We held a large club grading at Cardinal Allen high school on Sunday 25th November for students attempting their very first grade of yellow belt right through to students attempting 1st Kyu – the last Kyu grade before black belt. From the beginning, everyone put in loads of effort and focus, and all were supportive to each other all day.
We need to mention a special thanks to those that gave up their day to assist with the grading, Senior Instructors Sensei Gavin Oliphant, Sensei Julie Dudley and Sensei Martin Thomas, Club Instructors Sensei Del Knowles, Sensei Martin Wilmot, Sensei Kirsty Churchouse and Sensei Yvonne Crowther, Sempai Karen Jackson, Junior Instructors Nathan Crowther and Jack Churchouse and Junior Sempai’s Brandon Crowther, Taigen Swinburn and Lucy Hulme and student Kieron Gray. Your help as always is a massive support to Sensei Simon on the day, and is very much appreciated.
A big thank you too must go to the parents and family members who watched and supported from the sides and constantly encouraged those who were grading on the day, this really helps the students to continue to keep going even when they are really tired.
Every student who attempted their next grade did fantastically well, and all successfully passed. We had a number of white belts from age 4 years of age right through to adults, who showed some great karate basics for their first ever grading, and there was some lovely Kihon kata on display. Well done to you all!
Well done to the new 5th Kyu blue and 4th Kyu purple belts – you are all getting ever closer to those senior grades, continue to train hard in classes and the rewards will come!
We always name in person those students who reach the grade of 3rd Kyu and above as these are senior grades and take many years of training, dedication and practice. Congratulations to the following students:
Christian Schofield – 3rd Kyu
Christian is really enjoying his karate and has improved massively since his last grading, he regularly attends senior class and this has helped him move forward immensely. Christian is a popular member of Musuko and has made some great friends. He is a brilliant help in the dojo and a great person to have in the club. Christian takes his karate very seriously, he is very committed to his karate and his training is very consistent. He always watches everything he is taught very closely and regularly learns the moves for his next kata from sites like YouTube. On his grading day Christian was very good, his basics and katas were very strong and had been practiced well, and they had a nice flow about them. In the kumite section Christian was pushed quite a lot but is starting to handle situations better and with more control, I have no doubt that as he progresses through his grades his kumite will continue to improve more. Well done Christian and congratulations on your 3rd Kyu. Keep up the impressive work you are doing!
Freya Hulme – 2nd Kyu
Freya is a brilliant student to have in the club, along with her sister Lucy she trains three times a week including senior class and very rarely misses any lessons. She is a popular member of the club and has made lots of friends. Freya is a little pocket rocket and her karate is coming on leaps and bounds since starting senior class. Freya is now beginning to take her karate much more seriously and as a result she is really coming into her own growing both in confidence and ability. She has really good all-round karate all this and she is only 10 years old! Freya was awesome on her grading day everything she did was done with 100% effort and focus. Her basics and katas were all very strong and had a lovely flow, and in the kumite section she was just superb and handled every opponent with no problems at all. Her sparring with her sister Lucy was great to watch, and as sisters I’m sure they enjoyed sparring each other and have a great mutual respect. We are really looking forward to seeing Freya continue to improve through her grades. Well done Freya you were fantastic on your 2nd Kyu. Keep up the brilliant training and we are very much looking forward to seeing you attempt your black belt in the not too distant future
Paul Webber – 3rd Kyu
Sensei Paul is a very dedicated student and a fantastic student to have in the club. Paul really enjoys his karate – especially kumite, and trains three times a week, rarely missing any classes. He assists Sensei Julie in the Thursday Fleetwood dojo and is enjoying teaching students, really relishing in his role as a Sensei. Paul is great to teach he always listens and tries his hardest at everything he does, he never shies away from work and gives every class his all. All this effort and focus is helping Paul to make great strides in his karate and continuously improve. He has progressed through all his grades strongly and has always achieved everything that has been asked of him. Paul was excellent at his grading he gave all his effort and focus to every section from the start, and he had strong all-round karate, his katas were very polished and precise and his kumite was really strong. Paul just now needs to learn to relax and have more control and distance in kumite, I’m sure Paul will listen to what is being taught him though and no doubt fix this area for future gradings, as he is very determined to always do well. Congratulations Paul on your 2nd Kyu – keep up the magnificent work a thoroughly deserved grade!
