About Us

Club History

WAMA has been established since 1994, however our style of Karate has been taught in Ipswich for over 30 years by a variety of instructors including Shihan Graham Keleher.

Originally our club was a member of the Australian Academy of Martial Arts till 2009 when we became an Australian Karate Federation club in our own right. Shihan Keleher, who has established the AAMA Wishart Hombu Dojo in 1972, started his first branch at Ipswich. This club began at the WPO hall at Brassall then moved to a number of locations before it long association with the Ipswich PCYC.

The West Moreton Academy of Martial Arts grew from this early club, and began at the Goodna Neighborhood hall in July 1994. We then moved to the CWA hall at Greenwood village then to the Redbank Plains High school before locating to the Redbank School of Arts. Then finally back at Redbank Plains State High School where we have trained for the past 3 years.

In 2001 our head instructor Mr. Murry Burrows, a high school teacher, began teaching Karate at Laidley State High School. At first it was only lunch time and after school lessons, then in 2002 the first senior subject of Karate Theory and Practice began. This subject is integrated into the board subject of recreational studies and is taught to year 11 and 12 students. This year will see a year 10 Karate class along with the present year 11 and 12 classes and our very popular after school Karate which also teaches to the local primary school.