TOM Smithson is nine and already a two-year veteran of karate. He recently returned from Japan after competing in his first Junior Okinawa Karate World Tournament where he earned a ranking in the top 16.

That was from 127 competitors in the Junior Boys and Girls II Category, of which 119 were from Okinawa, six from mainland Japan and two from overseas. 

“Japan was my first time overseas and I adored it,” he says. “My favourite part was competing, but we saw lots of really cool things, too.”

Tom trains at Kodokan Cummings Karate Dojo in Mitchell under Sensei Reece Cummings.

“I’ve always liked martial arts so I got started because I found this amazing dojo and have such a great sensei to teach me,” says Tom.

While he admits he was nervous while competing in front of a crowd of 2000 people, Tom is looking forward to doing it again.

Competitions in Japan occur every four years, says Sensei Reece, who earned a top 16 position himself, in the male adult division.

Reece moved to Canberra 13 years ago with no intention of starting his own school, but he has since created a community to be proud of.

“I moved here and I was looking for somewhere to train rather than start a dojo,” says Reece.

He found a room in a film studio in Mitchell and trained there, by the end of the year he had three or four students.

Now, Kodokan Cummings Karate Dojo has between 270-300 students actively training.

In the dojo’s name, Kodokan translates as “a place to study the old ways”  and refers to the study of traditional Okinawan karate and kobudo.

Reece says: “Our actual karate style is Shorin-ryu, sometimes called Matsubayashiryu.

“Shorin-ryu translates as ‘pine forest style’. Our karate style is specifically Okinawan, which is the birthplace of karate.”

In the lead up to his competition, Tom was doing four classes a week in the dojo as well as doing private lessons with Reece once or twice a week.

“I love to come every night if I can, I even do some training at home, but I’ve still got lots of learning to do,” says Tom.

Reece has been training for more than 20 years, and on the trip he was promoted to the rank of fifth-degree black belt by three karate masters, which is an internationally recognised rank.

It makes him only the second person in Australia within the relevant discipline to achieve this level, and one of the youngest in the world.

Reece was also invited, as one of eight individual demonstrations, to represent the Okinawan Prefectural Karate-do Federation at the World Tournament’s opening ceremony.

“Representing my karate style and the Okinawan Prefectural Karate-do Federation – alongside some of the world’s most senior karate instructors – is an honour and highlight of my 20-plus years in the martial arts, and one that I will never forget,” says Reece.

And he’s quite the inspiration to Tom, who says: “I want to be like Reece when I grow up. I want to own my own dojo, and help people.”

Tom has successfully earned his blue belt (eighth level). The furthest he can earn at his age is a purple belt (tenth level).

“Once Tom turns 14, he can then join the seniors program, and black belt minimum age is 16,” says Reece.

“Being able to be involved in other people’s journeys like Tom’s is something that has always been rewarding because you can see the development of others and the growth in their passion and enthusiasm,” says Reece.