On Saturday November 2, Shihan Howard Lipman held gradings for the Knox Grammar senior and prep school Karate classes. Stuart Bridges (3rd Kyu), Sam Hoberman (4th Kyu) and Jono Cheng (4th Kyu) led the senior school group while Zach Zibaee (6th Kyu), Jay-T Stubbs (6th Kyu) and James Tan (6th Kyu) led the prep school group.
Sempai Rebecca Humphries, Sempai Alex Lloyd, Stephen Runge, Nicholas Cheng and Simon Emmerson attended the grading. Sempai Alex and Steph took the students through basics and other components of the grading. All five fought the students in kumite.
Shihan Lipman was pleased with the performance of the Knox students on the day. Saturday November 9 will be normal training. An end of school year Karate BBQ for both the senior and prep school students is to be held at Knox on November 16. Certificates and belts will be presented to students at this event.
Sensei James Sidwell (4th Dan), Sempai Sammy Vieira (1st Dan) and Sensei Mark Shelmerdine (4th Dan) with their new belts & certificates.
On Saturday the 27th of July, black belts and senior kyu grades attempted a Karate grading.
Basic techniques and stances, combinations, partner work, terminology, kata, fitness and fighting skills were tested rigorously.
KIMAA students from Turramurra and Annangrove Dojos participated, as well as Jeremy Gray from the North Coast, with Sensei Mark McFadden and Sempai Wally Gray also coming down.
Sempai Sammy Vieira was graded to 1st Dan (Shodan). KIMAA’s newest Shodan fought his forty fights bravely, despite a couple of bloody knock-downs that required patching up between bouts.
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Sempai Sammy Vieira after his forty fights for Shodan.
All students put in a commendable effort, including Stephen Runge, James Ruprai, Azann Vhora and Jason Lambe who achieved senior brown belt (1st Kyu). Jeremy Gray and Angus and Victor Sweeney also did very well, keeping up with the adults in a long grading.
It was also announced at the completion of the grading that Sensei Mark McFadden had been promoted to 2nd Dan (Nidan) in Kobudo. Sensei Mark leads instruction in Kobudo in KIMAA’s North Coast Dojos and will be attending a group trip to Okinawa in November.
The KIMAA instructors congratulate all those who graded and thank the other seniors who attended the grading to support – and fight – those participating. Shihan Howard Lipman (8th Dan) was pleased with the standard of the day and offers his congratulations to all those who graded.
Aspley Dojo held its first grading for select members of its Little Lions class. Queensland head instructor Sempai Rob James commended the group effort, with all students display the Kyokushin spirit. Sidney Murphy was graded to 10th Kyu Level 3. Eliza and Jack Bolger were graded to 10th Kyu Level 1.
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Jermaine Downs was graded to 7th Kyu in the session following the Little Lions. A video of one of his kumite bouts with Sempai Rob is available on the Aspley Dojo Facebook page.
Mark McFadden has been promoted to 3rd Dan in Kyokushin Karate by Shihan Howard Lipman. This grants Mark the rank of Sensei (teacher). The grade promotion was awarded at Shihan Lipman’s Dojo in Turramurra.
Shihan Lipman also promoted Sensei Mark to 2nd Dan in Kobudo. He will formally receive his certificate from Sensei Hokama in the upcoming November KIMAA Japan Tour.
Sensei Mark has been teaching Kyokushin since the 1980s and running his own Dojo since 1996. He has won places in local and state level tournaments, and has taught many students who have done the same.
Sensei Mark currently leads training at the Lismore and Ballina Dojo halls in KIMAA’s NSW North Coast branch, teaching Kyokushin Karate and Kobudo. Congratulations to Sensei Mark for his years of training and diligence as a teacher to so many fine students.
You can read more about Sensei Mark’s career in Kyokushin by clicking here, or his Kobudo career here.
Shihan Howard Lipman awards Sensei Mark McFadden his 3rd Dan
Shihan Cunningham and Shihan Lipman with their newest Sensei
Group shot of those at the class
Sempai Jon Ellis and Sensei Mark McFadden, head instructors of KIMAA’s North Coast classes
Grading tests were held at Turramurra Dojo for the Knox Grammar Senior School and Prep School Karate classes on Saturday March 9th. Shihan Howard Lipman, who has been the head instructor of the Knox classes since 2005, judged the performance of the boys on the day and was pleased with the standard displayed by the Knox groups. Click here to read more about the Knox Karate program.