Rebecca Catlow – 2nd Kyu
Rebecca is one of our many talented female students in the club. She is a popular member in the dojo, who is always willing to help others and she always tries hard at everything she does. Rarely missing classes, Rebecca is very consistent with her training and she has really improved since she last graded, she has very good all-round basics and she always watches everything she is being taught very closely. Rebecca is always keen to learn and try new things, and handles most challenges well, and this has helped her progress through her grades well. Rebecca worked really hard at her grading and gave 100% all day, she displayed precise clean kata’s and good controlled kumite. She had to kumite for longer this time around but she stayed calm and knew what was expected of her. Well done Rebecca keep up the splendid work you’re doing and congratulations on your 2nd Kyu.
Harvey Atkinson – 1st Kyu
Harvey is a great student to have in the club, and a real gentle giant. He always listens and pays attention to what is being taught in the dojo and then puts this into practice. He has made huge strides both in confidence and ability since attending senior classes. He is a popular member of the dojo and has made some good friends. Harvey has progressed nicely through his grades, thoroughly deserving of each rank, and he seems to be enjoying his karate. On the grading day Harvey worked tirelessly from start to finish, he had great focus and determination and produced good clean basics and katas. In kumite Harvey was nice and controlled, and although at times Harvey was pushed during this section he showed great determination to carry on without any fuss, never once showing any signs of giving up. This shows a great maturity in his karate development, and is fantastic to see. Huge congratulations on your 1st Kyu Harvey, keep the fantastic work going! Next stop black belt!
Connor Mooney – 1st Kyu
Connor is another great student who has made some good friends within the club. Connor regularly trains and rarely misses classes and this has given him good strong karate with great basics, he always tries hard in class and then puts whatever he has been shown into practice. On the grading day Connor did really well he was very determined to do well in each area and he stayed focused throughout. His katas were lovely and clean and had been practiced well, and in the kumite section Connor was much improved, showing excellent skill and great movement. Gone is the temper and in its place a greater understanding in what is being asked, an essential requirement for black belt. Well done Connor you never gave up, fantastic work. Congratulations on your 1st Kyu. We look forward to you attempting your black belt soon!
Daisy Oliphant – 1st Kyu
Daisy is a great little student to have in the club, and has consistently trained since being very young with her dad Sensei Gavin Oliphant. Daisy and her dad have always supported every event we hold and are very popular members of the club. Daisy has great all-round karate with brilliant katas and kumite, and is ever more turning into a little pocket rocket. Daisy has had a lot of success with her karate - winning medals at karate tournaments both inter-club and at outside associations, and has also won great accolades at our award evenings including Student of the Year, all this and Daisy is only just 10 years of age! Daisy enjoys her role as Junior Sempai and is a splendid example to the young female students who are coming through their grades. On the grading day Daisy was fantastic! She worked extremely hard from the beginning and put in loads of focus and effort. Her katas were lovely and sharp and had been practiced well and in the kumite Daisy handled situations much better and stayed in control throughout. Congratulations Daisy fantastic work! Well done on your 1st Kyu we look forward to seeing you take your black belt soon!
Jack Southern – 1st Kyu
Jack is a great student to have in the club, he consistently trains and rarely misses classes, and his great attitude has encouraged his dad Mark to start who is really doing well in his own training. A popular member with boys his age, Jack has made some good friends and is enjoying learning new things. He has really good all-round karate and through his sheer determination and his eagerness to learn will no doubt just keep getting better and better. He is another little pocket rocket, who has progressed through his belts well and is now approaching his black belt along with a number of other talented students. Jack has lovely clean katas which he completes with great confidence and with a lovely flow about them and his kumite is very good and controlled. Jack did extremely well at his grading and worked hard throughout, he has improved significantly again since he last graded and as he gets older we have no doubt that this will continue. Jack is enjoying his karate and his sheer commitment to his training will definitely take him to his black belt and beyond. Well done Jack – congratulations on your 1st Kyu. Next stop black belt – keep up the fantastic work!