Brown and Black Belt Course & Dan Grading Results: 23/4/2023
A Brown and Black Belt Course took place at Kearsley Academy on Sunday 23rd April. As always this event was well supported by our Senior students, our Black Belts and our Instructor team. We thank you for your attendance and effort on the day. The course comprised of practising kihon drills for Shodan and Nidan. We then worked our way through several Katas and Jiyu Ippon kumite. We finished off with practising single attacks, doubles and triples for kumite. Everyone who took part worked hard and it was great to see just how many Brown and Black Belts we have sharing one space enjoying what we all do best - kicking and punching each other!
Four students had been put forward for their 2nd Kyu or 1st Kyu so we completed the Kyu grading during the last part of the course.
Isobel Robertson, Lewis Alger and Anne Marie Alger successfully graded to their 2nd Kyu brown belt with 1 white stripe and Logan Hill-Critchley passed his 1st Kyu.
All four students were excellent. The kihon was strong and the Katas flowed nicely. The 2nd Kyu’s could do with a little more confidence and practise with their kumite but Logan Hill-Critchley showed brilliant speed, timing and movement in his kumite. It was great to see Isobel still performing at such a high standard and Team Alger grading together, pushing each other. Both Lewis and Anne-Marie have made some excellent progress. Lewis is growing in confidence too which is great. They all showed they have the potential to reach Black Belt in the near future, just keep pushing on. Well done to you all.
This became a theme throughout. Families achieving together! So many parents who have got only roped in because their children were doing karate came through for the big grades on the day. Supporting each other, making each other proud. It’s what makes our Club the special place that it is. This is not just a kids Club. Everyone belongs here. We have just as many girls and ladies training as we do boys and men. I feel this is unique to our Club. Our girls and females are absolutely smashing it up - in what used to be (when I was young a million years ago) a male dominated sport. Not here. Here, everyone belongs.
A Shodan Nidan and Sandan Grading immediately followed the course. There were plenty of nervous faces lining up in front of our panel. Some who have been training for upwards of ten years and beyond! At last, it was their big chance. There were so many strong and dedicated characters in the line up and we were so looking forward to the karate that was to come.
We are so pleased to report that we have 1 new Sandan, 3 new Nidans and 12 new Shodans. You can see the relieved faces below!
Three students also passed the Kihon and Kata sections but have been asked to repeat their kumite section. Danika Wood, Sonja Hoglund and Alex Moriarty all put in strong performances scoring highly in the Kihon and Kata sections. We can certainly work with all three ladies as we know that they can and will improve. They have everything it takes to reach their Shodans and Nidan. The advantage they now have is that they can put all of their effort into just one section. You should feel proud that you were brave enough to try. You didn’t let anybody down. Your loved ones still love you and your Sensei’s are still proud of you. I am sure you will be feeling low at the moment and filled with self-doubt, but this will pass. It will hopefully be replaced with renewed determination (and perhaps a bit of anger!) to finish what you started and show us that you can do it. Please carry on and honour your talent. You’ve come too far and are too good to give up now. Your development is important to us and we will help you overcome this.
For those who passed, we congratulate you on a job well done. We are so pleased for you and proud that you represent our club at this level. To you I say this - CARRY ON. Nothing changes for you. The only thing that changes is the way others see you. Now, you get to wear a black belt in class, or have achieved Nidan, or Sandan. These levels command respect and you have earned this over many years of training and dedication. Wear your belt with pride and know that you have achieved something that very few people ever could. Think of all of the people you lined up beside with when you first started, I bet there aren’t many left. You are unique, it doesn't make you better than anyone else. A Black Belt simply symbolises a student who began their karate journey many years ago, worked hard week in, week out and never gave up.
With senior grades comes big responsibility:
Responsibility to ALWAYS try hard.
Responsibility to show up and set an example.
Responsibility to inspire others the way you have been inspired.
Responsibility to continue to develop and keep learning.
Responsibility to stay fit, healthy and strong. Look after your body.
