Instructor Profiles
Presented below are profiles of the instructors at the UQ Karate Club. All of the club's senior instructors have over fifteen years of experience in karate. Many of the instructors have gained proficiency in other martial arts too.
Shihan Sinn Chew: Chief Instructor (5th Dan)
Sinn Chew has over 35 years experience. His talent for Goju Karate was developed and influenced by his formative years as a student of Shotokan, GojuRyu, Kick-boxing, Jin Wu Koon KungFu and Judo/Jujitsu.
His commitment to GojuRyu is unequalled with a long standing commitment to bring about the very best in each and every student. His teaching style undoubtedly optimises the body, strengthen the mind and encourage the fighting spirit. He is truly an inspiration to his students, or to any new or senior student interested and passionate about learning Karate, and keeping fit with self defense skills in mind. Sinn Sensei is unique in that he continually de-mystifies the ancient martial arts, and demonstrates the relationship between the traditional basics and modern fighting methodologies.
Renshi Craig Bates: Senior Instructor (4th Dan)
Craig commenced his training in 1989 and progressed strongly through the ranks, obtaining his Black Belt within Goju Karate in 1995. Craig's main focus is based around the aspects of traditional Karate, but has also competed and won in sports karate at both local and international level.
Craig also has studied and incorporated other Martial Arts styles and techniques such as Ju-Jitsu, weapons training such as Filipino Arnis, Bo & others. Driven by his passion for the Martial Arts, Fitness and the enjoyment of pushing the boundaries of self improvement, Craig has trained for constantly for almost 20 years; always looking forward, always growing, adding and improving his martial arts abilities.
Craig's personal goal within Karate is to make each technique work, regardless of a person’s size, build or sex. Craig being small in stature knows it can be all too easy to dismiss techniques because of body sizes. In his training and development of Karate he constantly shows the way of how a person of lesser size can overcome any opponent, using qualified techniques & the correct mental approach.
Renshi Allan McNevin: Senior Instructor (4th Dan)
Allan started his training in 1989 alongside Craig. Training was in Goju Karate at the Bray Park PCYC under sempai Ron Keleher, a super fit Nidan with a perfectionist attitude. Craig and Allan were the only students to gain their black belts whilst the club was in existence, and during their time there classes grew from one and a half hour sessions to three hours with one and a half hour warm-ups on some occasions. Training was mostly basics, Kata and a bit of Kumite. Pretty soon, Allan and Craig were traveling around to multiple dojo's and attending seminars in whatever was on at the time.
Over the years Allan has had exposure to a number of different martial arts, including the Filipino art of Arnis and Japanese art of Ju-jutsu. Allan currently spends his time training in Goju Karate and Matayoshi style Kobudo (Traditional Okinawan Weaponry). Allan's most favourite part of Karate is the practice of Kata and Bunkai (application of Kata), however he also loves to get into Kumite (sparring) including Ne waza (ground fighting techniques), and pretty much thinks any training is fun.
Past Chief Instructors
| 1993 to 2005 | Jerry Collins |
| 1983 to 1993 | Peter Zavalishin |
| Peter Neilsen | |
| Kim Tvede | |
| 1978 to 1983 | Shane Klease |