Congratulations to our 2019 Little Champions Karateka of the Year – Hana Nishiura

Hana joined Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate earlier in the year and quickly demonstrated that she was someone keen to do well and ready to learn. As the year progressed Hana increased the number of classes she was doing and her karate really took off seeing her quickly move through the Little Champion ranks.  It was obvious through Hana’s karate that not only was she a naturally gifted karateka but she was also work hard to get the most out of herself.

Hana has been a joy to teach this year with her great keen attitude, willingness to listen, and her strong desire to get things right. We are really looking forward to watching Hana continue to grow and become a great leader at our dojo.

Congratulations to our 2019 Juniors Karateka of the Year – Yusuf El-Deeb

Our juniors have had a great year with many students working hard and improving so much which made choosing the Junior Karateka of the Year a very difficult job. Yusuf stood out for a number of reasons.  Number one being his consistency, throughout the entire year he kept turning up and trying his hardest. Yusuf is also a great example of correct etiquette, displaying fantastic manners to both instructors and other students.

Yusuf is the type of student that is focused on improving rather than what colour belt he is wearing, which is uncommon at all ages but especially in someone so young. He is very quiet and humble not ever getting ahead of himself but also not ever to shy or lacking confidence to give something a go.  During class Yusuf is equally at home working with others or working on his own. It is a pleasure to have Yusuf as part of our Gold Coast karate family.

Congratulations to our 2019 Budoka of the Year – Monica Lester

The Budoka of the Year is awarded to the member that best displays the budo spirit and contributes to the growth and promotion of Chito-Ryu Karate.

Monica is a consistent presence at the dojo rain or shine, throughout the year Monica has struggled with an injury but has not let that stop her from training and continuing to grow, being the one that sets the standard of energy and effort in the dojo for others to follow.  Monica forged the way for ladies at the dojo becoming our first female black belt and then this year becoming the first female jun-shidoin at the Gold Coast dojo.

Being awarded jun-shidoin (junior instructor license) was a fitting reward for the years of teaching and support Monica has provided for the Gold Coast dojo. Monica stepped up even further this year covering more classes whilst other instructors were away competing in Canada at the Soke Cup, enable all our students to continue there training.

Monica has always put herself out to help others in the dojo attending kyu gradings to offer support and leadership, attending tournaments just to referee and put others training before her own.

We are very lucky to have Monica as part of our dojo, she is a very fitting winner of our 2019 Budoka of the Year.

 

Congratulations to our 2019 Seniors Karateka of the Year – John Lenton

Our seniors continue to go from strength to strength with some terrific karateka making their way through the ranks throughout 2019. Choosing our Senior Karateka of the Year was a difficult task. I had narrowed it down to a couple of likely candidates and had my choice in my mind before asking the Yudansha for their thoughts on who it should be, and one name came up over and over matching who I thought it should be.

John is our oldest student and I say that with all respect and admiration. John will push himself the hardest in class, he will never give in and he will never stop trying. I have watched John over the years battle within himself about whether he can do it, and whether he will ever “get it” and each time he comes to class I see that he has improved and is getting more and more control of his body and his mind. This year I had the privileged of grading John to 1st Kyu (the last stage before black belt) and it was hard for me to contain just how proud I was of him for achieving this milestone.

 

John works equally as hard out of the dojo as he does in it. When traveling for work I will receive a notice of a workout of his kata and basics conducted in his hotel room or a nearby park. I hear from people that they would like to try karate but they are to old (some are 1/2 the age of John), it is to late to start (John was over 50 when he started), they don’t have time (John travels a lot for his work), and their body couldn’t handle it (John’s mind and body have improved as a result of his karate training).  You can read about some of the mental benefits of karate that John has discovered here => John’s Story

For accepting no excuses, continuing to work hard and for setting a standard that others can hope to follow John is out 2019 Seniors Karateka of the Year.

Wow, what an amazing year we have had! The dojo has gone from strength to strength with the standard of karate and the dedication of the students at an all time high.

