Why Lionheart Academy?

There are many ways to enjoy KARATE- as a highly stimulating form of sports and fitness, an effective method of self-defense, a structured and easy-to-follow program to explore your potential, or simply as a way to experience one of the many forms of Japanese martial arts.

Whichever expression of Karate you choose to indulge in, we want you to enjoy it they way You prefer, without being bound by a single style or method, just because "it's always been that way".

The LHA experience is all about Form and Function-

Love a hands-on, straight-to-the-point class focusing on self-defense and personal development, enroll for a Practical Karate class. Not ready to rough and tumble just yet? Give a Kata class a go. Looking for an exciting full-contact combat sport that puts all your hand-to-hand fighting skills to the test? The Kudo (Japanese MMA) class is exactly what you're looking for.

Not everyone wants to chase the next belt color, rough and tumble in the ring, or can stand mindlessly kicking-punching the air.

There's a better way to learning martial arts than subscribing to the traditional one-size-fits-all method of practice that takes years before its practical function is realized, or being in a place that offers (or allows) only one of the many expressions of Karate.

At LHA, we'd love for you to Explore KARATE in all manner there is, Enjoy them as a fulfilling lifelong endeavor, and Elevate to a better you- in health, confidence, and well-being.

LHA is a place focused on enjoying Practical Martial Arts and Functional Fitness.

Here, the Basics come first, with classes emphasizing Principles-based training to accelerate learning, and where safety, respect, and mutual improvement are at the center of what we do.

Resident Coaches

Alongside their credentials in martial arts instruction, all our coaches/ instructors carry with them other related accreditations that include:
SG-Coach Certification by Sport Singapore, 
Lifestyles & Lifeskills Trainer Certification by the People's Association (PA),
​and Basic First-aid Certification by a National Registry of Coaches (NROC)-approved centre

They are held up to the highest standards of professional conduct, keeping your safety and well-being at the utmost importance.

Rusydi (Rush) Omar
Ashihara Karate

​Rush is the Branch Chief for Ashihara Karate in Singapore, appointed by the school's global governing body, New International Karate Organization (NIKO).

His martial arts career spanning over 2 decades involved a myriad of experiences, including competitive fighting, public relations, and business development.

Rush travels multiple times a year to Japan, to understand Karate culture from its founding country and some of the leading Ashihara Karate dojos there.

Spencer Zhang
Kudo

​Spencer is a homegrown former professional boxer and the Branch Chief for Kudo Daido Juku in Singapore, appointed by the school's governing body, Kudo International Federation (KIF).

His 7-year professional boxing career saw him across numerous promotions in the country and beyond, interacting with some of the best boxers and coaches in the region.

Following his retirement from professional boxing, his passion for combat sports got reignited by Kudo, leading him to be officially graded in Japan, and ultimately appointed as the representative in Singapore.

Cheryl Ong
Ashihara Karate

​Cheryl is the Dojo Chief for the longest-running Ashihara Karate dojo in Singapore- Buona Vista CC.

Her experience practicing Ashihara Karate spans over a decade, where the last 3 had her independently providing instruction in the martial art.

Through Cheryl, LHA has been able to design and deliver our programs to consider the female perspective, by enabling us to better understand the realities of the gender.

In this regard, she paves the way for female participants to empower themselves through the enjoyment of practical Karate.

Hendra Raghani
Shitoryu/ Shotokan Karate
​
Hendra is a highly experienced Karateka of over 20 years, with 15 spent coaching competition players and recreational practitioners.

​He is extensively involved in the local Karate scene, having been a competitor, an official, and a committee member in his home club, the Ken Yu Kai Karate Association.

Hendra travels annually to Okinawa to study traditional Karate and Kobudo (Okinawan weaponry), in pursuit of discovering the Okinawan roots of Karate and preserve the authentic teachings of the old masters.

The Lionheart Story

In our endeavor to enjoy Karate, many of us settle with the idea that divisions across styles/ schools/ systems/ associations is an inevitable feature.
​
In such a world, centered around competition and differences, we asked-

"How can there be a non-competitive platform where Karate enthusiasts can enjoy their martial art by fully expressing the styles that they represent, while immersing themselves in an appreciation of Karate's diversity?"

In 2016, 4 clubs representing distinct styles of Karate came together in a combined-training event that later came to be known as K-CON.

From 80 participants in the beginning, K-CON grew to be attended by over a hundred Karate enthusiasts each year. Every event growing in club participation featuring the signatures various major Karate styles in Singapore.

From the full-contact tournament techniques of Kyokushinkai, to the wealth of kata knowledge in Shitoryu, the iron body conditioning of Gojuryu, and the sabaki method of Ashihara Kaikan... K-CON became the platform that celebrates the diverse expressions of Karate through the eyes of its practitioners. Here, our differences bring us together.

But the spirit of K-CON can be lived beyond simply being an annual event. It could be part of our lifestyle as Karateka- those who have chosen Karate as a means of finding personal strength, social connection, and life's purpose.

​Only if we leave our egos and prejudices behind and cultivate in our hearts the pride of what we therefore represent- unity.

The Lionheart network is therefore a camaraderie amongst Karate clubs that share the spirit of K-CON.

These clubs represent their respective ways of doing Karate with LHA being an endeavor to promote their practices, by introducing participants to the various functional approaches of the martial art,

​In a hope that they will continue to enjoy it for a lifetime.

NOTE: Lionheart Academy and its associated insignias are legally registered entities. Unauthorized use, representation, and reproduction of these entities is a criminal offence by law.

What is KARATE?

"Why do Karate at all?"

Karate literally translates to "empty hands" (空手), and this martial art of Okinawan/ Japanese origins bears many forms across various schools and lineages (think Kung Fu).

Spirited, explosive, and dynamic movements involving kicks, punches, and other methods of unarmed combat are common sights of a Karate display.

Today, Karate is enjoyed by tens of thousands of practitioners across the world from different walks of life- young, old, physically abled or otherwise...

Essentially, Karate is a path to realizing your personal potential through expanding the abilities of your body, mind, and spirit, as if guided by the question: "With these Empty Hands, what am I capable of?" 

Through Karate, you learn to use your whole body to move, strike, and grapple, while expanding your stamina, strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Its physically and mentally demanding nature inculcates positive values such as respect, determination, and camaraderie, among many others.

There's a plethora of ways to enjoy Karate- through sports, self-defense, or simply as a fulfilling means of personal development.

At LHA, we bring you a Modern Practical Martial Arts experience that points directly to what you're looking for, in a manner that is authentic to their founding traditions, and delivered to you at the highest standard of practice.