Resident Instructors

Alongside their credentials in martial arts instruction, all our 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 Kaikan

Rush is an appointed Branch Chief for Singapore, accredited by the New Int. Karate Org. (NIKO), the global governing body for Ashihara Karate.

His martial arts experience of over 15 years involved a myriad of roles in club and people management and development.

Rush travels yearly to Japan, to understand Japanese Karate culture from its source, while participating in leading Ashihara Karate dojos across the country.

Cheryl Ong
Ashihara Kaikan

Cheryl is an Ashihara Karate practitioner of over a decade and has been independently providing instruction in the martial art for the last 3 years.

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 Karate.

Hendra Raghani
Shito-ryu/ Shotokan

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 Assn.

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

The Lionheart Network

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 techniques of Kyokushinkai, to the wealth of 'kata' knowledge in Shito-ryu, the iron body conditioning of Goju-ryu, 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 an unofficial affiliation of Karate clubs that share the spirit of K-CON.

These clubs are the experts of the styles they represent and LHA is an endeavor to promote their practices, by introducing participants to the various functional approaches to Karate,

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

​OSU!

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.