About us
Karate with JKA Massey
The JKA Massey karate club was started by Peter Zimmatore (5th dan) and his wife Yuriko (3rd dan) in 2018 after Peter and Yuriko arrived in New Zealand. Prior to their arrival they had lived in Japan for many years and studied at the JKA hombu dojo in Tokyo.
They are both lifetime members of the Japan Karate Association which practises the Shotokan style as developed by Master Funakoshi. The dojo is run on similar lines to the hombu dojo in Japan and follows a traditional Japanese style of instruction.
Sensei
Peter Zimmatore
Founder & Chief Instructor, 5th dan
Peter Zimmatore is the Chief instructor of JKA Massey.
Peter began his training with Enoeda sensei in England.
In 2003 he moved to Japan to study at the JKA Headquarter dojo (hombu).
Peter and Yuriko set up home just 500 metres from the hombu dojo in Tokyo
which gave them the opportunity to train every week with the JKA's senior instructors. He and Yuriko returned to Japan and started JKA Karuizawa as the hombu dojo for the JKA Massey group.
Peter is 5th dan, B instructor, C judge and C examiner.
Yuriko Zimmatore
Founder & Instructor, 3rd dan
Yuriko and Peter run JKA Massey as joint instructors.
Yuriko started karate in Japan at the hombu dojo in Tokyo where both she and Peter are lifetime members.
Yuriko is 3rd dan, C instructor, C judge, and D examiner.
Basil Sharp
JKA Massey Silverdale
Instructor, 5th dan
Bas’s karate journey started in 1969. In 1974 he took a break and spent the next 5 years completing his university education in the US. Today, he is Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Auckland.
Bas was graded ni-dan and san-dan by Osaka sensei, and yon-dan and go-dan by Naka sensei. Before COVID he was a regular participant at JKA HQ training camps in Tokyo. He has instructed at a number of JKA dojo in Auckland.
Bas is 5th dan, C instructor, C judge, and C examiner.
Dave Wells
JKA Massey Milford
Instructor, 4th dan
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Kriez Cuevas
JKA Massey Milford
JKA Massey Chairman, Instructor, 2nd dan
Kriez started karate under Takahashi Masanori sensei in the JKA Philippines over 40 years ago.
When Peter and Yuriko sensei arrived in 2018, Kriez started training with them at the Massey University dojo. He now has his own dojo in Milford which he runs with his wife Teresa.
Kriez is 2nd dan, D instructor.
Teresa Cuevas
JKA Massey Milford
General Secretary, Instructor, 1st dan
Teresa started karate under Takahashi Masanori sensei in the JKA Philippines over 40 years ago.
Teresa also joined up with Peter and Yuriko at the Massey University dojo and now runs the JKA Massey dojo in Milford along with her husband Kriez.
Teresa is 1st dan, Massey D instructor.
Dennis Reid
JKA Massey Silverdale
Instructor assistant, 2nd dan
Dennis is 2nd dan.
About Karate
SHOTOKAN 松濤館
sho 松 - pine
to 濤 - wave, billow
shoto 松濤 - Master Funakoshi's pen name
kan 館 - hall, building
Funakoshi Gichin is known as the father of modern day karate. He was born in 1868 in Okinawa and as a boy studied karate under two masters, Master Itosu and Master Azato.
He became a school teacher and introduced karate into the Okinawan public school system, training in karate all the while with both masters. It was during this time that Okinawan karate emerged from its seclusion to become a legally sanctioned martial art.
In 1922 he was invited to demonstrate karate in mainland Japan by the Japanese Ministry of Education. This made such a powerful impression on the Japanese people that he was besieged with requests to remain in Japan and continue to teach, which he did.
His first dojo in Tokyo was named after him by his students, shoto > pine waves (Funakoshi's pen name), kan > building and this was eventually used as the name of his style of karate.
In 1955, the Japan Karate Association (JKA) was established in which Funakoshi served as chief instructor until his death in 1957.