Nate Nilsen

Inducted into the A.M.A.H.O.F. (Inc) and W.K.U.H.O.F. for 2025
Continual Excellence and Service to the Australasian Martial Arts Community

 Nate’s martial arts journey began in his native city of the Gold Coast in 1995. He started with once-weekly Karate classes under GKR Karate, where he trained throughout high-school and beyond, while briefly working and teaching for the club.

Looking to diversify his knowledge and experience, Nate joined the Seishinkan school of Eishin-ryu Iaido in 2004. Seishinkan is an international branch of the Dai Nippon Iaido Renmei (Greater Japan Iaido Federation).

Whilst training under Kancho Glenn Stockwell and Fukukancho Yasu Watanabe in Japanese swordsmanship, Nate continued his Karate journey under Hanshi 10th Dan Pat McKean of Shorinji-ryu Kenkokan Karate, obtaining his 1st dan Black Belt in 2006.

During this time, he cross-trained in Combat Isshin-ryu Karate, headed by the famed 10th Dan Shihan Gary Alexander, as well as training in Krav Maga, under Ashley Gard of Krav Maga Self Defence Solutions.

Since the late 2000s, his passion and sole budo pursuit has been training in Iaido under Seishinkan founder Kancho Stockwell (8th Dan). To further himself, Nate has regularly competed in tournaments in Australia and Japan since 2005.

Nate now serves as a Deputy Director (Fukukancho) of Seishinkan and is a Federation grading official. He has achieved the title of Renshi in 2023, under the auspices of Kyoto. He shares his passion with his students, and teaches non-commercial classes twice-weekly on the Gold Coast.

His desire is to preserve this beautiful, traditional Japanese art in its unpolluted form, as a practitioner and its custodian, in the simple hope it will live on for many generations to come.