Dan certificate from Master Shoko Sato (Hanshi), Venezuela.

Sensei Sandra continues to train and teach with passion for genuine karate.

Sports Karate Snapshot

Member of the Venezuelan National Team for three consecutive years (1991-1994)

Multiple medalist at Shoko Sato Cup

Medalist at the Pan-American Olympic cycle tournaments

National Athlete of the Year 1992, Venezuelan Sports Institute

 

Profile

2023 Hosting of OKUKAN TAIKAI. MSAC, Melbourne, Australia

2022 Hosting of OKUKAN TAIKAI. MSAC, Melbourne, Australia

2019 Hosting of OKUKAN TAIKAI. MSAC, Melbourne, Australia

2018 International style-based tournament award. 15th APSKF Championships. Jakarta, Indonesia.

  • 1st Place kata (Veteran)

2017 Interview, ABC Radio Brisbane (International Women’s Day). By Kat Feeney & Rebecca Sparrow.

2016 Became an Official for the Australian Karate Federation. Currently National KATA Judge A & National KUMITE Referee B.

2016 Founded OKUKAN and Kindy Karate in Melbourne

2014 Hosting of IV OKUKAN Anniversary Championships. Brisbane, Australia.

2014 NAS National All Styles Queensland Rd1, Brisbane, Australia.

  • 2nd Place Forms (Black Belt Open category)

2013 Opened classes at Judith Wright Center of Contemporary Arts – Fortitude Valley

2011 – 2014 Promoted Karate among a female-only group, exclusively delivered to clients at the Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (OKUKAN QPASTT).

2010 Founded first OKUKAN Dojo: OKUKAN, Shitoryu Karatedo/Shitokai at Brisbane Powerhouse

2010 Awarded Coaching Accreditation. Australian Sports Commission.

2008 Tournament award. Shukokai Open, Melbourne, Australia

  • 1st Place kata (Veteran)
  • 2st Place kata (open category)

2003 Seminar attendance with Master Kenei Mabuni, Melbourne, Australia

2001 Moved to Australia after living in London for eighteen months.

1998 National style-based tournament award. Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Copa Shoko Sato, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1996 National tournament award. XIV Aniv. Karate C.M. Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.
  • 3rd Place kumite.

1996 National tournament award. Fevekarate Campeonato Central. Caracas, Vzla.

  • 2nd Place kumite
  • 1st Place kata.

1996 National tournament award. Shotokan Karate-do International Venezuela, 5th Copa Kanazawa, Copa McCormick, black belt. Caracas

  • 1st Place kata.

1996 Tournament award. 1er Campeonato de Karate-do Copa Alepsi Herrera. Coro, Vzla.

  • 2nd Place female team.

1995 National Tournament award. Karate-Do Shitoryu. Dojo Miyagi-Ken. Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1994 For one year studied Ryuei-ryu, attending classes with Shihan Manuel Pazos at Seito Karate Association of Venezuela. Also, attended Seminar with Master Tsuguo Sakumoto, San Diego, U.S.A. Then returned to Dojo Shoko Sato.

1993 International tournament award. Olympic Cycle tournament. XVII Juegos Deportivos Centroamericanos y del Caribe. Ponce, Puerto Rico

  • 2nd Place kata.

1993 International tournament award. Olympic Cycle tournament. XII Juegos Bolivarianos. Cochabamba, Bolivia

  • 1st Place kata.
  • 2nd Place kumite.

1993 National style-based tournament award. XXI Copa Shoko Sato, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st  Place kata.
  • 1st  Place kumite.

1993 National tournament award. XI Aniversario Circulo Militar, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 2nd Place kata.

1993 National tournament award. II Copa Simon Bolivar F.V.K.D. (Venezuelan Karate-Do Federation), Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1993 National tournament award. XI Aniversario karate-do CM Campeón Nevex, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1993 Tournament award. XVII Aniversario academia A. Castillo. Copa Esposos Romero.

  • 1st Place kata.

