A Kyokushin Karate grading was held for KIMAA students of the Far North Coast on Saturday December 10th. Karateka of Lismore and Ballina dojos came together for this end of year event, both a test and a celebration of the year past.
Sempai Wally, Sempai Trish & Will lead the grading.
The Little Lions demonstrate moving through stance.
North Coast Little Lions in action.
North Coast students in the grading.
Sempai Trish & Sensei Mark watch the fitness portion of the grading.
Sempai Trish encourages the students.
Sempai Wally assesses the students.
Sensei Mark McFadden
KIMAA North Coast after their December 2016 grading.
After the grading, Sensei Mark and Sensei Jon spoke about the North Coast achievements for the year in moving and dynamic speeches, followed by a presentation of awards, including Student of the Year. Light refreshments were then provided.
Congratulations to the North Coast students on their final big KIMAA event for the year.
KIMAA North Coast after their December 2016 grading.
Shihan Rick Cunningham supervised the class. Sensei Paul Finnerty took weapons beginner Mick Calnan through the basics of the Bo, while Sempai Alex Lloyd took the seniors and Wesley Snider through all the Bo katas as well as the Sai. Sensei Mark McFadden, Sensei Jon Ellis and Sempai Patricia Tan enjoyed the practice for the upcoming 2017 Japan trip.
Sensei Paul teaching Mick the Bo.
Sempai Alex checks Sempai Trish’s technique.
Shihan Rick was very impressed with the standard displayed by Sempai Trish and Wes, and surprised them with a Kobudo grading. Sempai Trish was graded to 2nd Kyu and Wes to 4th Kyu in Kobudo. Congratulations to both, especially the day after participating in a senior grading!
Wes and Sempai Trish after their Kobudo grading, 5 December 2016.
At the Monday night general class at Turramurra Dojo, on December 5th, KIMAA’s bruised but proud local Shodans attended training. Shihan Howard Lipman was pleased to see the students in such good spirits. They were given a good stretch and work out, from fitness to fight training to bunkai, by Sensei Ben Ng, Sensei Don Cheong and Sempai Alex Lloyd.
Sempai Victor Sweeney, Sempai Joshua Darley, Sempai Jonathan Lee and Sempai Angus Sweeney, 5 December 2016.
On Wednesday December 7th, a Kyokushin Karate grading was held for the Turramurra Dojo kids class. Sensei James Sidwell took the grading and assessed the students. He was very happy with everyone’s efforts. Well done to all.
A few students who missed this grading were graded by Shihan Howard Lipman on Monday December 12th, with Sempai Josh Darley assisting.
Sensei James Sidwell with the participants of the Kids Karate Grading, 7 December 2016.
The senior student of the Kyokushin grading was Sempai Jason Lambe of Annangrove Dojo, attempting Nidan (2nd Dan). Along with Sempai Jason were five applicants for Shodan (1st Dan). These included:
There were many KIMAA karateka attempting various Kyu grades as well, both children and adults.
Students from Turramurra, Annangrove, Lismore and Ballina dojos participated in the grading, with Wesley Snider and Mick Calnan also making the trip down with Trish from the North Coast dojos. Travelling with their students were Sensei Mark McFadden and Sensei Jon Ellis.
Shihan Howard was judging the students’ performance on the day, with assistance from Shihan Rick Cunningham, while Shihan Peter Olive took the students through their techniques. Many other KIMAA black belts came in support of the students attempting the grading.
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At various points during the basics, the black belt applicants, and applicant for 1st Kyu Elia Parsanejad, took the class.
Jonathan Lee leads the grading.
Sensei Jon Ellis
Supporting black belts train with those grading.
Victor Sweeney leads the grading.
Joshua Darley leads the grading.
Angus Sweeney leads the grading.
Shihan Howard corrects students’ technique.
Sensei Ben Ng demonstrates Ushiro Geri.
Elia Parsanejad leads the grading.
After the basics, the grading turned to kata, bunkai, advanced techniques and fitness.
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Many gruelling hours later, it was time for the sparring. Sempai Jason and Elia had to complete 20 full-contact fights for their respective grades, while the young aspiring-to-be Shodans had to push through the full 40.
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Despite some close calls, everyone made it through. Everyone was thoroughly tested, fought well and displayed strong Kyokushin spirit. Shihan Howard was delighted with the standard, declaring at the end of the grading that the base level of technical ability had noticeably improved since the previous black belt grading. He congratulated all students, and awarded the new yudansha with their new black belts.
