Beginnings

Kristina Mah started karate lessons at the age of 8. She attended the Miyagi Kan Karate Studio in Bankstown, Padstow and now Revesby where she still attends. She has gone on to become a 5th Dan black belt in Go-Ju Ryu Karate-do and represented Australia at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Paris in 2021.

Achievements

Kristina Mah has practiced karate for over 30 years. She is a 5th Dan black belt (Renshi) in Go-Ju Ryu Karate-do. She became the first female Renshi at her club, Miyagi Kan Karate. Kristina competed at two Junior World Championships (2001 and 2003) and nine Senior World Championships (2004-2023). She is eight-time Oceania Champion, and she is one of the most international medal-winning athletes in the history of Australian karate. Kristina became World Karate Champion in 2010 in her category, 55-61kg kumite, at the World Karate Federation World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. In 2020, Kristina made a bid for the Tokyo Olympics in karate. In 2021, she represented Australia at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Paris. This was a historic event for karate, as it was the first time karate has been included in the Olympic Games.

Post Representation

Kristina is an artist, researcher and karate-ka living and working on Gadigal-Wangal land (Ashbury), Australia. In 2023, Kristina graduated with a PhD in human-computer interaction from The University of Sydney. Kristina continues her karate practice at Revesby and hopes to continue to develop her teaching and coaching through workshops and retreats, and one day own her own dojo. She hopes to use her experience to work with leaders, women in sport, migrants, and the next generation to cultivate passion, resilience and compassion to confront complex, deep-seated issues we face, by promoting listening and dialogue through her activities.