 

New Black Belts

This year we gained two more senior black belts with Sam Lenton and Brendan Young grading to shodan (1^st dan). We also had Anthony Horgan successfully grade to nidan (2^nd dan) and Monica Lester achieve jun-shidoin (junior instructor).  All these senior students have trodden their own unique path with many ups and downs to get to where they are. They are all now well positioned to help others on their journey to achieving a black belt in Chito-Ryu Karate. For the dojo it is fantastic to now attend classes where there is often 2-3 black belts in the front line!

We also had a new Little Champion Black Belt this year with Liam Glover achieving this rank. With a limited time frame to achieve this level (ages 4-7 years) it takes a lot of dedication, talent and hard work to get to a Little Champions Black Belt.

 

Soke Cup Success

2019 was a Soke Cup year (Chito-Ryu World Titles), with six Gold Coasters attending the Chito-Ryu Karate World Titles in Penticton, Canada.  It was a great event bringing together the Chito-Ryu family from all around the world. The Gold Coast did very well winning three gold medals. Well done to everyone in the team for the support and encouragement you showed each other before, during and after the event. You certainly lived up to the dojo motto of “Achieving Personal Excellence Together”. You can read the full report of the Soke Cup here => Soke Cup

The next Soke Cup is Japan 2022, it is never to early to set your goal to be part of the 2022 team.

A significant milestone for Australian Chito-Ryu occurred over the Soke Cup weekend with Sensei Michael Noonan from the Sydney dojo successfully grading to the teaching title of Kyoshi (equivalent to a professor). He has become the first Australian to reach this level, and one of a few in the world. A very fitting reward for 40+ years of dedicated study.

 

Awesome Leaders

A huge thank you to all our leaders who do such an amazing job in the classes. The number of leaders capable of taking a class on their own is growing and there are more developing these capabilities. The leadership skills being developed will allow those that wish to go down the path of teaching karate or even opening their own dojo to do so with a strong experience base behind them. Currently we have Senpai Sam Lenton taking the Saturday classes and Sensei Monica Lester taking an evening class each week. They have been doing an awesome job, with everyone raving about their classes. I have received nothing but glowing praise in the feedback for both of them.

My vision for the future is for a number of dojos around the Gold Coast region with great leaders such as this supporting each other and sharing the Chito-Ryu way with more and more Gold Coasters.

 

New Classes in 2019

This year we commenced weekday day classes on Tuesday and Thursday (from 9:15-10:15) providing an opportunity for parents, shift workers and home schooled kids to participate in karate classes. These day classes are slowing growing in popularity. From discussions with the Sunshine Coast dojo their day classes started slowly as well but have now progressed to be one of their largest classes with very dedicated students. If you would like to join these classes in 2020, please speak with Sensei Adam.  They are a great class for parents to take some time to work on themselves.

We have also added a Saturday morning fitness class which has been very popular.  This class is run by Senpai Sam Lenton.  The fitness class is open to members and non-members (you don’t have to know karate) and is a great way to start the weekend.

 

Thank you to all our Parents and Families who Support us to enjoy Karate

It is a great honour that you allow me to guide you and your children through the karate journey. It is my goal that through karate I can help all our students develop skills that will carry through to all areas of their lives and see everyone transfer the success that they achieve in karate into a successful life. I appreciate the time that parents take to bring their children to karate and the time that partners and spouses give up to allow us to do karate. It would not be possible to do the thing we love without your support.

Some of our students are lucky that they live near the dojo, but others drive a fair distance to get to us (we have students that come to us from as far away as Brisbane & Beaudesert) passing other karate schools to get to our dojo. I am thankful for the extra effort you go to to be part of Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate.

I would also like to make a special mention of Joshua Sheath who has moved back to New Zealand for a couple of years to complete a nursing degree. Joshua has kept up his training when he can around work and studies and has made a point of getting back into the dojo when ever he has come back to Australia. To keep his focus and commitment to be part of the Gold Coast dojo from that far away is pretty special.

