GUY'S KARATE SCHOOL
GUY'S KARATE SCHOOL
Shihan Lindsay
Shihan Lindsay GUY
7th Dan Shotokan Karate | Founder of Guy’s Karate School | International Martial Arts Instructor & Referee
More than four decades of martial arts. A lifetime of teaching, competition, leadership and service.
Shihan Lindsay Guy is the founder and Chief Instructor of Guy’s Karate School, one of the Hunter Valley’s established martial arts schools, and a highly respected martial artist, instructor, competitor and referee.
His journey began in 1983, when he walked into a Shotokan Karate dojo in Maitland, New South Wales. More than four decades later, his commitment to traditional martial arts remains as strong as ever.
Today, Shihan Lindsay Guy holds the rank of 7th Dan Black Belt in Shotokan Karate, along with a 2nd Dan in WJKA, 1st Dan in Ryukonkai Kobudo and 2nd Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo. He is also a Level 5 ISKA Referee and International Referee, an achievement that reflects decades of experience both inside and outside the competition arena.
But his story is about far more than belts, titles and trophies.
It is about the thousands of students he has taught, the competitors he has coached, the instructors he has influenced, the communities he has served and the generations of martial artists who have passed through his dojo.
A Lifetime Built Around Martial Arts
For Shihan Lindsay Guy, martial arts has never simply been about learning how to fight.
It has been about character, discipline, resilience, confidence, leadership and personal development.
Beginning his Shotokan Karate journey in 1983 under Sensei Celso Bauer in Maitland, Lindsay quickly immersed himself in the traditional study of Karate-Do.
He achieved his Shodan (1st Dan Black Belt) in 1990 and later his Nidan (2nd Dan) in 1992 under Ken-Sei-Kan Chief Instructor Mark Passmore, while also having the opportunity to train under Kyoshi Yamazaki.
His martial arts journey would eventually take him beyond traditional Shotokan Karate into other disciplines, including Taekwondo and Okinawan Kobudo, broadening his understanding of martial arts and developing a depth of experience that would later become one of the defining characteristics of his teaching.
After establishing his own dojo and spending many years teaching in Forster and Rutherford, Lindsay returned his primary focus to traditional Shotokan Karate and began building what would become Guy’s Karate School.
From One Dojo to a Martial Arts Legacy
Guy’s Karate School began at Telarah Public School in 2012.
What started as a relatively small martial arts school developed steadily through Lindsay's commitment to teaching, his family and his students.
In 2017, the school moved into its own dedicated centre in Bradmill Avenue, Rutherford.
Then, in early 2024, another significant chapter began when Shihan Lindsay purchased a purpose-built property on the New England Highway in Rutherford, creating a permanent home for Guy’s Karate School and establishing the foundation for the next generation of the organisation.
The growth of the school mirrors Lindsay's philosophy as an instructor.
Build something properly.
Invest in people.
Create an environment where students can develop.
And make sure the next generation has somewhere to continue the journey.
Today, Guy’s Karate School provides martial arts training for children, teenagers and adults across the Maitland, Rutherford and wider Hunter Valley region.
Competition Experience That Goes Back Decades
Long before Guy’s Karate School became what it is today, Lindsay was competing at some of the highest levels available to him.
His early competitive career included success throughout New South Wales and interstate, including winning the North Coast Open Kumite in Coffs Harbour in 1987 and representing the NSW Karate Union of Australia Kumite Team at the Nationals in Adelaide.
He achieved 2nd place in Individual Kumite while helping the NSW team achieve 1st place in team Kumite.
In 1988 he won the over 80kg division at the NSW Federation of Australian Karate-Do Organisation Championships.
In 1990 he was selected for the NSW State Karate Team competing at the Nationals in Brisbane and obtained his 1st Dan Black Belt.
His competitive career then extended internationally.
He toured New Zealand with the Tasman Cup team, winning the team sparring event against New Zealand 6–0.
In 1991 he travelled to Japan with the Australian Karate Team to compete in the All Japan Hard Contact Tournament, finishing 4th in heavyweight sparring.
