Thank you to all the students who took part in our Black and Brown Belt Course on Sunday 28th April. The attendance and support from our senior grades was excellent as always.

All who attended worked extremely hard and we are grateful for the effort! As you can see there were lots of sweaty faces by the end! The majority of training karatekas were Black Belts which is a great testament to the Club. It means that people don’t just get their black belt and leave or stop trying to learn. Everyone was there to learn, had a coachable attitude and continue to train their body. We would love to see more brown belts making the effort to attend these courses. The brown belts get their own group and work on parts of the syllabus that they wouldn’t normally cover ever week in class. You also get to work with others of a similar level from classes all over the Club. The experience is so valuable as you approach your Black Belt.

Paul Towler from kick and flick photography kindly attended and took photos at this event. There are so many great ones, thank you so much Paul.

To view the gallery click the link below:

https://kickandflick.smugmug.com/All-Galleries/Karate/Brown-and-Black-Belt-Course-April-2024

Password: RTK-Greenforest73

Feel free to download and share any pictures with credit to Kick & Flick Photography

Mike Beckwith Sensei, Rob Head Sensei and Paul Wolstencroft Sensei all taught sections on the course and it looks like everyone had great fun.

A Dan Grading immediately followed the course with 15 candidates attempting grades up to 3rd Dan Black Belt.

The panel consisted of Paul Wolstencroft Sensei 6th Dan, Mike Beckwith Sensei 5th Dan, Rachael Wolstencroft Sensei 4th Dan, Robert Head Sensei 4th Dan and Leesa Beckwith Sensei 3rd Dan.

We are so pleased to announce that we have seven new 1st Dan black belts, four new 2nd Dans and one new 3rd Dan. Your grades have been updated on the APP and your names have been added to the Black Belt Roll of Honour

Congratulations to the following students who have progressed to their next grades:

Shodan 1st Dan Black Belt

Daniel Ingham - Dan has been training in karate from a very young age and is such a bright and hard-working talent. He always impresses in class and when we have seen him at events. He struggled a little in the last grading with his kumite, having some tricky sparring partners and perhaps being overwhelmed by such a large grading, he never really got out of first gear. This time around he looked much better. His movement had improved and he looked sharper coming forward. He was quicker to get in and out and was able to land techniques on his opponents and demonstrate good control in all of his bouts. It is so difficult to get over the initial disappointment of having to come back and do a retake. Daniel’s karate looks much better for it and he seems to have been able to rebuild his confidence. We are so pleased for him and proud of the way he has comeback, stronger and better than ever. He definitely proved that he is a black belt and can now wear it with pride, well done Daniel.

Adam Cooper - What a great performance at grading from Adam Cooper who has been training in karate for the last 7 years. He is one of John O’ Donovans first ever students and has gone all the way to Black Belt. Adam is a lovely character to have in class, he is quiet and cracks on with it. He is tremendously dedicated and never misses class. Adam has always been low on confidence and I suspect this one of the reasons he started karate but to watch him on Sunday you would never know it. He was brilliant, sharp, focused and 100% determined to get his black belt. He scored high marks in all areas and got stuck in with the kumite. We are so pleased for you Scoops, keep up the excellent work fella.

Jake Quinn - Jake Quinn was absolutely brilliant at his grading. You won’t find anyone who trains more than Jake, he loves karate and is in his gi almost every night of the week, working hard and making improvement. We love teaching Jake, he is pleasure. A really helpful and kind cadet leader and super reliable. He has reached his black belt in a short space of time but has put in the work and the hours. I think karate gives Jake something to focus on and his dedication has certainly paid off. Again confidence used to be a problem and I hope after gaining his black belt he can finally start to believe in himself the way we believe in him. He was awesome, he showed everyone he can do it and we know this is only the beginning, there is so much more to come from Jake. Well done McSpooney face! Big thanks to Mum Michelle Sensei and Dad Derek who are a constant support to Jake. He couldn’t do it without you.

