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Father Dave Smith is best known for his work with at-risk youth, especially in his use of boxing for those suffering from substance abuse problems and anger management issues. He is also a 6th degree black belt and a professional boxer. His progression into martial arts and boxing happened while he was attempting to raise funds for the community in Dulwich Hill, where he is the parish priest. Father Dave has been twice awarded Marrickville Citizen of the Year award and was nominated for Australian of the Year in 2004 and 2009. In 2012, he broke the world record for the most continuous rounds of boxing. Born in Newtown, Sydney, in 1962, he completed an arts degree with honours in philosophy in 1984 before beginning studying theology at Moore College in 1985. He completed two degrees in theology in 1988 and was ordained a priest in the Anglican Church of Australia in 1989. After ordination, Smith spent two years in the parish of Miranda (in Sydney’s south) before being appointed to Dulwich Hill (in Sydney’s inner-west) in December 1990. He has continued as parish priest at Holy Trinity since then. When Smith became the parish priest in Dulwich Hill it was known as an area that was rife with drugs. In 1991, he began to focus on working with young people with drug problems in the area and opened the church hall as an area where local youth could do fitness and martial arts training. In 1993, he founded the Order of the Fighting Fathers as a way of encouraging other priests and religious people to use the fighting arts to help young people overcome their addictions and lead fuller lives. Smith's work in the community led him to twice be awarded the Marrickville Citizen of the Year award, in 1997 and 2009. In 2005 and 2009 he was also nominated for Australian of the Year, particularly for his work with young people battling substance abuse. In 2001, a short film was made about Smith, which is titled The Good Fight. In 2011, Smith began training to break the world record for the longest period of continuous boxing. On 1 April 2012, he boxed continuously for eight hours - against 66 opponents over 120 three-minute rounds. He succeeded in breaking the world record and received extensive media coverage, including from Fox Sports. The previous world record before this attempt was 26 rounds. On 19 February 2016, Smith returned to professional boxing to raise money for youth programs and became Australia's oldest ever professional boxer.

Marco Mazzanti is a 6th Dan Black Belt in Karate. Sensei Marco has been involved in martial arts for most of his life, beginning his training in Judo at the age of 8 in Rome, Italy. His experience spans a number of martial arts including judo, karate, taekwondo, kickboxing and Brasilian jiu jitsu. Sensei Marco began his formal training in karate (Shukokai) under Sensei Alan Murdoch at the age of 14 and has since trained nationally and internationally with some of the most renowned martial arts teachers. He was graded to Shodan (1st Dan) by Master Shigeru Kimura, to Nidan (2nd Dan) by Sensei Tommy Morris, Sandan (3rd Dan) by Shihan Max Fabris, Yondan to Rokudan by Sensei Tommy Morris. Also a passionate and committed student of Brasilian jiu jitsu, Sensei Marco was graded to black belt in BJJ by Peter deBeen in 2015. Sensei Marco, was one of Australia’s top competitors between 1989 and 2001, winning several Australian Karate Federation (A.K.F) National and Victorian titles as well as numerous non-contact, semi-contact and full-contact events in karate, kickboxing and Brasilian jiu jitsu. He was a prominent member and captain of the Australian Karate Team, winning both Oceania individual and teams gold in 1999, placed top 16 at the 1992 and 2000 World WKF Championship and placed 4th at the 2001 World Cup held in Akita, Japan. In 2001 Sensei Marco retired from active competition to focus on the development of his students and the Kimekai organisation. He is the current Victorian AKF head sparring kumite coach as well as a senior AKF National senior coach. He also is the chair of the National Coaching Group. Sensei Marco continues to be strongly committed to developing the best karate and martial arts students in Australia. The Kimekai Group to which Marco is Director and Chief Instructor has built a reputation of quality and professionalism over the past 25 years. Kimekai's popularity has opened the demand for growth and now the organisation has grown to an impressive number of Dojo's located in Berwich Chelsea, Cheltenham, Highett in Melbourne Victoria and Hobart in Tasmania. Enquiries are welcome by contacting Kimekai.com.au.

Brendon Cunningham is a 4th Dan (Yondan) with Kyokushinkai Karate. Sensei Brendon was born in New Zealand in a small town called Hawkes Bay, where he was introduced to and fell in love with the amazing style of Kyokushin Karate. The year was 1979 and his original instructors were Vern and Gary Daniels. After a short stint living in Frankston, Victoria, Brendon and his family moved back to Hawkes Bay New Zealand, my home-town, where he continued his Kyokushin training in Hastings with Senpai Tony Caldwell (Pinky) where they forged a bond for 10 years. Training was hard and brutal during this period which gave Brendon an appreciation for what the style was famous for, first and foremost to develop an indominable spirit! The Kyokushin style truly helps students to learn to overcome adversity and hardship, and via these concepts the practitioner is able to achieve a more fulfilled and purposeful life. Usually, these concepts are not obvious at first but over time the qualities manifest and your karate will become who you and you become karate. As Sensei Brendon says, “It was my time training with Senpai Tony at Bj's dojo where I learnt to never give up. Senpai Tony trained me to 5 Hawkes Bay titles and 2 NZ National titles as a young Karateka.” Sensei Brendon believes in the power of Karate and what the Kyokushin style can bring to its students. He has a mission to continue the legacy left him and help better the lives of the young and the old in his community. The Shinzo Dojo in Canberra caters for students of all ages and new students are welcome. A family atmosphere is strong at Shinzo Dojo, where all students are taken under the wing of Sensei Brendon and trained to be the best they can be! Shinzo Dojo, Kyokushin Karate, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Master Bren Foster is a 7th Dan in Taekwondo, Black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu n extremely talented and dynamic 7th Dan Taekwondo Master and is a black belt in BJJ, 1st Dan in Hwrando, and 1st Dan in Hapkido. Bren Foster began training in the martial arts at the age of 6. Bren has also studies Thai Boxing, freestyle wrestling and knife fighting. Bren has also competed successfully as a body builder by winning the Australian bodybuilding championships earlier in his career. Bren has won over 150 first place medals and has competetivly fought in over 200 matches ranging from Taekwondo, Kickboxing and full contact Karate. Bren Foster also uses his talents to entertain audiences with his unique style of board breaking and acrobatic martial arts. He is one of the most in demand martial arts performers earning himself magazine headlines such as “Superkicker” and “Australia’s most electrifying martial artist”. Bren has also wo the Australian martial Arts Spectacular” for the last 2 years – a professional event where Australia’s Elite Martial Artists congregate to demonstrate their skill in competition. Bren has been inducted into Blitz magazines Hall of Fame as Taekwondo Instructor of the year and currently owns and operates Elite Martial Arts and Fitness Centre, a full time martial arts centre and gymnasium. Bren Foster has also studied classically as an actor at the University of Western Sydney, full time for 3 years and at the Actors Pulse, part time for 2 years. Bren works consistently as an actor in Australia, most recenty completing the feature film, Shadow of Sin in which he played the lead role of “McGuiness”. He contracted to Sony for a Playstation game as the lead, a Private Detective. John Brenkhous and Mickey Stern from base Productions noticed Brens skill in martial arts and cast him in their Discovery Channel television show Extreme Martial Arts. Bren recently joined Base Productions for what he feels is the ultimate martial arts program, Fight Science. Bren shoot a feature called Travelling Warrior in which he travels the globe pitting his talents against those of other martial arts systems. He traveled to Thailand to shoot the first of the series and then to Brazil to compete against some reknowned Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters. Bren joined the Kenshusei education team to share with you some of the exercise science methods and training programs that have helped him make it to the top. Bren Foster SwordBren Foster began acting in high school and after graduation he studied Film and Video production, but knew what he really wanted was to develop as an actor. He traveled to New York to study at “The Barrow Group Theater”. Returning to Australia he auditioned for and was selected into one of Australia’s leading Drama schools “The University of Western Sydney” AKA Theater Nepean. Bren has since worked on many Australian Television dramas such as “Sea Patrol”, “The strip”, “East west 101”, “Review with Myles Barlow” and “Home and Away” Bren also starred along side Martin Henderson and Rachael Taylor in the critically acclaimed Australian feature film “Cedar Boys” where he was praised as “a born star” by Empire Film magazine for his portrayal of “Jamal” a criminal behind bars desperately trying to guide his younger brother away from the criminal path. Bren has studied Martial Arts for many years and has worked in the United States for “The discovery Channel” filming Extreme Martial arts and for the National Geographic Channel where his martial arts skills were put to the test against science in the feature length documentary “Fight Science”. Bren continued as a series regular in the following “Fight Science” episodes. Bren has most recently completed two American films, The First being “Bad to the Bone” – where he played the lead role of “Donner Bone Mason” and “War Flowers” – where he played a Confederate Sergeant “John Ellis” along side Christina Ricci and Tom Berenger. Bren Foster operates his famous "Elite Martial Arts and Fitness" Academy with his wife Chelsea and two children in Minchinbury, Sydney NSW.

Russell Bianca is a 6th Dan Black Belt in Karate and Kobudo (Okinawan weapons) Master. Shihan Russell Bianca began his training in USA Goju in the 80’s and eventually joined the Ken Shi Kai Karate Do organization of Shuseki Monte Allen. Shihan Bianca is a well-seasoned and accomplished practitioner and Sensei in full contact karate. As a competitor Shihan Bianca has won numerous titles in Kata and kobudo divisions, which places him well for being a much sought-after coach. Shihan Bianca teaches at the Brooklyn Ken Shi Kai Dojo NY.