🥋 Congratulations Siani Symons – Shodan Black Belt! 🥋
A huge congratulations to Siani Symons on successfully grading to Shodan (1st Dan) Black Belt!
After years of focused training, dedication and perseverance, Siani has achieved this significant milestone in her Chito-Ryu Karate journey.
Earning a black belt takes more than technical ability. It requires discipline, resilience, determination and a commitment to continuous improvement. Siani’s achievement is a testament to the time and effort she has invested in her training and her willingness to keep challenging herself.
Shodan is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter in her development as a karateka.
Congratulations, Siani! You should be incredibly proud of this achievement. We look forward to seeing you continue to grow and develop in your karate for many years to come! 👊
🥋 Congratulations Tahlia Boyd – Shodan Black Belt! 🥋
A huge congratulations to Tahlia Boyd on successfully grading to Shodan (1st Dan) Black Belt!
Tahlia began her Chito-Ryu Karate journey as a young child and, after years of training, dedication and perseverance, has achieved this significant milestone.
Earning a black belt takes far more than learning techniques. It requires discipline, resilience, determination and a willingness to keep pushing forward, even when things get difficult. Tahlia’s achievement is a reflection of the hard work and commitment she has put into her karate over the years.
Shodan is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter in her development as a karateka.
Congratulations, Tahlia! You should be incredibly proud of what you have achieved. We look forward to seeing where your karate journey takes you next! 👊
A huge congratulations to all our Brown Belts who successfully graded to their next level! You displayed excellent technique, great spirit and determination throughout your grading. The hard work, dedication and hours of training you have put in were clearly evident. Well done on a fantastic achievement!
🏆 Grading Results
A special congratulations to our newest Shodan (1st Dan) Black Belts!
Congratulations also to our Brown Belts on their achievements:
👏 Carlo de Byl — 1st Kyu 👏 Amelie Ollivier — 1st Kyu 👏 Bohdi Valencour — 1st Kyu 👏 Naoki Tani — 2nd Kyu
Achieving these milestones takes commitment, perseverance and countless hours of training. You should all be incredibly proud of what you have accomplished. Your grading results reflect the effort you have put into your karate and your continued dedication to improving.
Thank you to all the instructors and training partners who have supported these students along the way.
Well earned, well deserved, and congratulations to everyone! 👊
A huge congratulations to everyone who took part in our 2026 Spring Grading at Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate!
We are very pleased to recognise the following students for successfully achieving their next rank:
4th Kyu – Purple
Kayden Kloot
7th Kyu – Blue & White
Henry Duyvestyn
Hugo Harrington
8th Kyu – Green
Jackson Lowe
Amy Graham
9th Kyu – Green & White
Zara Deans
Leonard Mungall
Christopher Wilkinson
Jayden Vandermaat
Thomas Connolly
Ian Craig
10th Kyu – Orange
Eliah Hurtig
Miguel Tapiador
Tahlia Sgouros
11th Kyu – Orange & White
Ted Baylosis
12th Kyu – Yellow
Harrison Lowe
Callan Guyan
Cayden Hensby
Well done to all of you! Your success is the result of the effort, commitment and perseverance you have put into your training.
It is also important to remember that not everyone was successful this time — and that is OK. Grading is not simply about collecting belts. The real value of karate comes from setting meaningful goals, working towards them with purpose, overcoming setbacks and continuing to improve.
Sometimes the greatest lessons come when things don’t go exactly as planned. Learning to accept disappointment, identify what needs improvement and come back stronger is how we develop discipline, resilience, confidence and a strong spirit.
Whether you received a new belt this grading or not, be proud of the effort you have made and keep moving forward.
Set your goal. Train with purpose. Never give up.
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the 2026 Spring Grading!
Congratulations to all students who successfully completed their grading at the 2026 Winter Grading for Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate.
Grading is not just about the day itself — it reflects the many hours of training, persistence, focus, and effort that each student has invested over time. Every class attended, every correction worked on, and every challenge overcome has helped prepare you for this achievement.
Well done to everyone who stepped onto the floor and gave their best. Your commitment to improving both physically and mentally is something to be proud of.
To those who graded successfully, congratulations on reaching the next stage of your karate journey. And to all students, remember that growth comes from continuing to train, learn, and persevere.
Congratulations to all students who successfully passed their recent grading at Gold Coast Chito-Ryu Karate.
Gradings are an important milestone in every student’s karate journey. They represent the dedication, perseverance, and consistent effort students put into their training week after week. Each grading is not only a test of technique, but also of spirit, focus, and character.
It was fantastic to see students of all ages step onto the dojo floor and demonstrate their progress in kihon (basics), kata, and kumite. The improvement across the dojo continues to be impressive, and it is clear that everyone is committed to striving for their personal best.
Achieving a new belt or stripe is something to be proud of, but it is also a reminder that karate is a lifelong journey of learning and self-development. Every new rank brings new challenges and new opportunities to grow.
A special thank you also goes to the instructors and senior students who help guide and support our members through their training and preparation.
Once again, congratulations to all students who graded. We look forward to seeing you continue your journey toward your next goals in karate.
Train hard, stay humble, and keep moving forward. 🥋
Tom Allibone (5 Kyu – Purple & White) Sarah Huston (5 Kyu – Purple & White) Leon Cersofios (6 Kyu – Blue) Hou Leung (Cody) Ng (6 Kyu – Blue) Kar Yann (Chloe) Ng (6 Kyu – Blue) Harrison Coughlin (7 Kyu – Blue & White) Jeremy Valencour (7 Kyu – Blue & White) Zen Kudo (8 Kyu – Green) Owen Constantino (9 Kyu – Green & White) Amy Graham (9 Kyu – Green & White) Robert Graham (9 Kyu – Green & White) Jackson Lowe (9 Kyu – Green & White) Ophelia Wu Leng (9 Kyu – Green & White) Thomas Connolly (10 Kyu – Orange) Amelia Wyatt (10 Kyu – Orange) Katie Wyatt (10 Kyu – Orange) Rhen Craig (11 Kyu – Orange & White) Zara Deans (11 Kyu – Orange & White) Eliah Hurtig (11 Kyu – Orange & White) Jayden Vandermaat (11 Kyu – Orange & White) Liam Wood (11 Kyu – Orange & White) Vienna Bakir (12 Kyu – Yellow) Leo Everitt (12 Kyu – Yellow)
🎉 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! 🥋🌟
🎉 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.
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.
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.
