Sensei Howard Mutton 7th Dan

Sensei Howard Mutton’s early training was in Perth under local instructor Sensei Denis Purvis who taught a brand of karate that was a subtle mix of Kyokushinkai and Shotokan. Trips to Malaysia during this time to train and compete gave Sensei Howard a broader view of the karate world and following a period in Perth running a successful dojo, he joined what was then the Shotokan Karate Association of Australia (now SKIA) in 1980. This was headed by the renown karate instructor the late Sensei Frank Nowak who proved to be one the most inspirational teachers Sensei Howard had known. His mix of beauty of movement combined with extreme power and speed had a great influence on the karate of Howard Mutton.

During his time with SKIA, Sensei Howard had the fortune to train with a number of famous international instructors one of whom was the renowned founder of Shotokan Karate International the late Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa. Another was Sensei Hitoshi Kasuya who left SKI in 1990 and formed the World Shotokan Karate-do Federation. Sensei Howard followed suit and left SKIA in 1995 to join Kasuya Sensei at WSKF.

Today Sensei Howard is one of the most senior WSKF instructors in Australia with over 50 years training and teaching Shotokan Karate. He has travelled to Japan many times to train and follows the philosophy and style as taught by Kasuya Sensei.

Grading history:
• Shodan (1st Dan) 1975 (Denis Purvis Sensei )
• Nidan (2nd Dan) 1984 (Kanazawa Sensei)
• Sandan (3rd Dan) 1987 (Kasuya Sensei)
• Yondan (4th Dan) 1993 (Kanazawa Sensei)
• Godan (5th Dan) 1999 (Kasuya Sensei)
• Rokudan (6th Dan) 2008 (Kasuya Sensei)
• Nanadan (7th Dan) 2019 (Kasuya Sensei)

Sensei Osmar Couto 4th Dan

In 1985, Sensei Osmar started training traditional Karate-do Shotokan in his hometown in Brazil. He also tried different martial arts, such as Aikido, Tae-kwon-do and Kendo through his youth and although these other martial arts had their appeal regarding the variety of techniques compared to karate, he always came back to train Shotokan karate.
Under the JKA umbrella, he had trained in different cities and countries until he moved to WSKF when he arrived in Perth. He thinks that the modern approach to karate’s techniques and the understanding that everything needs to evolve so is Karate, made Sensei Osmar decide to stay with WSKF for all these years. To him, assessing what is happening with karate in the world as a martial art and as a sport, for some, brings new thoughts all the time. Further, the high-level training techniques with a very select group on the Maylands’ dojo makes the training sessions different and motivational.
Sensei Osmar believes that Karate is in the heart, not in the power of the techniques. Power may fade as one grows old. The will to bring one back to the dojo for another training session comes from the heart; it is the feeling of training that makes a karate-ka feel better not the power of his techniques. Kendo is still something he intends to pursue when time allows, but will never replace karate. He hopes to keep training with WSKF for many years to come.
Karate has shown Sensei Osmar the importance of developing his character, respect, honesty and loyalty regarding his Senseis over three decades of karate training. These are qualities that he regards and follows almost as a religion. He cites a particular sentence from the Shotokan Dojo-Kun (training hall) rules: “Hitotsu, Jinkaku Kansei Ni Tsutomeru Koto” free translation to English: “Seek perfection of one’s character”, this epitomises WSKF. Sensei Osmar Couto is an instructor at the Maylands (WA) dojo.

Grading history:
• Shodan (1st Dan) 1996 (Sensei Marcelo Cerqueira)
• Nidan (2nd Dan) 2001 (Sensei Marcelo Cerqueira)
• Sandan (3rd Dan) 2013 (Sensei Howard Mutton)
• Yondan (4th Dan) 2017 (Kasuya Sensei)

SENSEI EDWARD MUSOLE 3rd Dan

Sensei Edward actually began his martial arts training with Tae Kwon Do when he was 8 years of age at 15 however, he discovered and fell in love with, Shotokan karate.

Arriving in Australia to commence university studies for accounting and business, Sensei Edward heard about the Maylands Shotokan dojo and joined there nearly 8 years ago being coached and mentored by that club’s senior instructors. In 2016 he was rewarded for his effort by achieving the rank of Shodan (1^stDan Black Belt).

Sensei Edward believes the true essence of Karate-Do lies not in rank, creed or status, but in a balanced state of mind, which in turn must form a distinct equilibrium with an individual’s entire well being, physically, spiritually and mentally. The study and practice of modern Karate-Do daily has brought Sensei Edward closer to accomplishing this uniform state of being and he therefore remains keen to pass on his knowledge to students of all ages. Currently he is running a very successful dojo south of Perth in the suburb of Baldivis from which a number of skilled young students have attained their  black belt and continue to promote karate in that area.

For Sensei Edward karate remains a way of life and a journey that is always opening new discoveries, challenges and successes.

Grading history:

• Shodan (1st Dan) 2016 (Sensei Howard Mutton)
• Nidan (2nd Dan) 2018 (Sensei Howard Mutton)
• Sandan (3rd Dan) 2021 (Sensei Howard Mutton)