That same year he was selected to compete for Australia in the Tasman Cup in Sydney, helping secure 1st place in team Kumite.
His competitive career continued for decades.
In 2006 he won the Australian ISKA Championships in Contact Sparring.
In 2007 he finished 2nd in Sparring at the US Open Karate Championships in Florida, while also winning both Contact and Point Sparring at the NSW Country Championships in Tamworth.
At the 2008 World Cup in Sydney, he achieved 2nd in Point Sparring and 3rd in Contact Sparring.
And remarkably, his competitive journey did not stop with age.
In 2025, Lindsay became Asian Champion in both Kata and Kumite in the Over 46 division in Sri Lanka, before winning 1st place in Kumite in the Over 50s division at the Australian Masters Games in Canberra.
That is more than a competition record.
It demonstrates something that Shihan Lindsay continues to teach his students every day:
You don't stop being a martial artist because you get older.
You evolve.
Recognised by the Martial Arts Community
Lindsay's contribution to martial arts has been recognised through numerous awards and inductions throughout his career.
His honours include:
- ISKA Instructor of the Year – 2013
- ISKA Martial Arts Hall of Fame – 2013
- ISKA National No.1 Competitor, Over 35s – 2016
- ISKA Referee of the Year – 2017
- ISKA National No.1 Point Sparring, Over 35s – 2019
- Hunter Business Awards – Best Fitness Service – 2021
- Finalist, Australian Business Awards – Martial Arts – 2022
- Australian Small Business Awards – Best Martial Arts School in Australia – 2023
- Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame – 2023
- World Karate Union Hall of Fame – 2023
- Finalist, Australian Business Awards – Martial Arts – 2024
- Finalist, Hunter Business Awards – Best Fitness Service – 2024
- Asian Over 46s Champion – Kata & Kumite – Sri Lanka – 2025
- Australian Masters Games Over 50s Kumite Champion – Canberra – 2025
- City of Maitland Hall of Fame – 2025
These recognitions span martial arts, competition, officiating, business and community contribution.
Together, they tell a much bigger story than any single award could.
Inducted into Multiple Halls of Fame
In August 2023, Lindsay was inducted into both the Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the World Karate Union Hall of Fame.
In 2013 he was also inducted into the ISKA Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
Then, in 2025, his contribution to the local community was recognised with his induction into the City of Maitland Hall of Fame.
For a martial artist, Hall of Fame recognition represents more than competitive success.
It represents a body of work.
Years of teaching.
Years of service.
Years of contribution.
And the influence that a person has had on the people and organisations around them.
Giving Back Beyond the Dojo
Shihan Lindsay Guy's commitment to service extends well beyond martial arts.
He has been involved with Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club since the age of 15, dedicating decades to surf lifesaving and community service.
His contribution was recognised with Life Membership of Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club.
His leadership has also extended into Australian Football.
Lindsay served as Junior Club President of Maitland Saints Australian Football Club from 2014 to 2019 and again contributed to the club's leadership before being elected Chairman in 2024 and 2025.
This commitment to community reflects another important element of his philosophy.
Leadership isn't simply about standing at the front.
It is about serving the people around you.
The Journey Continues
From a young martial artist beginning Shotokan Karate in Maitland in 1983 to a 7th Dan Shihan, international referee, Hall of Fame inductee, champion competitor, instructor and community leader, Lindsay Guy's journey represents more than four decades of commitment to martial arts.
He has competed around the world.
Trained with some of the world's most respected martial artists.
Coached champions.
Built a successful martial arts organisation.
Served his community.
And continued to train long after many competitors would have retired.
But perhaps the most important part of his story is the simplest.
He still loves martial arts.
He still trains.
He still teaches.
He still learns.
And he still believes in the transformational power of martial arts.
That is why, more than four decades after taking his first steps onto the Karate floor, Shihan Lindsay Guy continues to stand at the front of the dojo.
Not because the journey is over.
Because it isn't.
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