WHITSUNDAY kyoshin karate champion Imogen Tulk is back on Australian soil after placing eighth in the full-contact, All Japan Championships last week.

The young athlete competed in the heavyweight 15-17-year-old age division, going up against competitors up to two years her senior.

Tulk competed in the All Japan Championships last year and had trained intensively both on the mats and at the gym for the past 12 months to return for the 2018 tournament.

The Proserpine State High School Year 10 student said she feels that she has improved significantly since last year and was more than happy with her overall result.

"Last year when I competed in this tournament I was nervous, jet lagged and tired,” she said.

"I am stronger, faster and have a much higher fitness level than last year. Eventually I do want to win this tournament in Japan and don't worry I will be back next year and I will be training twice as hard.”

Shihan Wayne Hinschen, from the Proserpine kyoshin dojo, said that Tulk should have placed higher, but the final "hickey-wackey” round went against her.

"She fought extremely well and she made it to the final eight which is a fantastic result,” Hinschen said.

"Last year was her first time so this year she knew what to train for and what to expect with it being such a high class of fighting.”

Despite the ferocity of the tournament, the dedicated teen escaped injury although she received a few "claps to the head”.

Tonight will be Tulk's first night back at training since she returned from Japan and Hinschen said he has already spoken to her about what they need to work on.

Although there was evident speed and strength in her arms Hinschen hopes to help Tulk develop more strength in her lower body so that she is able to match the speed and flexibility of her Japanese opponents.

"The Japanese are very flexible, very quick and very tough,” Hinschen said.

"She had the speed in her arms and she's very strong but she never had as much speed in her legs.

"Each tournament she goes in she improves. You're not going to win everything but you can see such a big improvement within the last 12 months.

"The more you get on the mat and compete the more prepared you are which is why we try to get into as many tournaments as possible. You're always going to be nervous but she knows what to do and what it's about.”

Next on the agenda for Tulk is travelling to Sydney for the 2018 Australian Full-Contact Karate Championships on July 28.

Tulk said she would like to thank her sponsors Whitsunday Regional Council, Whitsunday Airport Shute Harbour and Airlie Fitness as well Shihan Hinschen and the rest of Proserpine dojo for training and encouraging her.