 

 

Annual Award Winners

The annual award winners will be announced tonight at the End of Year Break-Up. At Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate we do not give out many awards so to be considered for an award is pretty special. This year was perhaps one of the most difficult ones I have had in choosing the winners with so many amazing students to choose from. Our final winners are very deserving of their recognition but everyone should be proud of what they have done throughout the year.

 

What’s happening in 2020?

We have another great year planned.  Our class schedule has been working well so we will be keeping it the same with just one little change.  Adults who wish to train with their children in the junior class are welcome to. The classes will be primarily focused on the juniors but their will definitely be enough to keep the parents going.

There will once again be 4 tournaments in QLD for students to challenge themselves to achieve their best.  The dates are still to be confirmed but at this stage look like being:

1. Gold Coast Tournament – Sunday 1 March
2. Sunshine Coast Tournament – Sunday 31 May
3. Gold Coast Cup – Sunday 9 August
4. QLD State Titles (Sunshine Coast) – Sunday 13 September

 

We will also be holding our seasonal gradings for Juniors and Seniors (dates to be confirmed)

1. Autumn Grading – Friday 20 March
2. Winter Grading – Friday 5 June
3. Spring Grading – Friday 4 September
4. Summer Grading – Friday 4 December

 

In March I will be taking a small group of senior students with me for a weeks training at the headquarters in Japan.

In May 2020 the Gold Coast will be hosting the annual QLD Chito-Ryu Karate Camp.  This is a great weekend of karate that everyone should try and be part of.

We will be having special guest instructors including Soke, Higuchi Kyoshi, and Phillips Shihan.

And we have a number of other fun events planned such as Beach Training, Kangeiko, Seminars, Parents Night Out and more.

It is shaping up to be a big year and I can’t wait for you to be part of it!

 

 

Once again thank you all for allowing me to be your Sensei.  I hope you have a wonderful and safe holidays and look forward to seeing you back in the dojo on Tuesday 7 January.

 

Kind Regards

Sensei Adam

 

P.S. There are many ways to grow our dojo but the best way is word of mouth so please tell all your friends about us and invite them to come be part of great karate family. We are happy to provide a free trial lesson to anyone you bring with you so they can experience our dojo for themselves.

 

 

Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate

“Achieving Personal Excellence Together”

 

 

 

December

 

Mon 16 Dec 2019
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

 

Tue 17 Dec 2019
9:15-10:15 Day Class
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

 

Wed 18 Dec 2019
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

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January

 

Tue 07 Jan 2020
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

 

Wed 08 Jan 2020
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

 

Thu 09 Jan 2020
9:15-10:15 Day Class
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

 

Sat 11 Jan 2020
7:00-8:00 Fitness Class
8:30-9:15 Little Champions & Junior Focus
9:30-10:30 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

 

Mon 13 Jan 2020
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

 

Tue 14 Jan 2020
9:15-10:15 Day Class
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

 

Wed 15 Jan 2020
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

 

Thu 16 Jan 2020
9:15-10:15 Day Class
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

Sat 18 Jan 2020
7:00-8:00 Fitness Class
8:30-9:15 Little Champions & Junior Focus
9:30-10:30 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

Mon 20 Jan 2020
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

Tue 21 Jan 2020
9:15-10:15 Day Class
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

Wed 22 Jan 2020
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

Thu 23 Jan 2020
9:15-10:15 Day Class
5:00-5:50 Little Champions & Junior Focus
6:00-7:00 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

Sat 25 Jan 2020
7:00-8:00 Fitness Class
8:30-9:15 Little Champions & Junior Focus
9:30-10:30 Seniors & Advanced Juniors Focus

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* During the Holiday Schedule no class restrictions apply. You are welcome to train as often as you like on either the Basic Membership or Premium Membership Packages

* We are always looking for new members. Please feel free to invite your friends along to enjoy a class over the holidays.

* Seniors are welcome to attend the 5:00-5:50 classes if they wish to train with their children or just get in more training. (you may be asked to assist the class at stages).

* The fitness class is open to everyone including non-members. Gym clothes are fine to wear in the fitness class.