Category: Little Lions

Turramurra Gradings – December 4-15, 2024

Over a two-week period, four gradings were held at KIMAA Turramurra Dojo.

On Wednesday December 4, Turramurra Dojo held Kyokushin Karate gradings for Kids and Junior Kyu teens and adults.

The Kids Grading overseen by Shihan James Sidwell and Sempai Maia Brown.

The Junior Kyu Grading was run by Shihan Mark Shelmerdine, Shihan James and Sempai Maia. Thanks go to all who came to support including black belts Sensei Ben Ng and Sempai Adam.

On Saturday December 7, the KIMAA Senior Grading was held with four students of Turramurra Dojo participating.

The students were assessed by Shihan Idir Bahamid and Shihan James. The grading was run by Sensei Ben, Sensei Don Cheong and Sensei Alex Lloyd, with further support provided by Sempai Maia and Sempai Narmie Thambipillay.

The students pushing through and showing great Kyokushin spirit despite the humidity. Congratulations to all on their efforts, displaying exemplary kihon, kata and kumite.

On Sunday December 15, Sempai Maia Brown undertook her first Kobudo grading. Sempai Maia graded to Shodan (1st Dan) in Kyokushin Karate in June, after which she immediately began her study of International Hokama Kobudo.

Sempai Maia was assessed by Kobudo instructors Renshi Mark Shelmerdine, Shihan James Sidwell, Shihan Alex Lloyd and Sensei Ben Ng.

Results from all the gradings will be announced at the dojo in the coming weeks. Well done to all.

KIKO Full-Contact Tournament – November 10, 2024

Written by Shihan James Sidwell

On Sunday November 10th, KIMAA attended the KIKO tournament held in Tempe, Sydney.

23 competitors competed with spirit and humility. Results are detailed at the end of this article. However I’d like to thank each and every competitor for the training and effort you have put in. You all fought very well and represented yourselves and KIMAA admirably. Of the KIMAA contingent, 19 competitors were kids of various ages and grades (many competing in their first kumite tournament), and 4 adults: Sensei Alireza Miri, Sensei Mark Long, Sempai Matt Wolnizer and Trent Lim.

Thank you also to the parents who have supported and encouraged their children to compete.

Thank you to Sensei Ben Ng, Sensei Alex Lloyd and Sensei Mark Long for coaching and running the mats, supporting the team, and helping organise the competitors. Further thanks to Sempai Matt Wolnizer and Trent Lim for backing up the coaches. And of course Laura Elia who interfaced with the mat coaches and supported the entire team.

Thank you to the senior instructors who worked to provide coaching and support for the team and supporting during training sessions as well as on the day. This includes Sensei Don Cheong, who has been a regular teacher at the kids classes but was unfortunately unable to attend on the day. (During the course of the tournament, Shihan Idir Bahamid, Shihan Mark Shelmerdine and Shihan James were on the Officials table.)

Additionally thank you to Kancho Doug Turnbull and the KIKO team for hosting the event and all the planning and organising on the day and behind the scenes.

Results from the 23 entrants include:

  • 9 competed in Third Place showdowns, winning Third Place in 6 divisions
  • 8 competed in Finals with 2 First Places and 6 Second Places
  • 2 division clean sweeps winning First, Second and Third places

This included a clean sweep in the Veterans (40+) division, with Sensei Alireza taking 1st place, Sensei Mark Long taking 2nd place and Sempai Matt taking 3rd, after some battering rounds facing off each other!

Congratulations to all participants we support and share in each others success. Osu.

KIKO Kata Tournament – June 2, 2024

Students of Turramurra Dojo across a variety of ages and Kyu grades competed in the KIKO Kata Tournament at the Robyn Webster Sports Centre on Sunday June 2nd. The students were supervised on the day by Shihan James Sidwell and Sensei Alex Lloyd.

KIMAA students performed their Kyokushin Karate kata very well, winning a large number of placements in various categories. All students displayed strong technical competence in their kata, showing great kime (focus). Any student in a group comprising more than four participants, if they were selected as a finalist based on their initial score, had to perform their kata a second time to secure their final position on the podium.

The following KIMAA karateka participated:

  • KATA 7 YEARS & UNDER
  • Mau Aun Quang (1st Place)
  • Shivan Thambipillay (2nd Place)
  • KATA 8-9 YEARS (Group 1)
  • Christopher Paunescu (1st Place)
  • KATA 8-9 YEARS (Group 2)
  • Sophie Chan (1st Place)
  • Isabella Hicks (2nd Place)
  • KATA 10-11 YEARS
  • Aimee Kim (2nd Place)
  • Chloe Le Bescont (3rd Place)
  • Sathyan Thambipillay (4th Place)
  • KATA 12-14 YEARS (Advanced)
  • Maia Brown (1st Place)
  • Arjuna Veerasingam (4th Place)
  • KATA 16 YEARS & OVER (Advanced)
  • Narmie Thambipillay

Taree Dojo Inaugural Grading – April 12, 2024

On Friday April 12th, 2024, the first Kyokushin Karate grading was conducted for students of Taree Dojo.

Dojo Operator Sensei Mark Long was most pleased with the students’ efforts. The grading participants were all from the Kids class, and demonstrated various skills including:

  • Warm-ups
  • Uniform management – belt tying and uniform folding
  • Kyokushin – meaning, dojo etiquette and procedures
  • Technique – stances, punches, blocks, kicks and movement
  • Kata – the first two Kyokushin kata.

The stuedents were 9 and 10 years old. Sensei Mark was delighted with their efforts and attitude throughout the grading. Their focus and energy levels remained high throughout the 2-hour grading. Well done to all.

Lismore Seminar – February 24-25, 2024

Sensei Mark McFadden hosted a KIMAA seminar at Lismore Dojo over the weekend of February 24-25th.

Hanshi Howard Lipman, Sensei Alex Lloyd and Sempai Maia Brown of Turramurra Dojo and Sensei Mark Long of Taree Dojo made the trip to Lismore to teach at the seminar.

Proceedings began on the Saturday morning, with Sempai Maia taking the class through basic techniques and stances, with Hanshi Howard providing technical feedback to the class throughout. The morning session moved on to fitness, kicks and kata, with the guest instructors all rotating through taking the class.

After a quick lunch, provided by Lismore Dojo and cooked up by Ken and Masumi, Sensei Alex took the class through a session on kata and bunkai. Pinan Sono Ni was focused on in depth.

From here, Sempai Maia continued taking the students through more kata while Sensei Alex worked with seniors on black belt kata. Sensei Mark Long wrapped up the day with some fighting techniques and combinations, followed by everyone participating in kumite.

The senior grades met at the Cherry Street Sports Club in Ballina for dinner on Saturday night.

Sunday morning began with Sempai Maia taking a ‘Little Lions’ Kids class.

After this, Shihan Alex led a Kobudo class – during which Sensei Wally Gray was being graded. The whole group went through some basics with the Bo, before Shihan Mark McFadden took the juniors outside to keep to the basics of the Bo while Shihan Alex went through more senior techniques and kata with the other students.

The senior Kobudo students revised the Bo, Sai and Eku, including bunkai and partner work.

At the end of the day, Hanshi Howard Lipman (10th Dan Kobudo, Australian Branch Chief) graded Sensei Wally Gray (3rd Dan Kyokushin) to 1st Dan in Kobudo.

It was an enjoyable weekend for all. As Sensei Mark McFadden remarked, getting together to train on occasions like this reminds us all that we’re part of something bigger rather than an individual club.

Special thanks go to Sensei Mark for hosting; Sempai Trish Tan, Masumi, Ken and Laura for their assistance; and to the guest instructors.