Inducted into the A.M.A.H.O.F.(Inc) for 2002
AIKIDO MARTIAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Inducted into the W.K.U.H.O.F. for 2002
AIKIDO MARTIAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Sensei Katie Noad was born in Melbourne in March 1957 and moved to Perth with her family in 1963. Attended Applecross Primary and Senior High Schools. She was involved in netball, tennis and chess at primary school, hockey and softball at high school. Also tried ju-jitsu for a very short time at the local YMCA. She cannot remember much about the ju-jitsu apart from not knowing how to fall well and being the only girl in the group. In 1976 Sensei Noad returned to Melbourne to study photography.
After commencing aikido in 1980, one job she had was working with children and youth in St Kilda, an area with its fair share of social problems. The children knew she did aikido and one day she pulled aside a frustrated 15-year old who was bullying one of the younger children. He was a well built boy who played rugby. He confronted her with a brick in hand. Sensei Noad had not learnt any techniques against bricks at that early stage in her aikido practise!
Because of her position of authority as a supervisor of the after-school adventure playground she could not back down no matter how scared she was so she kept her distance, trying to avoid getting hurt and tried to give the boy an out without losing face in front of the other children. In the end he threw the brick at an inanimate object (not her) and stomped off. No-one was hurt and no-one lost face.
In 1985, after approximately 9 years living in Melbourne, doing various jobs and having been hooked on aikido for 5 years, Sensei Noad headed to Japan for a year to train. The one year became four and she returned to Australia with her partner Noriko Shimada and established a dojo in Perth in 1989.
MARTIAL ARTS BIOGRAPHY
Japan Aikido Association 4th Dan (1993 lst April, Heisei 6) tested by Nariyama and Shishida Sensei. Certificate #557 signed by Fusae Tomiki
Japan Aikido Association 3rd Dan (1988 15th February, Showa 63) tested by Iso and Futami Sensei. Certificate #4559 signed by Fusae Tomiki
Japan Aikido Association 2nd Dan (1987 15th January, Showa 62) tested by Futami Sensei. Certificate #4162 signed by Fusae Tomiki
Japan Aikido Association 1st Dan (1985 lst December, Showa 60) tested by Iso Sensei. Certificate #3955 signed by Ohba Sensei
Nihon Budo Kokusai Renmei: Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu Shodan (1987 30th September, Showa 62), nominated by Yoshio Sugino. Certificate # 28 signed by Minoru Mochizuki and Sumihito Kannoin
Sensei Noad commenced Aikido in Melbourne in 1980 under Sensei Leoni Gay (now MacFarlane). In 1985 she travelled to Japan and trained for four years in Tokyo under the Japan Aikido Association instructors: Iso Sensei, Futami Sensei., Sakai Sensei, Obara Sensei and Shihans Nariyama and Shishida.
In 1986/87 she became a member of Sugino Dojo in Kawasaki to practise the classical martial style of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu under Yoshio Sugino Sensei (classified by the Japanese government as a National Living Treasure) and Hatakeyama Sensei.
1985 – 2nd place Kanto (Tokyo ) Area, Embu (kata competition)
1986 – 3rd place Kanto Area Embu
1987 – 3rd place All Japan Embu
1988 – 2nd place Kanto Area Embu
Before returning to Australia in 1989, she trained with and coached Japanese women at the Tokyo YMCA Aikido Club. She returned to Australia in 1989 and established Keishinkan dojo in Perth., teaching aikido and Katori Shinto Ryu. Sensei Noad instigated the establishment, and became a founding member, of the Network for Women in Martial Arts (WinMA) WA. A group established in 1990 to support and promote women’s participation in martial arts and self defence training.
Between 1990 and 1997 as well as instructing Aikido, Sensei Noad also taught Women’s Self Defence courses and gave seminars on women’s self defence for various community groups. Some of her other achievements since have been:
| 1992 | : | Commenced studying leisure science at university as a mature age student |
| 1992 | : | Devised, choreographed and performed “Standing Strong”, a theatre piece for women and girls about sexual, physical and verbal harassment/abuse.This gained government support through a grant and toured local schools and community groups. |
| 1992 | : | Coordinated and administrated 6th National WinMA Training Camp and Seminar. |
| 1994 | : | Women’s Sport Foundation of WA (now Womensport) motivational speaker, visiting primary and high schools. |
| 1996 | : | Coordinated and administrated the 10th National WinMA Training Camp and Seminar. |
| 1996 | : | Graduated Leisure Sciences with First Class Honours having presented a paper on “Women’s Experience of Aikido” |
| March 1999 | : | Commenced teaching aikido as a component of the WA Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) theatre course. |
| August 1999 | : | Was a kata competition judge for the first Australian International Tomiki Aikido Festival, held in Brisbane. |
| October 1999 | : | Staged the first Perth Aikido FriendshipSeminar as part of Keishinkan’s 10th anniversary celebrations. This was attended by local instructors and members from six different aikido schools. A first for Perth. |
| September 2001 | : | Instrumental in organising the second Perth Aikido Friendship Seminar. |
With regular visits to Japan by Sensei Noad and her students and visits to Keishinkan by her instructors, she has maintained a strong connection to the sources of her arts. Most recently, Sensei Noad and her students participated in the 4th International Aikido Festival held in Osaka in October 2001.
New connections have also been made with an Osaka based Kyudo (Japanese archery) Organisation and a Hokkaido based Daito ryu Aiki jujutsu Organisation.
The exposure to these arts and organisations helps maintain a dynamic training and studying environment