Responsibility to remain humble and respectful. A peaceful warrior who will fight as a last resort.
Responsibility to fulfil your potential.
Reaching black belt often leaves students at a crossroad. A path must be chosen. Some decide that they have gone as far as they want to and we fully respect that decision, but you have given up at the beginners level.
You have proven you have the ability, now is the time to choose the path of continuous growth. Choose to continue to work hard. Choose to have a great attitude to learning. Choose to remain disciplined. Choose to go the extra mile and become something really special. Choose excellence.
We want you to know that there is so much still to do. Continue to set new goals and train with purpose. Did you know we practise the 26 Shotokan Kata plus 5 Junro's. You have learned 8 if you are at Shodan level. 13 to get to Nidan. 18 to get to Sandan. There is so much still to do. You can begin to pass your knowledge onto others by beginning to teach. You can start testing yourself through competition. The opportunities are right here and available to all.
I also just want to take some time to thank all of the instructors who have continued to teach and motivate you. We are so lucky as Karate Instructors that we get to see you grow up and fulfil your potential. Your teacher at School changes each year, we get to take you from beginner with zero knowledge or skills to highly skilled, physically and mentally strong Black Belts and beyond.
Then you end up bigger than us! Our job is to make you better than us. Each set of students better than the last. Throughout our shared experience, a mutual respect and friendship is developed between Sensei and Student that can last a lifetime. We have the most rewarding job in the World.
RTK are lucky to have such a wonderful team of Sensei’s who care so much about their students and do a fabulous job.
Thanks to the examiners Paul Sensei, Mike Beckwith & Sensei Rob Sensei for sharing their expertise and Helen Dolan Sensei for all your help and hard work behind the scenes.
Congratulations to the following students who dared to be great. We enjoyed watching each and every one of you. You showed us everything we wanted to see; indomitable spirit, an excellent standard and laser focus. After many years of dedication, we always say a few words about each person and what makes them so special to us.
Shodan - 1st Dan Black Belts
Megan Hardy - Megan has been training karate since she was just 5 years old. 7 years later she is still smashing it! She showed great spirit. Her kihon was strong, her katas flowed nicely and she was so focused and determined. Megan shows that she still has great potential and the ability to become even better. What an enormous achievement at her age to have dedicated herself to something she loves and has become excellent at. You have made everyone proud of you and I’m sure you’ve inspired your Mum and the coolest Nana in the world, yes we all remember that lockdown video! Well done Megan and keep up the great work.
Layla Davies - Right from the beginning Layla has been such a firecracker! She is very dedicated, usually the first one in the dojo, warming up and practising. She is a pleasure to teach because although karate comes quite naturally to her, she still tries incredibly hard in the dojo. She puts that pressure on herself to fulfil her potential. She was so focused throughout her grading, nothing would have stopped her. She scored high marks in every area, especially the Kumite. Layla is a lovely young lady too, always kind and patient with the kids and we are lucky to have her on our team. A great role model and a fab cadet leader. Well done Layla, you were amazing and I know there is more to come from you. Keep up the excellent work.
Zena Clarke - Near-faultless performance from one of the most dedicated members of RTK. Zena always works as hard as she can every single time she trains. She is a dream to teach, corrects things when you ask her to and it stays corrected! She goes to all the toughest classes to challenge both herself and Jayden never takes any shortcuts. Zena completely fulfills her potential and hers was one of the easiest yes’s of the day. She fought and moved well and her katas were beautiful. She got high marks for her Kihon. Zena really enjoys her karate too, it is great when she is in the dojo, her enthusiasm rubs off on others. She is so positive, so kind and cares about others in our classes. Always encouraging and getting the best out of people. It was wonderful that you got to do this with Jayden and support each other on the day. I’m so happy to see strong, confident women like Jane, Zena, Alex and Sonja coming through and smashing it! Great lady, great karate, well done and keep up the excellent work.
