Leanne began training in 1975 at Kensington dojo. She received Shodan in 1980 and became the principal instructor of Kensington dojo. Leanne met Kevin while training, they became friends and married soon after.

Leanne and Kevin established the Craigieburn dojo 1992 at the Craigieburn Leisure Centre. Leanne has participated and demonstrated at many international events in Portugal, Germany, France, Hungary, Greece, Belgium and Japan. Most memorable being a recent event in Japan where Leanne and Kevin demonstrated in front of the Princess Akiko.

Leanne holds senior ranks in Jujutsu, Judo, Ido, Iaido and Jodo. Leanne was second place in the 2009 Australian Iaido Championship. She has also been awarded the Shogo title of Renshi (Jujutsu) by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK) in Japan. Leanne has been presented with many personal awards from the DNBK for displays of her ability.

All of Leanne’s ranks and titles (with the exception of Ido – style developed by Wally Strauss in the 1970s) have been examined or confirmed by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai based in Japan

Leanne has helped plan and organise Fight for Life since it’s inception in 2010. She has taught at Fight for Life seminars in Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane, New Zealand and Germany. Leanne and Wendy Carroll were close friends and trained together for over 30 years. Kevin created Fight for Life because of Wendy’s fight with cancer and Leanne named it as testament to Wendy’s never-ending fighting spirit.

In 2015, Kevin and Leanne moved the dojo to the newly built Craigieburn Martial Arts Centre. The centre was designed by Leanne and Kevin to provide a unique experience and is a cultural hub for Japanese martial arts. Students can study, Jujutsu, Judo, Kendo, Iaido and Jodo.

Craigieburn Martial Arts Centre is a registered dojo in Japan with the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai.