Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate

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Congratulations Zara Deans – Little Champions Black Belt Achievement

Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate is proud to celebrate a fantastic milestone achieved by Zara Deans, who has successfully earned her Little Champions Black Belt.

This achievement represents many months of hard work, commitment, and perseverance. Throughout her training, Zara has shown outstanding focus, determination, and a positive attitude on the dojo floor. She consistently challenged herself, listened carefully to instruction, and demonstrated the spirit and discipline that Chito-Ryu Karate aims to develop in all of our Little Champions students.

Earning a Little Champions Black Belt is a significant accomplishment and an important step in a young martial artist’s journey. It recognises not only technical skill, but also personal growth in confidence, respect, and self-belief. Zara should be extremely proud of what she has achieved.

Congratulations to Zara and her family on this wonderful achievement. We look forward to watching her continue to grow, set new goals, and enjoy her ongoing karate journey at Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate. 🥋👏

17 January 2026
2025 Summer Grading

🎉 Congratulations to Our 2025 Summer Grading Achievers! 🎉

A huge well-done to all the students who stepped onto the floor for the 2025 Summer Grading at Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate! Your hard work, commitment, and spirit were on full display, and we are incredibly proud of every one of you who earned your next rank. 🥋✨

To those who were told “not yet” — remember, this is not a setback, but a sign that your instructors believe in your potential and want to see you reach your best. Keep training with focus, keep showing up, and keep pushing toward your goals. Your time is coming, and when it does, it will mean even more. 💪🔥

Grading is not just about the belt — it’s about growth, resilience, and becoming stronger in both mind and body. Congratulations again to all who graded, and encouragement to all who continue the journey.

Let’s keep striving, supporting one another, and moving forward together! 🥋🌟

Successful Grades:

5 Kyu – Damien Kloot (Purple & White)
6 Kyu – Henry Ho (Blue)
7 Kyu – Aidan Connolly (Blue & White)
7 Kyu – Airi Tani (Blue & White)
8 Kyu – Rowan Beste (Green)
8 Kyu – Henry Duyvestyn (Green)
10 Kyu – Kewan Clegg (Orange)
10 Kyu – Quinn McDonald (Orange)
10 Kyu – Christopher Wilkinson (Orange)
11 Kyu – Abigail Hurtig (Orange & White) **Double Grade**
11 Kyu – Monique Clegg (Orange & White) **Double Grade**
12 Kyu – Peter Koolhoven (Yellow)
12 Kyu – Letizia Di Somma (Yellow)
12 Kyu – Kiyana Koolhoven (Yellow)
12 Kyu – Jake Lee (Yellow)
12 Kyu – Rebecca Montgomery (Yellow)

10 December 2025
Congratulations to Kazumi Tominaga & Anthony Horgan!

🎉 Congratulations to Kazumi Tominaga & Anthony Horgan! 🎉

A massive congratulations to Kazumi Tominaga and Anthony Horgan on achieving their Nidan ranking in Chito-Ryu Kobujutsu! This milestone reflects years of hard work, dedication, and tremendous effort on and off the dojo floor.

Their grading was held under the watchful eyes of some of the most respected figures in our art:
🥋 The Third Generation Soke of Chito-Ryu Karate
🥋 Higuchi Kyoshi, master of Kobujutsu and traditional weapons
🥋 Martin Phillips Renshi, Australia’s highest-ranked Chito-Ryu Kobujutsu practitioner

To be assessed by such an esteemed panel is an honour in itself—passing at this level speaks volumes about their skill, spirit, and commitment to continuous improvement.

We’re incredibly proud of both of you. Your achievement strengthens and inspires our entire Chito-Ryu community.

Well done, Kazumi and Anthony! 🥋🔥

9 December 2025
A Truly Special Week at Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate!

🌟 A Truly Special Week at Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate! 🌟

We were honoured to welcome the Third Generation Soke of Chito-Ryu Karate to our dojo this week, accompanied by Higuchi Kyoshi.
Soke taught across all classes — Little Champions, Karate Kids, Seniors, and Kobujutsu — sharing his incredible knowledge, precision, and passion with every student on the floor.

We were also privileged to have Martin Phillips Renshi from Sunshine Coast Karate and Anthony Horgan Sensei from Brisbane Karate join us for this unforgettable visit.

Opportunities like this remind us how fortunate we are to train with some of the best instructors in the world. Their guidance elevates our skills, deepens our understanding of Chito-Ryu, and inspires the continued growth and confidence of all Gold Coast students — from our youngest Little Champions to our dedicated senior members.

Thank you to everyone who made this visit possible, and to all students who trained with such enthusiasm and spirit.

🥋 We’re already looking forward to welcoming them back for the 2026 Soke Cup! 🥋

9 December 2025
New Black Belt!

A new black belt at Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate! congratulations to Bridget Weeks for achieving this significant milestone.

Bridget started her karate journey 8 years ago after watching her young children and husband train. Persisting after they have all stopped training she has shown the value of perseverance and hard work to become the newest black belt at Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate.

Bridget’s is a great example of what can be achieved with a no excuses attitude. Juggling work, caring and managing a young family, working through injuries and training around all the other things life throws at us all Bridget kept putting one foot in front of the other and turned up on the dojo floor.

We look forward to Bridget’s continued success and the inspiration she provides for all others of what can be achieved.

23 September 2025
Brown Belt Grading – September 2025
The brown belt ranks continue to grow at Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate with 2 new additions and progress for existing brown belts.

At Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate the levels 3-1 kyu are seen as where the serious preparation towards becoming a black belt happens. There is an expectation of a high quality technical standard, a strong spirit, a willingness to work hard consistently and a demonstration of the correct etiquette and behavior over a sustained period of time.

It is pleasing to see so many of our students demonstrating this and the inherent growth that comes with training this way. Well done to everyone, we look forward to seeing you all achieve your black belt in the not to distant future.

Congratulations to:
- Tahlia Boyd – 1 Kyu (Brown & Black Belt)
- Harrison De Byl – 1 Kyu (Brown & Black Belt)
- Siani Symons – 1 Kyu (Brown & Black Belt)
- Carlo de Byl – 2 Kyu (Brown Belt)
- Adam Glachan – 2 Kyu (Brown Belt)
- Bohdi Valencour – 2 Kyu (Brown Belt)
- Ben Hastings – 3 Kyu (Brown & White Belt)
- Naoki Tani – 3 Kyu (Brown & White Belt)
23 September 2025
2025 Spring Grading Success
Well done to all those that attended the Spring Grading, it was great to see so many people stepping up, some who haven’t done so for over 12 months. Keep up the hard work and dedication as you strive to achieve your black belt and beyond.
- Eito Tashima – 4 Kyu (Purple)
- Ramesh Snell – 4 Kyu (Purple)
- Xaviar Thompson – 4 Kyu (Purple)
- Charlie Chipperfield – 5 Kyu (Purple & White)
- Jemaine Mulcahy – 5 Kyu (Purple & White)
- Jesse Valencour – 5 Kyu (Purple & White)
- Jayden Watanabe – 7 Kyu (Blue & White)
- Leon Bonaventure – 7 Kyu (Blue & White)
- Leon Cersofios – 7 Kyu (Blue & White)
- Sylas Dawson – 7 Kyu (Blue & White)
- Jeremy Valencour – 8 Kyu (Green)
- Johnson Yu – 8 Kyu (Green)
- Sine Levin – 8 Kyu (Green)
- Aggie Jones – 9 Kyu (Green & White)
- Ashton Collins – 9 Kyu (Green & White)
- Chris Tice – 9 Kyu (Green & White)
- Claire Mulcahy – 9 Kyu (Green & White)
- Tarl Mason – 9 Kyu (Green & White)
- Ian Craig – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Jackson Lowe – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Obed Nalau – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Ophelia Wu Leng – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Owen Constantino – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Theo Gordon – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Harper Timoti – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
- Joanna Yu – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
- Kalie Starkey – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
- Kurt Boswerger – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
- Quinn McDonald – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
- Sebastian Brown – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
- Thomas Connolly – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
- Eliah Hurtig – 12 Kyu (Yellow)
- Jude Summers – 12 Kyu (Yellow)
- Leo Shuklov – 12 Kyu (Yellow)
- Maxine Martin – 12 Kyu (Yellow)
- Miranda Boswerger – meadows – 12 Kyu (Yellow)
- Zac Teelow – 12 Kyu (Yellow)
9 September 2025
Winter Grading Success
A great showing at the Winter Grading with many students stepping up for the first time in a while. It was great to see that the standard continues to improve and everyone is working hard to be the best they can be.

Results
- Kalani Kloot – 5 Kyu (Purple & White)
- Kayden Kloot – 5 Kyu (Purple & White)
- Tom Allibone – 6 Kyu (Blue)
- Henry Ho – 7 Kyu (Blue & White)
- Hou Leung (Cody) Ng – 7 Kyu (Blue & White)
- Kar Yann (Chloe) Ng – 7 Kyu (Blue & White)
- Aidan Connolly – 8 Kyu (Green)
- Harrison Coughlin – 8 Kyu (Green)
- Airi Tani – 8 Kyu (Green)
- Jasmin Collins – 9 Kyu (Green & White)
- Zen Kudo – 9 Kyu (Green & White)
- Ashton Collins – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Ari Everitt – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Amy Graham – 10 Kyu (Orange) *double grading*
- Robert Graham – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Isobel Starkey – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Luna Summers – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Avery Wu Leng – 10 Kyu (Orange)
- Andrew Collins – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
- Owen Constantino – 11 Kyu (Orange & White) *double grading*
- Ian Craig – 11 Kyu (Orange & White) *double grading*
- Christopher Wilkinson – 11 Kyu (Orange & White) *double grading*
- Ophelia Wu Leng – 11 Kyu (Orange & White) *double grading*
- Amelia Wyatt – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
- Katie Wyatt – 11 Kyu (Orange & White)
9 June 2025
2025 Inhouse Tournament
On Friday 23 May we ran a mini tournament at the dojo. Our Inhouse Tournaments are designed for beginners to develop confidence and experience in a tournament situation in an environment they are comfortable with and with lots of support on hand.

The Inhouse Tournament also provides a wonderful opportunity for our Brown and Black Belts to develop confidence in judging kata and kumite. For many of the brown belts it was their first time as judges and it was fantastic to see how well they all did.

Our competitors ranged from 4 to 13 years of age and all showed great determination and spirit to give their best. There were many impressive performances across the board and Adam Sensei was pleased with the standard that all demonstrated.

Some competitors went home with medals, some did not, but all went home with a great sense of accomplishment and a growing confidence as a result of putting themselves out there.

Our next tournament is the Gold Coast Cup and all participants from our Inhouse Tournament should be looking to continue to grow their confidence and performances by participating in this event.

Entry for the 2025 Gold Coast Cup can be made here: – https://fitofan.com/2025-gold-coast-cup

Check out all the photos from the Inhouse Tournament on our Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/gckaratekobudo

Results
Kata 4-5 yrs LC-White – LC- Orange

1^st Hana Bonney

2^nd Christopher Clark

3^rd Maisie Valencour
Kata 6-7 yrs LC-White – LC Orange

1^st Maggie Starkey

2^nd James Collins

3^rd Harrison Lowe
Kata 6-7 yrs LC-Green – LC Black

1^st Zara Deans

2^nd Charley Clegg

3^rd Owen Constantino
Kata 8-13 yrs White – 10 Kyu

1^st Zen Kudo

2^nd Ophelia Wu Leng

3^rd Isobel Starkey
Kata 8-9 yrs 9 Kyu+

1^st Chloe Ng

2^nd Airi Tani

3^rd Hugo Harrington
Kata 10-11 yrs 9 Kyu+

1^st Slade Revell

2^nd Eito Tashima

3^rd Jesse Valencour
Kumite 6-7 yrs Male

1^st Lenny Mungall

2^nd Charley Clegg

3^rd Owen Constantino
Kumite 6-9 yrs Female

1^st Chloe Ng

2^nd Airi Tani

3^rd Ophelia Wu Leng
Kumite 8-9 yrs Male

1^st Hugo Harrington

2^nd Theo Gordon

3^rd Zen Kudo
Kumite 10-11 yrs Male

1^st Eito Tashima

2^nd Sylas Dawson

3^rd Cody Ng
Kumite Tag 4-5 yrs

1^st Christopher Clark

2^nd Hana Bonney
Kumite Tag 6-7 yrs

1^st Lenny Mungall

2^nd James Collins

3^rd Owen Constantino
Kumite Tag 8-9 yrs Male

1^st Hugo Harrington

2^nd Theo Gordon

3^rd Jackson Lowe
Kumite Tag 8-9 yrs Female

1^st Ophelia Wu Leng

2^nd Chloe Ng
27 May 2025
Kobujyutsu Grading Success

Congratulations to the following for their success at the kobujyutsu grading. Well done everyone.

Carlo DeByl – 1 Kyu
Xaviar Thompson – 3 Kyu
Amy Graham – 5 Kyu
Ramesh Snell – 5 Kyu
Eito Tashima – 5 Kyu

23 April 2025