Tiago Pais - Tiago is an excellent karateka with unlimited potential. He took his black belt last November just a few months after joining us and struggled with the syllabus. The comeback has been much greater than the setback and since November he has been superb. He’s been training regularly, listening, correcting what we’ve asked him to and working really hard. We have been impressed with his attitude and the resilience he has shown and we were pleased to see him excel at the grading. He scored highly in all areas and really stood out for all the right reasons. Excellent Katas, calm and controlled kumite. The transformation is complete. We are excited to continue working with him as he has the potential to be outstanding. Parabens Tiago!

Salvatore Tognarelli - Salvatore is a great student. Athletically gifted, immensely talented and a pleasure to teach. He trains every single week with his brother Giacomo and they are both karate machines. Salvatore’s performance on the grading day was excellent, he has prepared himself fully for this event and showed great spirit and determination to see it through. His attitude is fantastic and he is very coachable. I hope that this will give him confidence because he has exceptionally high ability and doesn’t realise how good he can become. Continue to train and work hard Salvatore because we know there is so much more to come. Congratulations n your hard earned and well deserved Black Belt.

James Rigby - James Rigby has shown great potential from the very beginning, just a few weeks into his training we knew that James had everything it takes to go all the way. He is a fearless, generational talent. The kind of junior we come across infrequently but you wish everyone you teach could be like. There is no tiring him out, he has endless energy and the work ethic to match. He listens and works hard. He scored high marks in areas and was a stand out from the grading. He is brave aswell, he had to spar plenty of times and we put him again Ben (who was going for his Sandan and is one of the top fighters in RTK) and James gave him everything and even tried a sweep! Cheeky! Anyway, James you were outstanding and this is only the beginning for you. Keep up the same dedication and you will be one of the very best. Well done Fella.

Oscar Thomson – Oscar Thomson is an absolutely wonderful student who must be a dream to teach. He is polite, friendly and hard working. The kind of student that you wish you had a class full of. He listens, corrects what you ask him to and never fails to work hard. Every examiner gave him good marks and we were all impressed with the standard of his karate. He improves every time we see him and is always enthusiastic to learn. There was a little lapse in concentration but nothing that would stop him getting his Shodan. We are so pleased for him and you could tell that grading to Black Belt meant the world to him and the Thomson family. We are excited by how far he has come at such a young age and we know that there is so uch more to come. Jon Sensei has done a fabulous job of guiding him and we hope that Oscar continues to set a great example to everyone at the Stockton Heath Dojo. The bar has been set high by Oscar, keep up the great work and keep smiling, we think you are brilliant.  

Nidan - 2nd Dan Black Belt

William Cristoforo

Wow. What a grading. What a student. William was exceptional. He really was. There were times I was watching William and not even looking to critique him. I just wanted to enjoy watching him perform. He has worked so hard to get to where he is. He is one of the most dedicated karateka at RTK and it doesn’t go unnoticed. William comes to everything, all events, Cadet Classes, trains three times a week and I am sure he’d do even more if he had the time. He is a bright and intelligent young man who is the perfect student. He is quiet and lets his karate do the talking. He diligently studies karate and always improves. His Kankudai was absolutely beautiful and we were blown away by how easy he made his kumite rounds look. Jo Sensei and Gary Sensei and all the team at the Darwen Class must have been incredibly proud to watch him. His Mum and Dad are so supportive too and he couldn’t achieve this level without your gentle guidance. William hasn’t only put his hat in the ring for Student of the Year, after that performance – he has to be the front runner. Absolutely incredible! Well done and keep it up. We wish we had another 100 William Cristoforo’s but there can only be 1.

