Tino Ceberano

Tino Ceberano is a Hawaiian born Filipino raised in the sugar plantation villages of Kauai. Surrounded by the martial arts from a young age, he selected Goju Kai karate-do in Honolulu as his chosen discipline. From the Hawaiian Islands to the dojos of Japan, his life story is a fascinating tale about the human spirit, daring to break barriers. You will never doubt your ability to do anything again after reading this tale. It is no wonder we call him the Father of Australian Karate.

Tino Ceberano Hanshi has a lifetime of memories spanning the globe and most of his eighty years. With over five decades of teaching martial arts and a share of life’s challenges, he has a compelling story to share of breaking through our self-imposed limits.

As a young man arriving on Australian shores in the early sixties, he had cultural differences to overcome and a passion to share the art of the empty hand with anyone who wished to try. In the Bruce Lee era of the seventies, hundreds turned up each week to try their hand at karate.

Many stayed the distance and have become generational leaders of the art today. Each has a unique story to share and Tino Hanshi had a compelling task on his hand to tell his story given the enormity of the numbers of people involved.

Michael Black was a young boy in 1971, living in North Balwyn, not far from the dojo. Tino was a customer of his father, the local pharmacist. Conversation lead to Michael taking up karate. The disciplined training helped him through many of life’s challenges.

Many years later, he had the need to immerse himself once more in the leadership and discipline that we can only often find in the dojo. It lead to a chance meeting between old friends, the student and the master.

When Tino Hanshi shared that he had always wanted to write his life story, but needed the right co-author to listen and interpret his message, Michael knew he had to work with his old teacher, the chance of a lifetime to work with a real Mr. Miyagi, to honour his first karate master.

From Tailors to Healers, Bialystok to Balwyn

Cut From The Same Cloth

by Tino Ceberano

What does it take to build a life of purpose, resilience, and service across more than nine decades?

In Cut From the Same Cloth, David Black reflects on an extraordinary journey that spans country Victoria, post-war Australia, family business, community leadership, sailing adventures, and a lifelong partnership with his beloved wife, Ruth.

From his father's early years in Ouyen, where family, hard work, and community spirit shaped family values, David traces the path that led him to become a respected pharmacist, businessman, husband, father, and grandfather. Along the way, he shares stories of challenge and opportunity, the evolution of Australian society, the growth of family and community institutions, and the lessons learned from a lifetime of navigating both calm seas and unexpected storms.

Richly illustrated with photographs, personal reflections, historical insights, and family memories, this memoir is more than the story of one man. It is a portrait of a generation whose values were forged through perseverance, responsibility, optimism, and a commitment to others.

Warm, thoughtful, and deeply personal, Cut From the Same Cloth preserves the experiences, wisdom, and legacy of a life well lived—offering readers a heartfelt account of family, friendship, community, and the enduring threads that connect one generation to the next.

Cut From The Same Cloth

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