Jane Murison - Jane performed to a really high standard at the grading. Her Katas were sharp and dynamic, she was awarded good marks for her kihon and her kumite was and always is very strong. Jane is never afraid to get stuck in but she showed good movement, landed some well controlled techniques and got in and out, resisting the urge to start scrapping. Jane’s karate has improved in all areas, she has progressed steadily over the years and been very patient. We are so pleased for her. She is a wonderfully kind and supportive person and is so encouraging to all who train with and alongside her. I am sure this will inspire Ivy and May to kick on and catch up Mum! I did think about how Kath would have been so proud of you and Megan on the day, I know Rob Sensei certainly is. Great grading Jane and I am sure there is more to come.
Oliver Whittaker - One of the stand outs of the grading. What a student. What a performance. He was so calm, well prepared and focused. Nothing was stopping Oliver getting his black belt. He appeared confident and his karate was outstanding. Performances like this come when a person has worked consistently hard over many years. There are no secrets to Oliver’s success. He has trained non-stop, made no excuses, arrives early, practises, is so easy to coach because he listens and he is LOVELY. A really talented karateka who sets a great example in class, looks after the little ones and deserves every bit of success that has come his way. Well done Oliver you are an absolute superstar! I hope now you will realise just how amazing your karate is. We know there is plenty more to come…..
Noah Purvis - Noah has been training with us from a very young age and I am so pleased that he has persevered over the years because his hard work has finally been rewarded with his Black Belt. Noah has always been a great fighter and has worked really hard lift the level of his kihon and kata. His overall performance was excellent and he is a fearless when it comes to the sparring. He’s caught up his big brother Joel now and is absolutely flying. The fact that he can even keep up with the hellish Timperley Senior Class says a lot about his character and determination. Congratulations young man, I am sure there is plenty more to come from you. Well done.
Joshua Mangnall - Excellent grading from Joshua Mangnall who has come so far on his karate journey. I remember the little lad who started, who always tried his best but was cripplingly shy. The turnaround in him is extraordinary and this is put down to Joshua’s determination and a lot of encouragement from his Sensei’s and his family. The improvement he has made is immeasurable honestly. He works hard week in week out, attending several lessons per week, travelling all over Greater Manchester. He even trains at Kata Squad with Team Baron - Amazing. All your hard work and dedication has paid off Joshua. You are a Black Belt and we couldn’t be happier for you! Well done. Hopefully you will have inspired your Mum to do her best and catch up with you now. Go on Becky!
Baraka Kulewa - What a fantastic student Baraka is. A young man with outstanding kumite - he is a real powerhouse. A formidable opponent. You better get on your tippytoes if he ends up in front of you in the sparring. Unfortunately, he just missed on getting his Black Belt last time due to his Kata section. Baraka was so focused and determined this time around. His first two Kata’s must have been practised hundreds of times. He was so confident and blasted through them. There was a little hiccup with the Heian but he soon put it right. We are so proud that you chose to come back and finish what you started. You have shown great resilience and fully deserve to be a black belt in our Club. Well done Baraka.
Tzachi Kittaer - Tzachi is another student who began training with us because his daughter Alice had joined. For most of the panel this is the first time we have seen Zac train and we were really impressed. He chose to challenge himself and do a crossover Black Belt having already gained one in Shotokan. What a great attitude to want to put yourself through it again! Zac learned Kata Junro Shodan and performed it brilliantly. Very smooth, very confident. His kihon was powerful and his kumite was strong but controlled. We are so pleased to have him training with us. Thanks Alice for roping in your Dad!
Anthony Cristoforo - Anthony really was a stand out from this grading. His karate is absolute class. He makes it look easy and anyone who trains knows it is far from easy. That is when you realise someone is a complete natural. Now we know why William is so good. His Kihon was impressive and well practised. His Katas got some of the highest marks given and he was very determined in the kumite. A brilliant grading from an absolute gent! Congratulations Anthony, we are so pleased for you and know that this is just the start. You have so much potential and I am sure you will keep training and learning because you enjoy karate and trying to keep up with the awesome William.