1993 International bilateral exchange between National Venezuelan Team and National Cuban Team, La Habana, Cuba. Symbolic mention: 1st place in kata.

1993 ‘Outstanding Athlete’ State-wide Award. Issued by Asociación de Karate-do del Estado Miranda, Vzla.

1993 Overseas tournament award. National Open Championships, Osaka, Japan.

  • 3rd Place kata.

1993 Selected Member of the Venezuelan National Team by the Venezuelan Karate-Do Federation (F.V.K.D.) to represent the country in the specialty of Individual Kata at all official tournaments, 1993-1994.

1993 Selected by the Shitoryu Karatedo Association of Venezuela to represent the country in the specialty of Individual Kata at the first World Shitoryu Karate Federation Tournament, Japan. Notable team members included: Sensei Eduardo Riveros and Sensei Luis Alberte.

Sensei Sandra Contreras (OKUKAN dojo) Selected Member of the Venezuelan National Team by the Venezuelan Karate-Do Federation (F.V.K.D.) to represent the country in the specialty of Individual Kata at all official tournaments, 1993-1994.

1992 National tournament award. Campeonato Internacional de Karate-do Apoteosis Nuevo Mundo. Copa Kanazawa. Caracas, Vzla.

  • 2nd Place kumite.
  • 1st Place kata.

1992 Tournament award. X Karate-do C.F.A gimnasio multicentro kata champion, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1992 National tournament award. F.V.K.D. (Venezuelan Karate-Do Federation) Campeonato nacional adulto. kata femenino. Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1992 ‘Athlete of the Year’ National Award. Granted by the Instituto Nacional de Deportes (Trans. National Sports Institute equivalent to the Australian Sports Commission), Venezuela.

1992 Selected Member of the Venezuelan National Team by the Venezuelan Karate-Do Federation (F.V.K.D.) to represent the country in the specialty of Individual kata.

1992 International tournament award. Curacao International Tournament, Curacao

  • 3rd Place kata.

1992 National tournament award. X Aniversario Circulo Militar, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 2nd Place kata.

1992 National tournament award. VI Campeonato Nacional Adultos F.V.K.D. (Venezuelan Karate-Do Federation), Caracas, Vzla.

  • 3rd Place kumite.

1992 National style-based tournament award. XX Copa Shoko Sato, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata Individual.
  • 1st Place kumite Individual.
  • 2nd Place kumite Team.

1992 National tournament award. III Torneo Karate-Do Gojyu Kan Sur, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 2nd Place kata.
  • 3rd Place kumite.

1992 Selected Member of the Venezuelan National Team by the Karate Do Federation of Venezuela (F.V.K.D.) to represent the country in the specialty of Individual Kata at all official tournaments, 1992-1993.

1991 Tournament award. IV International Shindo-ryu kata marron-negro femenino, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1991 Selected Member of the Venezuelan National Team by the Venezuelan Karate-Do Federation (F.V.K.D.) to represent the country in the specialty of Individual Kata at all official tournaments, 1991-1992.

1991 Appointed ‘assistant’ to Panamerican President of Shitokai, Kyoshi Shoko Sato. One year duration.

1991 National style-based tournament award. Association Shito-Ryu de Venezuela. Nueva Esparta, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.
  • 3rd Place Kumite.

1991 National style-based tournament award. XIX Shoko Sato, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.
  • 1st Place kumite.
  • 1st Place kumite Team.

1991 National tournament award. III Nacional USKIV. Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1990 National style-based tournament award. Maltin polar al campeon. II Campeonato Nacional de Karate-do Shitoryu

  • 1st Place kumite.
  • 1st Place kata.

1990 National style-based tournament award. X Campeonato Nacional Shitoryu

  • 1st Place kata.

1990 National tournament award. II Campeonato Nacional. Copa Gimnasio Seibu-Kan, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.
  • 1st Place kumite.

