On Sunday 26th June we held our black belt grading at Fleetwood for four of our students. Although this was our smallest black belt grading to date it is fair to say it was probably one of, if not the best, black belt grading we have had so far.
The grading panel consisted of Sensei Simon Crowther, Sensei Gary Mcdonald, Sensei Julie Dudley, Sensei Gavin Oliphant and Sensei Martin Thomas. Many thanks to these Sensei’s who gave up their day to give valuable experience, feedback and opinions to those grading.
Many thanks also to Chelsea Grundy, Taigen Swinburn, Amy Greenhalgh and Paul Webber who did a brilliant job all day and helped assist with the grading in kihon ippon and kumite. Your commitment to the club and for being a fabulous support to those grading is always appreciated.
Of the four students who graded we sadly had one student Chris Greenhalgh who was unfortunate to fail in a particular section of the grading which meant he was unable to attain his Shodan grade this time. Chris took the news with the highest dignity and spirit of anyone we have ever seen, showing what a great Karate-Ka he really is. The panel all commended Chris on his attitude at the news and we very much look forward to Chris attempting his Shodan again in November where hopefully he will bounce back from his disappointment.
The three remaining students were all successful in obtaining their grades and we are sure everyone within Musuko Karate Academy will join us in congratulating these students.
Lucy Hulme – Shodan-Ho
Lucy is a great student and character to have in the club and very rarely misses any classes. Junior Sempai Lucy has always had good clean karate and along with her sister Freya they are a pleasure to teach. All those years of regular training, dedication and commitment paid off for Lucy on her grading day and she was just fantastic from start to finish! Lucy had excellent basics in all areas, her combinations were clear and precise and she had brilliant effort and focus. In the kihon ippon section Lucy really upped her game and gave good loud responses and controlled movements throughout. Lucy’s Heian kata’s were really good and taken with confidence, her Bassai Dai could do with a little more polish with regard to hand movements and positions - although Lucy made no mistakes within the actual kata. In fact, Lucy was just awesome all day. In the kumite section Lucy had controlled awareness of speed and distance and she showed those brilliant kicks of hers which have always been one of Lucy’s strong points. Lucy passed every section of her grading with full marks and all the grading panel were very impressed with Lucy giving her some lovely feedback at the end. When Lucy came up to collect her belt and certificate she was beaming from ear to ear and rightly so! Congratulations Lucy you were simply awesome and really deserving of your Shodan-Ho. We very much look forward to you now attempting the grade of Shodan very soon.
Katie Knowles - Shodan-Ho
Katie is a lovely quiet girl who tries hard in class and never misses any lessons. Along with her dad Sensei Del Knowles, Katie supports every event we hold and is a great student to have in the club. Katie takes her karate seriously and she is always practicing before class on her kata’s and stances which definitely contributed towards her success at the grading. The panel always expected Katie to do well and be a good steady student but Katie really cranked it up and did brilliantly. Katie was bright red in the face after the first five minutes of the grading starting and was very determined that no matter what, she was taking home that black belt! Katie had brilliant basics, combinations and stances and her kihon ippon was faultless and done with confidence. In the kata section Katie’s Heian kata’s had been practiced over and over again and it was clear that she did them cautiously but with clear confidence. Katie passed all sections of her grading and all that practice definitely paid off. In the kumite section she was completely unfazed by anything that was given to her, and this was a huge difference to her last grading showing massive improvement. All the grading panel were very impressed by Katie and the feedback said it all with some fab comments. A very poignant moment for Katie, her parents, and everyone in the room was when Sensei Simon called Sensei Del forward so he could present his daughter Katie with her certificate and belt. Sensei Del had also spent many hours guiding and advising Katie on her upcoming grading so it was a very touching and fitting tribute to them both that he should award Katie with her achievements. Many Congratulations Katie, keep up this new side of you! You were very deserving of your Shodan-Ho and we are excited to see you attempt your Shodan in the not too distant future.
Martin Wilmot – Shodan
Sensei Martin is a great student to have in the club. He never misses classes and along with his step daughter Chelsea Grundy and daughter Rachel supports everything we do. Martin is a popular student with the adults and tries his hardest at every lesson. He currently supports Sensei Gavin at the Carleton dojo on Friday evenings showing excellent teaching skills and we know this is a role he really enjoys. At the grading Martin tried really hard from the beginning, he had great spirit and focus, and gave every section 100% effort and the panel could ask no more of him than this. Martin had good basics and kihon ippon but had a bit of a wobble in the kata section, he then got his head together, composed himself, and then came back and did a fantastic Heian Nidan which wowed the grading panel! This was probably Martin’s turning point in the grading. In the kumite section Martin coped well and although he was under some pressure during kumite he stayed calm, composed and in control. Martin’s dedication and commitment to his training along with his support for the club is all what helped Martin to achieve his Shodan grade. Congratulations on your Shodan Martin very well deserved.