Meet our local Sensei, kicking goals worldwide
Meet Sensei Sarhn, head instructor and owner of Wollondilly Karate, a dojo built on respect, confidence, discipline, and community. Her mission goes beyond martial arts - she’s also an award-winning author, recently taking silver in the Wishing Shelf International Book Awards. With international press now sharing her empowering life lessons, she’s inspiring teens and young adults worldwide, just as she does her students in the dojo.
Let’s start off with a little bit about you
As a very young woman, I walked into a dojo in Manly NSW, in the hope it would help me deal with my grief, trauma and challenging living conditions I was facing. Within the dojo walls, I found support, care, belonging and non-judgement. So, I stayed, trained, healed and thrived!
Many years later, I started teaching Kyokushin Karate in Sydney for other dojos, before my family and I moved away from Sydney, to settle in Wollondilly.
When my daughter was almost three, I started teaching her karate at home, but soon realised she needed a family focused and community minded dojo to learn (just like I had when I was younger).
Therefore in 2017, I founded and opened Wollondilly Karate, with the blessing and support from Shihan Daniel Trifu.
I am passionate about positively impacting the lives of my students. Through my teaching and that of my team, we pass on invaluable life skills such as strength of character, compassion, respect, self-awareness, focus, courage, determination, discipline, and confidence.
Most people wouldn't know that...
I was once asked to be one of Nicole Kidman's bodyguards!
Tell us about your Karate Dojo?
Wollondilly Karate opened its doors in 2017. What sets us apart is our clear focus and purpose. We use karate and martial arts to help our students develop invaluable life skills such as respect, self-awareness, confidence, compassion, courage, determination, and discipline. While students learn martial arts and self defence, our mission goes far beyond that.
Who has been a great influence on you and your karate journey?
So many people saw my potential, believed in me, and supported me along the way. Especially my mum and husband, the two best people to have by your side in life!
What do you think makes your karate school successful?
Every student is treated with respect and dedication. Our goal for our students is their goals. Not everyone wants to become a black belt. If a student’s goal is simply to make friends, we celebrate that and help create opportunities to do so. Our dojo is inclusive and welcoming to all abilities. Within our dojo family, we support students on the spectrum, those with learning challenges, and those coping with anxiety or trauma. We care deeply and practice patience every step of the way.
What is the must try experience at your dojo?
My students would say ‘board breaking week’, which we run three times a year. It's a positive week that helps students learn about focus, being aware of negative self-talk, confidence and building strong self-belief.
What inspired you to write your book?
Battered and bruised, I sat on my couch six years ago, sinking into meditation after twenty full-contact fights with only ten seconds between each fresh black belt opponent. My late-40s body ached, but my mind and spirit remained strong. I hadn’t done it for me, but for my karate students and my daughter, to prove that age is no barrier and great things are possible for anyone. Two days later, in meditation, I heard a voice: “Write a book.” I resisted, but it persisted until I gave in. I channelled my experiences into Osu, determined to inspire healthy self-image, confidence, and self-awareness in teens and young adults.
How do you feel about your book creating interest in America?
Winning silver in the Wishing Shelf International Book Awards, followed by international press interest, is just wonderful. Knowing that the empowering life lessons I teach in the dojo will now be read and discovered by teens and young adults around the world is the best feeling. It’s exactly why I wrote the book, to make a positive difference.
Tell us a little about your book
'Osu' is a teen and young adult fiction novel, set in the Wollondilly area. Based around loner, 16 year old Olive, who is uprooted from her inner Sydney lifestyle to Buxton. Olive stumbles across a local karate dojo, on the day her family move into their new home. In the dojo, Olive discovers her empowering strength. Outside, she faces her greatest challenge. The dojo becomes Olive’s sanctuary, and her natural talent catches everyone’s eye - especially Boyan, the enigmatic son of her sensei. As Olive and Boyan’s connection deepens, she realises he’s fighting battles of his own. But just as Olive begins to find her footing, a devastating secret threatens everything she’s built. Now, she must summon every ounce of her newfound strength to fight for her place in a world that seems determined to push her out. Osu is a gripping, empowering coming-of-age-tale of self-acceptance, resilience, and the transformative power of finding where you belong. In this unforgettable debut, Sensei Sarhn reminds us that the stories we tell ourselves can be our greatest enemy - or our most powerful ally.
Tell us a little about your American radio interview
"Moments with Marianne" is a radio show and podcast hosted by Marianne Pestana. The show is described as a "transformative hour" featuring "leaders from diverse fields, including inspirational authors, industry pioneers, and spiritual entrepreneurs." It airs on KMET 1490AM & 98.1FM in the Southern California area and is also available on platforms like iHeartRadio and Spotify.
Aside from the dojo, which local business do you love and support?
We’d like to give a shout-out to The Office Place in Picton and JAM Signs. Over the years, both businesses have played a vital role in building Wollondilly Karate into the amazing dojo it is today.
What do you love most about the Wollondilly community?
Overall, I find the people of Wollondilly to be kind and generous. The community is quick to support anything that benefits its members. The support we’ve received for our family and community-focused dojo has been wonderful over the years.
Where do you see yourself and your karate school in 10 years’ time?
I see Wollondilly Dojo going from strength to strength; with a group of young leaders coming through with passion and dedication for training and teaching.
