About
The Blue Mountains Martial Arts Centre was created in 1981 , when Sensei Chris Traish moved to the Blue Mountains after teaching Martial Arts in Sydney . He originally started his classes in the Lawson Community Hall and the Katoomba Masonic Hall . In 1986 he and his students decided to build their own full time training Centre and with the help of the community it was finished in 13 weeks . The full time training Centre at Leura is now the best equipped Martial Arts Centre in Australia and people have traveled from all over the world to train there. Since its beginning the BMMAC has produced 3 World Champions, numerous Australian & State Champions and over 100 Black Belt Students Chris has competed at the World Arnis Championships , The World Koshiki Karate Championships , The Australian Kendo Championships , The Pan Pacific Brazilian Jui Jitsu Championships , The Australian W.E.K.A.F full contact stick fighting Championships , The Australian Weapons Championships & Fought in the Ring Kick Boxing Brazilian Jui Jitsu Chris & Leigh started BJJ in 1994 after watching Royce Gracie in the UFC they originally learnt from Videos. Until 1995one of Chris’s Arnis students Steve Meakes who was training with Anthony Lange started teaching them on Weekends. Chris then attended a Seminar by Jean Jaque Machado, John Wills & Richard Norton in June 1996. Chris then attended a Seminar by Peter De Been in August 1997 at Bowral organized by Mark Carey. Chris then affiliated with Peter De Been and brought Peter to Leura in January 2000 for a 4 day seminar. Chris & his students competed at the Pan Pacific Championships from 1998 onwards. Then in February 2001 Paulo Guimaraes came to Leura for a 2 day seminar organized by Chris De Weaver. Then on 25th March 2001 Marcelo Rezende a Carlos Gracie Jnr Black Belt came to our Leura Dojo and we finally had a full time teacher on that first afternoon Chris wrestled with Marcelo for over an hour and then asked him if he could come every week and thankfully he agreed the rest is history . 2001 World Champion Rafael Correa ( Gordinho ) ran a Seminar at our Leura Dojo .2002 World Champion Bruno Fernandes ran a seminar at our Leura Doko . 2002 Chris attended the Royce Gracie Seminar in Sydney . 2004 Chris attended the Royler Gracie in Sydney . Chris & Leigh attended the Royce Gracie Seminer in Sydney . Chris received his black belt from Marcelo in 2009 . Chris received his first Degree on his Black Belt from Marcelo Rezende and Bruno Fernandes in August 2013 . Arnis 1978 Chris originally learnt Arnis from his brother Jeff after he returned from the Philippines .1979 Chris & his Brother Jeff demonstrated Arnis at the Sydney Opera House .1981 Grand Master Ernesto Presas Toured Australia with Master Willie Madla. 1983 Grand Master Ernesto Presas Toured Australia with Master Leonard Trigg & Master Willie Madla. 1986 Grand Master Ernesto Presas Toured Australia with Master Christino Vasquez & Master Pepe Yap. It was during this tour when Chris was cut accidentally during a Demo with a sword as Grand Master was cutting a water Melon of Chris’s stomach leaving him with 40 Stich’s . 1989 Chris Competed at the 1st World Arnis Championships placing 2nd in Forms & 2nd in Full contact sparring. 1990 Master Ernesto Presas Toured Australia with Master Christino Vasquez , Master Pepe Yap , Master Renee Tongson , Master Quirino Austria & Master Lawrence Hollanday . 1990 Chris trained with Grand Master Remy Presas. 1991 Chris Competed at the 2nd World Arnis Championships placing 2nd in Full contact Sparring losing to his own Student World Champion Jeff Allen at that championships . Chris ‘s Students Mark Ahern World Champion won the Forms Championship & Sarah Hegemans World Champion won the Women’s Forms Championship and Chris Traish was the Head Referee . During all these Tours Grand Master Ernesto Presas was based at our Leura Dojo. Chris continues to teach Arnis and has Graded 87 Australian Arnis Black Belts. Karate Chris began training in Sikaran Karate under Albert Urbiztondo in 1973 he originally was training 4 hours a day 7 days a week and was graded by Albert to Black belt 19/10/1976 . 1974 Competed in his first FAKO Tournament his first match was with Kyokushin Legend Nick Kujik . 1975 Started his first school at Cronulla and represented Albert at FAKO meetings were he met such Martail Artists as Frank Nowak , John Taylor , Peter Wolfe , John Newman , Paul Starling and Richard Bradford . Chris then joined Richard Bradford’s Goshin Ryu Karate where he ran the Goshin Ryu Full time Live in Instructors Course and teaching many of his black belts their Senior Katas. 1981 Opened his full time Blue Mountains Dojo .1981 Demonstrated Karate at the Sydney Opera House . Chris then joined his brother in Promoting Arjuken Karate. 1989 Chris was the NSW Full contact Karate Champion. 1994 He toured Japan where he fought at the World Full Contact Karate Championships finishing in the final 8 and also presented a lecture on Martial Arts to over 100 Black Belts and Karate Masters from all over the World and Masayuki Kukan Hisataka Graded Chris to 6th Dan Black Belt in Koshiki Karate. At one stage Chris & Leigh were practicing 86 Katas from Karate Arnis Kendo Weapons etc . Kendo Chris started training in Kendo under Grand Master Ernesto Presas, he then started training at the Willoughby Kendo Dojo in Sydney where he met Ron Bennett & Michael Payne. Michael started a class at Minchinbury where Chris & Steve Yip train each week , Chris then asked Michael to come and teach at his Leura Dojo when he could no longer make the trip Don Miller took over .In 1986 the West Australian Kendo team stayed and trained at our Leura Dojo training under Ron Bennett . Chris fought in the 1986 Australian Kendo Championships . 1994 Esanda City Kendo Club visited our Leura Dojo .1988 Chris attended a Kendo seminar were he got to spar with an 8th Dan Kendo Master he was fantastic .