1990 National style-based tournament award. X Campeonato Nacional de Karate-do Shito-Ryu. Barquisimeto, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1990 National tournament award. Copa Internacional de Karate-do Omnivision. Parque Naciones Unidas, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1989 National tournament award. Campeonato Nacional de Karate-do Copa Rafael Rosales Pena El gobernador, Campeon, Barinas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1989 National style-based tournament award. Shitoryu Copa Cayco. Merida, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.

1989 National tournament award. III Campeonato Nacional F.V.K.D. (Venezuelan Karate-Do Federation), Caracas, Vzla.

  • 2nd Place kata.
  • 4th Place Kumite.

1988 National style-based tournament award. XVI Copa Shoko Sato. Ciudad Guayana, Vzla.

  • 3rd Place Kumite.
  • 2nd Place kata.

1988 National tournament award. I Copa Internacional Ippon, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 2nd Place kata.

1988 National style-based tournament award. Copa Las Llaves S.A. Shoko Sato, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.
  • 1st Place kumite.

1987 Moved to Caracas. On recommendation of Sensei Carlos Torres, Sandra became a direct student of Master Shoko Sato. During the years of training at Dojo Shoko Sato she received classes from Master Sato as well as from his students: Sensei Javier Mantilla, Sensei Jorge Argotte, Sensei Maria Elena Quiñones, Sensei Francisco Arteaga, Sensei Marco Generani, Sensei Mibelli, Sensei Frank Pugarita and Sensei Kenji Sato.

1987 National style-based tournament award. XV Copa Shoko Sato, Caracas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.
  • 3rd Place kumite.

1986 Sandra became a student of Master Shoko Sato’s representative in the State of Lara, Sensei Carlos Torres. Sandra obtained 2nd Kyu in Shito-Ryu. Examination undertaken by Master Shoko Sato, Barquisimeto.

1985 Enrolled with Nicolas Quiles (Shotokan) in Barquisimeto. Nicolas changed style and started teaching Shito-Ryu (Shoko Sato). For various reasons Sandra’s mother decided later to take Sandra to a different Karate school.

1985 National style-based tournament award. 27th Aniversario Sintrajhosp. Dojo Tanabe, Barquisimeto, Vzla.

  • 2nd Place kumite.
  • 3nd Place kata.

1983 Tanabe local championships, Cabimas, Vzla.

  • 1st Place kata.
  • 3rd Place kumite.

1982 Enrolled in Dojo Gerardo Acosta (Shotokan). For various reasons Sandra’s mother decided later to take her to a different Karate school.

1982 Attended lessons with cousins during holidays (teachers Sensei Raul Delima & Sensei Rubén Mavares), Cabimas, Venezuela.

1982 Moved to Barquisimeto, Venezuela.

1970 Born in Merida, Venezuela.

OTHER TOURNAMENT AWARDS NO DATE RECORDED

National tournament award (n.d.) Kodokai. Shotokan Karate-Do International.

  • 1st Place kata.

National tournament award (n.d.) Nihon Koden Shindo Ryu AKSV.

  • 1st Place kata.

National tournament award (n.d.) Seito Karate-Do de Venezuela.

  • 1st place kata.

National tournament award (n.d.) Campeonato Nacional F.V.K.D. (Venezuelan Karate-Do Federation).

  • 3rd Place kumite.

EDUCATION OUTSIDE KARATE

2012 PhD. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

2012 Certificate IV in Business Management (CertIV BusMgt). Sarina Russo Group, Brisbane, Australia.

2002 Master of Visual Arts (MVA). Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.

2000 Cambridge First Certificate, English as a Foreign Language, Lewisham College, London, England.

1996 Diseñador Gráfico (Trans. Graphic Designer). Instituto de Diseño Perera, Caracas, Venezuela.

1987 Bachiller en Humanidades (high school studies, major in humanities). Liceo Francisco Espejo, Caracas, Venezuela.

okukan karate coburg
OKUKAN Karate Melbourne

Phone:

0490 112 360

Address:

9 Hunt Street, Coburg, Melbourne Australia, 3058

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday 8:30am to 8:30pm

Saturday 7:00am to 5:00pm

Closed: Sunday and public holidays

Email:

[email protected]

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