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Congratulations to all, especially Sempai Jason, Sempai Jonathan, Sempai Angus, Sempai Josh, Sempai Victor and Sempai Trish!
Shihan Howard Lipman and Shihan Rick Cunningham with the new black belts.
This was an extra significant grading, as two records were broken: Sempai Patricia Tan is the oldest KIMAA member to pass the Shodan grading; and Sempai Josh is the youngest KIMAA member to pass the same grading, at 12 years and two weeks old. Sempai Jonathan is also the second person who began Karate through Knox Grammar to achieve black belt.
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All who graded and those who came along in support.
Sensei Mark McFadden and Patricia Tan with the KIMAA North Coast Little Lions team.
On Sunday May 22, four Little Lions from the KIMAA North Coast team competed in another round of the National All Styles. The tournament was held in Queensland.
Four Little Lions – Brad, Liam, Isaac and Loc – participated on the day. Sensei Mark McFadden (3rd Dan Kyokushin, 3rd Dan Kobudo) and Patricia Tan were the coaches.
Brad Chisolm of Ballina Dojo came second in point sparring, while Loc Ngyuen of Lismore Dojo came first in point sparring. Both boys fought in different divisions.
Well done to all who competed, and to Brad and Loc for their wins!
Sempai Rob James with Kancho Jim Casey at the NAS.
Sempai Rob James (2nd Dan Kyokushin) also competed in the NAS. He participated in the Open Black Belt and Veterans divisions.
Up against some very talented and skilled competitors, in the Open Black Belt division, Sempai Rob placed 4th. He performed the senior Kyokushin kata, Seienchin.
Sempai Rob participated in the NAS to inspire his Little Lions to do well in their own kata tournaments that are held at Aspley Dojo. “Seeing their Sempai compete in a kata tournament might inspire them in some small way.”
Kyokushin Karate gradings were held recently in KIMAA‘s two dojos in the Far North Coast of New South Wales. The gradings were for the Little Lions (kids classes) and adult junior kyu grades.
On the weekend of December 5-6, the National All Styles Australian Championships were held on the Gold Coast. Competitors came from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The competition ran over two days on six mats.
To qualify for the nationals they all had to go through a qualifying round, then the Queensland State Championships and then be invited to participate in the nationals.
Cooper, Isaac and Ayla were in the under 7, Peewee division. Cooper fought a black belt in his first round and won.
Conrad and Brad were in the 8 to 9 years division. Brad did well, losing in an extension. Conrad placed Third.
Wes was in one of the largest divisions, the 16-year-old male 5th Kyu and above. This meant he was fighting and doing kata against black belts.
Trish performs Seienchin kata.
Amanda and Trish teamed up to do a demo kata with applications and came Second.
They teamed up again in the Creative Weapons section and came Third.
Amanda and Trish were also in the Women’s Advanced Kyu grade sparring, and unfortunately drew each other first up. It was a close match which Trish won.
Trish then went on to fight twice more and came Second in an extension. It was later discovered she had broken her thumb in the first match. Trish fought three rounds with the broken thumb – the power of the Kyokushin spirit and adrenalin!
The highlight was Trish winning the Women’s Open Kata division, performing Seienchin (which is in the KIMAA syllabus for 3rd Dan black belt). As the first competitor she had the option to do the kata again. She was told she was placed Second but if she did the kata again she would risk getting a lower score. She risked it all, with Sensei Jon Ellis telling her she could do a better kata. She did and placed First.
Trish and Amanda also were asked to compete in the Victorian team for the state against state competition, and were placed Third.
KIMAA’s Little Lion champions!
In the end KIMAA had:
3 Thirds,
2 Seconds and
a First place in the Australian National All Styles.
Congratulations to all who competed. It took a lot of hard training and effort in previous competitions to qualify for the nationals. Not only did these students make the journey to reach this point, they all were excellent ambassadors for KIMAA and did their karateka proud. Special congratulations to those who won a placement. Thanks go to instructors Sensei Mark McFadden, Sensei Jon Ellis (3rd Dan Kyokushin, 2nd Dan Kobudo) and Sempai Wally Gray (2nd Dan Kyokushin) for their continued teaching, support and mentorship in Kyokushin and Kobudo.
Kyokushin International Martial Arts Australia 