Instructor Profiles

Sensei Brett Cross 3rd Dan

Sensei Brett started his martial arts journey over 30 years ago in 1984 at the age of 9 at Burwood RSL under his father Sensei Brian Cross 3rd dan. Sensei Brian taught Brett for over 18 years and was very instrumental in his karate journey. His father taught there from around 1980 till 1990 then moving to Highbury Rd Squash in Burwood until 1997 before moving to Box Hill High School.

At that time Wally Maclean was Chief Instructor of Wado Ryu Australia. Brett was Junior Wado-Ryu Champion for many years before he entered the senior competitions where he then took out Senior Champion. Not only did he dominate in the kumite (fighting) event within Victorian Wado Ryu but also against other styles in many domestic tournaments through his competitive years. He has represented Victoria in National titles and twice victorious in the Australian Open Championships. He has also competed in the World Wado-Ryu Championships in Tokyo, Japan in 1998.

Sensei Brett started teaching classes in 2002 for his father at The Red Cross Hall in East Ringwood with the assistance of Sensei Mark Coulter.The club at the time was very small but was a great experience to get started.

In 2007 Kyokushin Mooroolbark run by Brett Thompson was looking for someone else to share their dojo. It was kind of strange to have two different style of karate in the same dojo but it worked well. Kyokushin would train Tuesday and Thursday and Wado Kai on Monday,Wednesday,Friday and Saturdays.

In 2014 Sensei Brett took over the dojo from Kyokushin and started teaching karate full time. In 2015 Sensei Brett decided to leave the organisation he was with Wado Ryu of Japan Australia led by Chief Instructor Clive Waymouth to start his life long dream of running his own karate school. Sensei Brett and Sensei Clive remain great friends. Brett was then approached by Chief Instructor of Wado Kai Australia Sensei John Gittus 5th dan to take over the Wado Kai name. It was perfect timing. Sensei John drops into the dojo regularly to check the high standard of Wado Kai karate.
 
Sensei Brett was graded to 1st dan in 2000, 2nd dan in 2005 and 3rd dan in 2009 by world renowned Japanese Sensei Masafumi Shiomitsu 9th dan Chief Instructor of Wado Ryu Academy

Sensei Brett was an assistant State Victorian Kumite coach in 2011 and 2012

He is an accredited coach under The National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS)