Category: Little Lions

North Coast Seminar – October 18-19, 2014

A weekend seminar was held at Lismore Dojo. Shihan Rick Cunningham travelled up from Sydney to conduct the seminar. Students from Sensei Mark McFadden’s Lismore Dojo, Sensei Jon Ellis’s Ballina Dojo and Sempai Rob James’s Aspley Dojo were all in attendance.

On the Saturday, Shihan Cunningham walked students through applications from the Kyokushin Pinan katas. This was a great opportunity for the North Coast and Brisbane students to enrich their bunkai knowledge bank, particularly those who have not previously attended the seminars held in Sydney, like the August Bunkai & Tameshiwari Seminar.

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On the Sunday, the focus shifted to Kobudo.

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After the Kobudo, the Little Lions did some Karate training followed by a lunch.

Thanks go to Shihan Cunningham for leading the weekend, and to Sensei Mark and Sensei Jon for hosting. Sempai Rob James will be returning the favour, hosting a seminar at Aspley Dojo in November.

LismoreSeminarOct201421

Black Belt Grading – September 13, 2014

A Kyokushin Karate grading was held on Saturday September 13 at Turramurra Dojo.

1st Row, L-R: Sempai Jon Ellis, Sempai Rob James, Sempai Alex Lloyd. 2nd Row, L-R: Sempai Todd Murphy, Jeremy Gray, Will Brook.
1st Row, L-R: Sempai Jon Ellis, Sempai Rob James, Sempai Alex Lloyd. 2nd Row, L-R: Sempai Todd Murphy, Jeremy Gray, Will Brook.

Shihan Howard Lipman assessed KIMAA students from Sydney, the NSW Far North Coast and Brisbane. A number of Little Lions and adults participated in the grading for kyu and dan (black belt) grades. The black belts who attempted the grading included:

Photos from the day

Kyokushin senior grading, September 2014
Sempai Alex
Jeremy
Sempai Rob

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Kata

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Fitness & Kumite (sparring)

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All attempting the grading performed to a high standard. Congratulations to everyone who participated. Special mention goes to the new black belt grades: Jon Ellis received his Sandan (3rd Dan) and the title of Sensei; while Rob James, Alex Lloyd and Todd Murphy were graded to Nidan (2nd Dan). Jeremy Gray fought an admirable 20 fights for his 1st Kyu (Senior Brown Belt) and Joshua Darley was graded to 2nd Kyu (Brown Belt). Will Brook also was graded to 2nd Kyu, despite having to attempt the grading with a broken hand!

Click here for the full list of September 2014 Grading Results

Shihan Rick Cunningham, Sensei Jon Ellis, Sempai Rob James, Sempai Alex Lloyd, Sempai Todd Murphy & Shihan Howard Lipman
Shihan Rick Cunningham, Sensei Jon Ellis, Sempai Rob James, Sempai Alex Lloyd, Sempai Todd Murphy & Shihan Howard Lipman

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Student Profile: Eliza Bolger

Written by Sempai Rob James

Eliza Bolger with Sempai Rob James
Eliza Bolger with Sempai Rob James
Eliza with her Little Lion karateka
Eliza with her Little Lion karateka

Eliza Bolger is 8th Kyu Level 2 in Kyokushin Karate.

Eliza started her Kyokushin journey in early 2013 at Aspley Dojo under Sempai Rob James. Ever since then she has been a solid member of the dojo and a pleasure to teach. Not only has she been awarded the Student of the Month in recent times but performed well in the Aspley Little Lions Open Kata Tournament in July 2014.

Eliza’s strengths are her commitment, determination and her ability to have a laugh at herself. In the past, Eliza has benefited from not only training with Sensei Mark and Sempai Jon from the North Coast Kyokushin dojos, but also Shihan Rick Cunningham who has taught at Lismore Dojo.

Eliza has a strong, healthy rivalry with her older brother Jack who also trains in the Aspley Little Lions. Eliza’s mum Amanda also trains in the adult class so it makes it very hard to find excuses not to train!

I look forward to watching Eliza grow not only as a student of Karate, but also as a person.

Aspley Little Lions Open Kata Tournament – July 22, 2014

Little Lion kata champion Ruben with Sempai Rob and judges.
Little Lion kata champion Ruben with Sempai Rob and judges.

On Tuesday July 22, Sempai Rob James held the first Aspley Little Lions Open Kata Tournament. Jermaine, Josh and Gen served as judges and scorekeepers for the competition.

The standard of kata was very high, with all the Little Lions motivated and training extra hard in the preceding weeks to be ready for this tournament.

Congratulations go to Ruben Maizey for taking first place in the competition. Sidney Murphy came second and Lucas Cook came third.

Student Profile: Josh Darley

Written by Shihan Howard Lipman

Josh Darley with Shihan Howard Lipman, June 2014
Josh Darley with Shihan Howard Lipman, June 2014
Josh (left) at the Kyokushin Seminar, October 2013
Josh (left) with Sensei James Sidwell (back right) at a Kyokushin Seminar, October 2013

Josh Darley is 3rd Kyu in Kyokushin Karate.

Josh began his Kyokushin training in 2011 at Turramurra Dojo under the instruction of Shihan Howard Lipman and Sensei James Sidwell.

Josh began when he was six years old. In the last six months, at just nine years of age, Josh started attending the Adults classes as well as the Kids classes. Despite being half their height, his jodan mawashi geri (roundhouse face kick) techniques will still smack them in the jaw if they’re not careful!

Josh has exceptional ability, an affinity for Karate and an amazing amount of focus and dedication for his age.

Josh embodies what the KIMAA Little Lions program is all about. He is an energetic and talented young man who is using his Karate to improve his personal and physical development. Josh is a source of inspiration for all the kids at the Dojo and does not expect nor is given any special treatment.

Josh graded to 1st Dan during the December 2016 Black Belt Grading.

Black Belt Grading – June 7, 2014

KIMAA held a Senior Kyokushin Grading on Saturday June 7. Black belts and senior kyu grades from Annangrove, Aspley, Lismore and Ballina dojos came to Shihan Howard Lipman’s Turramurra Dojo to participate.

Shihan Lipman graded Sempai James Campbell to 2nd Dan (Nidan), and Azaan Vohra and Jason Lambe to 1st Dan (Shodan). The full list of results is available below:

Senior Grading Results June 2014

Grading photos

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After the grading

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Some video highlights from the day

Congratulations to KIMAA’s newest black belts and to the other students who graded.