Rob Vernon - Sir Robert of Wilmslow lined up and looked absolutely petrified. Thankfully as soon as he started doing karate, those nerves subsided and he put in great performance. Rob is an excellent all-rounder. I think he puts a lot of pressure on himself to perfect every little move, often overthinking. It probably comes with the pressure of having a son who is outstanding at karate (same goes for Zena, Dave and Anthony). Rob meets his potential and then some. He is one of the hardest workers in the room. Always. Please have some confidence now and know that your black belt was hard earned and richly deserved. Well done Rob. A great karateka and an ever better person.
Dave Thomas - What a wonderful person Dave is. I could fill paragraph after paragraph about why everyone at RTK loves and respects Dave Thomas. He is, hands down the most positive and motivational person I have ever met. Our ‘Pep Guardiola’ although he wouldn’t like me saying that I’m sure! He is the only person on the planet who can get Paul Sensei out of a mood I swear it. But really we should pay our respects to the fact that he absolutely smashed his grading after training so hard for so long. He was determined from the start. He had his moments where the nerves were kicking in but he held it together and did brilliantly. Then he got his mitts and pads on and he looked in his element. Dancing around, great movement, sharp in and out. Fantastic. I loved every minute of your grading Dave and know just how much it means to you. The friendships and bonds you’ve built over the last 13 years and the amount of people you’ve inspired. You are a legend. Everyone is so pleased and so, so proud. Especially Lew! Well done Dave. I’m sure you’ll enjoy training without the pressure now. Cup of tea anyone?
Nidan - 2nd Dan Black Belts
Charlotte Griffiths - What an excellent karateka Charlotte is and a lovely girl. She is another student who has shown great promise from the very beginning. I remember watching her at a tournament very early on and thought this girl has something very special indeed. Not just potential, but a winning mentality. She is very intelligent and is easy to coach. She takes everything in and is able to do what you ask. It is always exciting when you meet a really focused young student with bags of potential. It is a privilege to teach her and guide her karate journey. It is easy to see why she has made it to Nidan at a very young age. She is fierce when she needs to be and totally fearless. Charlotte has been working hard on her kihon and it was sharp and strong on the day. She does a very good kata too when she puts her mind to it. Her sparring was excellent as it always is. Those kicks are so sneaky, almost unblockable! The way she works them in, it’s like she has elastic legs. Charlotte is an excellent cadet leader and is helping to motivate the next generation of Reddish superstars. She can be grumpy at me (usually football related), but is always lovely with the children and I appreciate that! An excellent grading Charlotte, we hope that you will continue to honour your gift as you have everything it takes to achieve more great things with your Karate. We know this is just the start.
Jayden Clarke - Jayden first and foremost is such an inspirational student in class and has absolutely no idea how talented he is. You’re a brilliant role model and so mature for your age. From the day your karate journey began, you have never given anything less than 100%. You train SO, SO hard. You are dedicated and diligently study the art. You are the perfect student. I wish I had a class full of you. You are coachable, hold yourself accountable, you practise, you retain every bit of information and soak up everything you are taught like a sponge. Your karate is wonderful to watch and would work for you if you ever needed it to. You are an excellent all rounder with great technique. I can’t even pinpoint the strongest part of your karate because everything is practised to such a high standard. You are a class act and deserve every bit of success that comes your way. You are gifted without being a show off. You lead by example and I am so glad our youngsters and the people coming through get to learn from you. I hope you will continue to train the way you do and keep fulfilling your potential. Keep setting goals and enjoying your karate. There is so much more you can achieve. Keep doing what you are doing and believing in yourself. You made everyone proud especially your Mum who has been there every step of the way, gently supporting but never pushing you. You two are the perfect combination. Well done, I’m so glad you did this together.
