Shorinjiryu Kenyukai Watanabe-Ha Karate Australia is a school of the Shorinjiryu style that is, as its name infers, based in Australia.

Shorinjiryu Karatedo Australia was founded in the late 1970’s by Shihan Laurence Vanniekerk, a direct student of Kaiso Kori Hisataka. Following his retirement in the mid-1980’s, Shihan Phill Hooper and Shihan Scott Brown took over as joint chief instructors until their retirements.

Currently Shihan Jim Griffin (Queensland) and Shihan Max Estens (NSW) serve as joint Chief Instructors.

In 2007, the Australian Shorinjiryu Karatedo Association officially became a branch of the Shorinjiryu Kenyukai Watanabe-Ha World Federation, under the auspices of Kaicho Shunji Watanabe, Hanshi 9th Dan. In joining Kaicho Watanabe, we are returning to the roots of Shorinjiryu, practicing a form that is true to the original teachings of the founder, Shinan Kori Hisataka (1907-1988).

The Australian Shorinjiryu Karatedo Association is the association for Shorinjiryu Kenyukai Watanabe-Ha Karate Australia. Incorporated as an association in Queensland in the early 1980’s, Australian Shorinjiryu Karatedo currently has a number of dojos in Brisbane, North Queensland, Northern NSW and Sydney and is a member of the Shorinjiryu Kenyukai Watanabe-Ha World Federation and the Shorinjiryu Shinzen Kyokai.