Josiah Curtis

They don’t come much more dedicated that Joey Curtis. He is in the dojo three times a week, training hard and setting a wonderful example to all the students in the Stockton Heath area. He is naturally talented but still works incredibly hard. His karate is so good it looks effortless.  I really enjoyed watching his Katas. They were perfectly paced, flowed nicely and he showed sharpness and power that can only be generated by those who have trained consistently over a long period of time. His karate is classy. He doesn’t rush, he practises everything until it’s absolutely right. Joey’s sparring was really impressive too. Kearsley Academy has quite a slippery floor, but Joey managed to glide in and out. He showed sound understanding of distance and always demonstrates excellent control. His karate is mature way beyond his years and we were incredibly impressed. I am sure Jon Sensei is incredibly proud of him. What a student – keep up the outstanding work as you have everything it takes to make it to Sandan and beyond. The support system, the attitude, the confidence. It is all there. Don’t change a thing!  

Zak Gould

Another outstanding grading from Zak Gould who has trained with us since he was tiny! You can see the time he’s put in over the years through his performance on the day. He has reached an exceptional standard, but one thing still lacks and that is - confidence. If Zak believed in himself the way he should, he would be unstoppable.  We really hope that this grading will be the validation he needs to start believing that he is great at karate, because he is. Anyone who watched him perform on the day would know this. The examiners all gave him high marks and were very impressed, we know it. His Instructors Jo Sensei, Gary Sensei, Andy – they know it. He is naturally talented and an incredibly hard worker, but he would enjoy his karate more if he let go of the tremendous pressure that he puts on himself. I hope that now he has achieved his Nidan he can do this. This achievement is extraordinary for someone of such a young age. You proved to us all that you are a Nidan, we are all proud of you, your Instructors, your friends and your family. It’s your turn to be proud of yourself. Well done and keep up the excellent work. We know that if you keep going, you’ll become stronger and stronger. Well done.  

Maisie Fu

The last girl standing, Maisie was doing it for the ladies at the grading and she was absolutely brilliant. A really classy performance from a student who has always shown great potential and does the work to fulfil it. Maisie is a pleasure to teach, she has a wonderful attitude and always gives you 100%. She can be hard on herself and doesn’t always believe in herself the way she should but I am sure that now she has earned her Nidan she can relax a little and realise that she is a talented little superstar. Her kihon was sharp and focused and her Katas were graceful and spirited. I was particularly impressed with her kumite. She came out with such confidence and determination. She was putting together combinations and did a great job of defending herself and getting counters in when the opportunity was there. Her control was excellent and I think she must have worked really hard on her sparring. The progress she has made in her kumite between Shodan and Nidan is exceptional. We were incredibly impressed and there were no doubts from the examiners. It was Maisie Fu – an easy pass this time Mrs. Keep up the outstanding work. Keep setting a great example to everyone in the classes you attend. Think of all the other great girls you used to look up to, now you have become one of them. Well done.    

Sandan 3rd Dan Black Belt

Ben Duckworth started training with us when he was just 5 years old. 16 years later and he is still training and has reached an exceptional level. When you teach a student for this amount of time you learn a lot about who they are and try to help shape their character. For us, it has been our privilege to be a small part of Bens life for so long. We have seen him go through ups and downs but he always comes out the other side with a smile on his face, better and stronger than before.

He has become an incredible person who has achieved so much. He’s a focused, determined and endearing individual who carries these qualities through to every part of his life. He is successful in the dojo and we have no doubt he will be successful in life. He is well respected in the dojo is without doubt one of the best students that has and will ever come through our doors.

It is difficult to describe how proud we are that he is one of our Sandans. Even getting him to the grading has been a lesson in persistence. He was just weeks away from attempting the grading with his friends last year but a serious injury put the blockers on that. He gets no luck, but Ben knows, you make your own luck anyway. He learned that lesson young. Since then, he has been patient and rehabbed his injury. He’s been training really hard with the April date in mind his performance was well worth the wait.    

