Our Trainers

Pete Thompson Kyoshi

Renshi (Kyoshi) Pete Thompson Sensei

Kyoshi Pete’s martial training began as a child learning unarmed and armed combat with his father, a Vietnam veteran and former member of a NZDF anti-terrorist unit.

Today, Kyoshi Pete holds blackbelts in various styles:

• 6th dan Seishin Budo Kyokai (Kyoshi)
• 5th dan Seishin-Kan Shorinji Ryu Okinawa Renmei
• 4th dan Seishin-Ryu Karate
• 3rd dan WAKO Kickboxing
• 2nd dan WTF Taekwondo
• 1st degree WKA Kickboxing

He has a long competition history including titles in Taekwondo, Karate and Kickboxing; former National champion in Kickboxing and an International title holder in Karate. In 2010 he was conferred by the NZMAI an award for excellence in martial arts.

His experiences working as a doorman in Auckland for eight years, running security for dignitaries and training actors and members of CIB has given him the opportunity to test what works and what doesn’t.

Kyoshi began instructing martial arts in 1996 and not long after this started TOA Fighting Systems with his friend and training partner Sifu Tony Billy. After starting TOA in 1997 Kyoshi moved to Invercargill in 2007. The most southern WAKO and Seishin dojo in the world has been operating since June 2008.

Kyoshi Pete holds a degree in Strategic Management (Business Transformation) and Sport Management and is active in both his local Community, Nationally and Internationally:

• Southland Area Director for the New Zealand Martial Arts Institute
• President TOA Fighting Systems
• Chairman Southland Community Broadcasters Charitable Trust
• Director Stadium Southland
• Former Board member International Executive WAKO Kickboxing (5+ years)
• Former New Zealand and Oceania President for the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations (10+ years)
• Former Chairman Swim Safe Southland Advisory Group
• Former Member of the Southern Institute of Technology Sports and Recreation Advisory Group

Adam Kaluzny Sensei

Sensei Adam started practicing Martial Arts at the age of 17 at his local Kyokushin Karate Club in his hometown of Dzierzoniow in Poland. After a few years when he moved to near by Wroclaw to study geology at the Wroclaw University where he joined a Shotokan style karate club. Over the next few years Adam was involved in Karate throughout the Polish Karate Federation and Traditional Karate Federation Fudokan where he gained Karate Instructor and Regional Karate referee qualifications.

After moving to New Zealand in 2006 he joined TOA Fighting System in Invercargill and after years of training was graded Shodan (1st dan Black belt) during a karate camp at the Seishin-Ryu Honbu dojo in Auckland in 2012. In the same year he took a part in a trip to Fukuoka Japan as a member of the Seihin-Ryu karate New Zealand team. The highlight of the trip was a karate tournament where the New Zealand team won a number of medals including Sensei Adam won first place in kumite in his respective division. In 2013 Adam was selected to be a member of the National Black Kicks team to represent New Zealand at the WAKO World Kickboxing Championships in Antalya Turkey (Point Fighting and Light Continuous).

During the day Sensei Adam (PhD, geology) works as a geologist for Solid Energy in their operations in Southland. He regularly practices karate and kickboxing at TOA Fighting Systems and is also actively in photography and archery (1st place in team competition on SIDDA 2014 championship).

Dione Kingma Sempai

Dione Kingma is one of first TOA Fighting Systems students to be graded to blackbelt in Southland!

Jason Mischewski

Jason is  blackbelt in TOA Fighting Systems Kickboxing and is graded to blackbelt under the WAKO.

Dave Lewis

Dave started his kickboxing career with TOA in early 2010 and competed regularly nationally and internationally, until turning his focus onto coaching in late 2021.

Dave would describe his tutelage as “studying under the three wise men” of Southern combat sports learning and sharpening his skills under the legends Sensei Pete Thompson, Matt Toa and Blake Tomlinson, and would now describe his style as a unique mix of traditional K1 and Muay Thai kickboxing (with a thunderous spinning back kick ).

3xISKA South Island middleweight champion

WAKO South Island 80kg champion

ISKA NZ middleweight Champion

WAKO Oceaiania Middleweight Champion

Kings of Combat light heavyweight international Pro Champion.

WAKO NZ National Kickboxing team member, Macedonia, Brazil, Serbia and Hungary.

2x South Island Representative King In The Ring (2014 and 2018)