Liam Dolan - What a grading. What a student. Liam was outstanding. I am so pleased he has finally found his confidence. He has really started to believe in himself at last. Liam’s karate really has gone from strength to strength. He is powerful, sharp and dynamic. He sets a great example to everyone and has an excellent positive attitude. Liam will try to correct what you ask him to, when you ask him. He deserves to be a Nidan because he is consistently one of the hardest workers in the room, every time he trains. Quietly just putting in the work and plugging away. He has made considerable improvement in his Katas. He has finally started to relax which allows him to flow better and actually makes him more dynamic. His Jion was excellent and perfectly suited his powerful style of karate. It was so well practised. Kata Bassai Dai suited him perfectly too. Liam got off to a bit of a slow start in the kumite but the more rounds he did, the better he performed. I think he needs a warm up round next time! He moved well, got in and out and landed a good range of techniques. His approach with different with each partner, used his feints to gauge his opponent reaction and calculate distance. This shows us that he is an intelligent fighter who has advanced between Shodan and Nidan. Liam is modest and hard-working, he is consistently performs above and beyond our expectations. A credit to the club and Helen and John Sensei. Almost all of Team Dolan are Nidans now - an extraordinary achievement from a family who dedicate all of their spare time to karate and our Club - we are incredibly lucky. Another success story that started when John and Helen Sensei got roped in when the boys were little. Thomas next…..Let’s make it 4 out of 4 Nidans! That’s never been done here before!
Sandan - 3rd Dan Black Belt
Jo Sysum - What a wonderful performance from Jo Sensei. She is, and always has been one of the best to do it. Born in a gi I think! She absolutely loves karate, it is her passion, the dojo is her sanctuary. Teaching it, training in it, watching it, thinking about it, she is a karate addict and we are so thankful to have her training here at Red Tiger. This is what it takes to get this far. Anyone who watched her on Sunday will tell you that Jo Sensei made it look effortless. Unless you train, you simply cannot comprehend the level of skill and dedication it takes to perform so effortlessly. She is class. Always has been. Thousands of hours of training and practise went into that performance. She’s been training for over a decade now and she is just a cut above. She is so quiet, so unassuming and let’s her karate do all the talking. Attention has been paid to every miniscule detail in her Jitte, it was literally flawless. She will disagree of course, she would find something wrong with it I’m certain. But it just overtook me to the point where I just watched to enjoy it instead of watching it to mark it. It was that phenomenal. She’s so humble, it is hard for her to accept the praise, but she really does deserve it. I have the utmost respect for Jo Sensei because she really does adhere to every principle of the dojo kun. She leads by example and doesn’t accept anything less than her very best. She is almost too hard on herself. Her kumite was exceptional. Everything it should be at her level. Her movement is excellent, her distance control and timing is excellent. She lands attacks on target without injuring others. She showed a wide range of techniques and put together excellent combinations. Her spirit was indomitable and she would have just kept on going, opponent after opponent. She was so focused, fully prepared and up to the task. Fearless, ruthless and inspirational all at the same time. I am sure you will feel so happy now that you don’t have to train with the pressure of the grading looming over your head. But you’ll carry on, leading by example and inspiring everyone else with your breathtakingly beautiful karate. The Darwen area is so lucky to have you and your family along with the Pratleys bringing through such high quality karateka.
After such an exhilarating day and all the training that leads up to it, make sure you wear your belt with pride in your next lessons. There’ll be a big target on your back now and it’s up to you to maintain fitness and keep up to the task!
So there you have it. Mums and Dads sitting at the side itching to have a go, just do it. Dave, Anthony, Zena, Jane, Anne-Marie, Rob, Tzachi have never looked back and you won’t either!
If anyone would like a Hirota Black Belt we are putting in an order in two weeks time. These are handmade personalised Black Belts from Tokyo, Japan. Here is the link if you are interested in putting in an order:
https://www.redtigerkarateclub.co.uk/shop/p/hirota-black-belt
Sadly, there were a few grading candidates who through no fault of their own could not make it on the day. So, we are adding in an extra Dan grading at our South Manchester grading on Saturday 17th June at the National Taekwondo Centre. This is good news for those on re-takes and for those who hadn’t quite completed their time on 1st Kyu. Now you have a date to aim for, lets get the work done.
I’m looking forward to the next one already.