March 9th was the final sports session for Term 1. Students are advised to collect their belt and certificate from Shihan Lipman before or during one of the public classes. Click here to see the Turramurra Dojo timetable.
The results for both grading tests are available for download below. Congratulations to all those who achieved new grades.
Aspley Dojo held its first grading on Tuesday November 27th. Four students were able to grade, which is excellent progress after the Dojo’s opening in September.
Kerry and Jermaine were graded to Senior Orange Belt (9th Kyu), Jim to Orange Belt (10th Kyu) and Sidney to children’s level-orange belt (10th Kyu Level 1).
The students received their new grades from Sempai Rob James and Shihan Rick Cunningham on December 1st. Shihan Cunningham was able to present the grades during his visit to Queensland to help run a Kyokushin seminar for Aspley Dojo’s students.
Sensei Hokama came to Sydney at the invitation of Shihan Lipman and Shihan Cunningham. This invitation came after the success of 2009, and the considerable amount of time they have spent with Sensei over their numerous trips to Okinawa. This was Sensei’s second trip to Australia to teach at a seminar organised by KIMAA.
The seminar included Kobudo techniques and Kata, with Sai and Bo, as well as Kata and Kata Bunkai, Gyaku Waza, and some pressure point techniques. Sensei seems particularly fond of these! Those who have been subjected to such techniques before tend to move to the rear and push the more junior students forward, or Seniors who have not “enjoyed this experience previously”. The more senior group also learnt techniques and the first Kata with the Eeku, a new experience for many. KIMAA students from Sydney and the North Coast Dojos participated, as well as many guest Shihans and Senseis.
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The seminar went over Friday night at Turramurra, and all day Saturday and Sunday at Annangrove. This included a group dinner at Noodle City in Gordon on Friday, and a BBQ dinner at Shihan Cunningham’s on Saturday. The seminar was enjoyed by all with many new friendships formed.
Students were split into groups depending on their knowledge. Besides the adult classes, there were classes for children and adolescents, many of whom had their first experience with the Bo and acquitted themselves well. Sensei moved around these groups with Shihan Lipman so they all benefited from Sensei’s teaching.
In addition to the seminar, Shihan Lipman and Cunningham took Sensei to have some Boomerang throwing lessons with Albert, a full-blood Aboriginal, and he became quite proficient in a short period of time. After the weekend the Shihans also took him to Jenolan caves, which he thought was a great experience as he has a deep understanding of all things archaeological.
Albert teaches Sensei Hokama how to throw a boomerang
Sensei in action
Sensei Hokama, Albert, Howard and Masumi Lipman
Masumi, Howard, Sensei Hokama and Rick
Shihan Cunningham, Sensei Hokama and Shihan Lipman in Sydney Harbour
Shihans at the Three Sisters on their way to Jenolan Caves with Sensei Hokama
Sensei was most impressed by the standard of the students and the teaching ability of those involved, as well as the enjoyment and friendliness of the students.
The highlight of the seminar was Shihan Lipman being promoted to Renshi in Hokama Okinawan Kobudo and awarded the rank of Rokudan (6th Dan). In addition, Shihan Cunningham was promoted to be a full-fledged Shihan in Hokama Okinawan Kobudo and was promoted to the rank of Godan (5th Dan). Sensei Mark Shelmerdine received his 3rd Dan, Sensei Paul Finnerty the rank of 2nd Dan, and Sempai James Campbell the rank of 1st Dan, as well as some new Kyu grades.
Shihan Lipman and Cunningham will travel again to Okinawa on November 18th for one week for further training with Sensei.
Special thanks go to all those who helped with instruction and those who helped organise the BBQ. Very special thanks go to Kirsti, Shihan Cunningham’s wife, for organising food for a small army and making accomodation available for so many. Very special thanks also goes to Shihan Lipman’s wife, Masumi, for all her help with Sensei, taking care of him in their home and assisting with translation during training.
A small selection of photos are featured in the sideshow above. More photos, including individual shots with Sensei Hokama, are available on discs that can be loaned to KIMAA students from Turramurra and Annangrove Dojos.
Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia 