By Staff Reporter
Taipan Barnett is one of Tsar Fight Club’s most promising young students.
The martial arts academy, based in North Sunshine, is like a second home for Barnett.
For him and his fellow students, it’s effectively an extended family.
Barnett was recognised by the Tsar Fight Club during last month’s NAIDOC Week, which celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The 16-year-old from Altona is exceptionally talented at karate, a sport in which he is a two-time Victorian full contact champion.
He is also proudly of Indigenous and Torres Straight Islander heritage.
Barnett’s indigenous background comes from his father and grandmother’s bloodlines, which stem back to the Wuthathi in far North Queensland and Torres Strait Island.
Barnett is adept in activities passed on by his father and grandmother such as artwork and playing the didgeridoo.
The martial art that Barnett practises is a traditional Okinawan karate called Shorin Ryu Sui-Di.
Barnett has an impressive undefeated record in his past three years of full-contact karate competition.
Tsar Fight Club sensei Dusko Trifunovic described Barnett as an “amazing young athlete”.
Barnett’s next goal is to become an Australian full-contact champion.
He has dreams of travelling to Japan to train with Grandmaster Hanshi Koichi Nakasone in Okinawa.