 It is a shame that the Sandan grading doesn’t involve more karate because I could have watched Ben all day. He is a kumite man, there is no doubt about it. He is a phenomenal fighter so we were all really looking forward to watching him spar. But he surprised us with some excellent Katas too. He has clearly been working hard to improve them and this certainly paid off. I enjoyed his Kankudai, it was technically excellent, strong and sharp but his Gankaku was even better. The kumite section was his strongest and he showed everyone why he is one of the very best. He is calm, controlled and every technique thrown is accurate and executed to the highest level. He went through 4 opponents back to back without experiencing anything he couldn’t handle. His movement is outstanding, he can in and out with lightning speed and you just can’t catch him. It really was an exceptional performance and a lesson in how to spar at a grading for everyone watching.

Well done once again to each and every one of you. We are proud of your achievements and we hope that the journey will continue. 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 - CONTINUE TO TRAIN. 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, Sandan or Yondan. 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.

• Responsibility to pass it on

Reaching black belt often leaves students at a crossroads. 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. Rob Sensei has had to practise them all to an excellent standard. 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.

A few have asked about Japanese Hirota Belts with personalised embroidery and here is the link if you would like to order one:

https://www.redtigerkarateclub.co.uk/shop/p/hirota-black-belt

The order will be placed on Friday 10th May.

There were 3 candidates Mark, Anton and Philip who passed two sections but must come back and retake 1 element only. This is by no means a failure and we say to you as we have said to others in the past that you must never give up. This is a test of your character and a valuable life lesson to learn from. I wrote the following last year based on experience and the same applies today:

“It is always heartbreaking for not only these students but also their family members. I know all too well from experience how you are feeling. Low in confidence confidence, frustrated and bitterly disappointed. You are probably wanting to jack it all in. Nothing we say or do can make you feel better. So I would urge you to consider my words of encouragement -

• You earned your spot at the grading and were courageous enough to try. How many people do you know (your age) that have tried to grade to black belt or nidan? Not many. So many people give up way before trying for their black belt. You have not been a quitter, so don’t be a quitter now.

• The majority of you scored 66% on a test that requires a 100% pass mark. That is a pretty respectable score and an achievement in itself that you can be proud of.

• This experience will teach you to persevere in life. Bad things will happen to you and you will not always understand why. What you can always control is your reaction. You may have been knocked down, but you are not out. Our team are here to make sure you see it through. We want you to come back and show us that you can do it.

• Black Belts are earned over many years. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Do not give up in the last mile. I have never met a person who has not regretted the decision to give up at brown belt level. They ALL say they wish they’d seen it through.

• For some of you I can honestly say it was a momentary lapse of memory or concentration and then the focus goes. The margin of error is small. That is what we call - a bad day at the dojo. It does NOT mean you have bad karate. If you had bad karate, you wouldn’t have been there.

• We want to pass you as much as you want to pass but it is irresponsible to grade anyone who doesn’t meet the required standard. You saw that you are in a special club with high standards. Our Black Belts are earned and worthy of your continued efforts.

• You haven’t let anyone down, not your parents/supporters, not the Club, not your Sensei. They all still love you just as much as they did before. We are all proud of your efforts. In time, you will be too.

• If you are feeling embarrassed and worried about what the others in your dojo will think, don’t be. Your dojo friends are kinder than you think and the vast majority will be ready to step up and help you. We stick together.

• You need to carry on and finish what you started. You might not feel like getting back into the dojo straight away and that is ok. You might be furious and want to get right back to it and that is ok too. However you are feeling is ok and you have an army of Red Tiger support.”

We should also thank the parents/the partners and supporters who enable these students to do what they do. Driving them to practise, making them go when its easier not to, motivating them, praising them, being supportive financially and emotionally. You go through it with them. It’s hard being a karate parent and we appreciate you.

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 who can’t even make a fist who doesn’t know their zenkutsodachi from their mawashigeri, to highly skilled, physically and mentally strong Black Belts who could potentially go to train in Japan and fully understand everything that they are being asked to do. It’s a lot. 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 the most fabulous job.

Thanks to the examiners Paul Sensei, Mike Beckwith, Leesa Beckwith & Rob Head Sensei for sharing their expertise and Helen Dolan Sensei for all your help and hard work behind the scenes. Thanks also to Gary Sensei for officiating the kumite rounds.