One of the best things about the new Bletchley Leisure Centre is that it's always lovely and warm - especially welcoming today when its -2° Celsius outside with a freezing fog fast approaching!
Having said that I have no doubt that the Karate Ka who were grading today gave the cold no second thoughts. Their primary focus was on the impending training and grading, the opportunity to move up the karate ladder and the opportunity to achieve a new belt - to be worn with pride in the Dojo next week!
The grading started off with the customary warm-up exercises. This was followed by the Karate Ka being split into belt colour groups to be taken through their grading syllabus - supported by two Dan Grades.
Next to come was Sensei Kidby taking the lower grades through a number of their Kata's. Sensei O'Reilly did the same with the more senior grades.
Soon it was time for a little rest and on to the awards ceremony.
The trophies are awarded to one person from each of the CFTS clubs. The awards are made for a number of reasons: someone who has performed well in the dojo, someone who regularly cleans up the dojo before a lesson, someone who helps others, someone who attends every week come rain or shine. There are many varied reasons but the overriding factor is that the person has shone in some way or another - not necessarily directly karate related.
The awards from the Bletchley grading:
Ilissa Bains, Jack Scott, Zoe McMahon, Herbie Read, Logan Sinclair, Ben Shemwell
Trophy winner from Clapham was Jamie Searle.
Trophy winners from Bedford grading were Joseph Roche, Maddie Cox, Hannah Lewis and Joshua Sharples for Riseley (front).
Steve Young receiving his Shodan Diploma
Once the awards were completed it was onto the serious business of grading.
The judges tables were lined up along the dojo, each with 2 Dan Grades to review the grading. The Karate Ka were then taken through their grading starting with Basics, then Kumite and finally Kata - working their way along the grading areas.
As each belt colour journeyed through the grading, picking up their certificates and belts, the hall grew emptier and emptier culminating in the senior grades being put through their paces for their Brown belt grading.
The Brown belt grading finished with Karate-Ka being tested on their knowledge of the Dojo Kun and then applause for each individual as Sensei presented their respective level of Brown belt.
All in all it was a successful and enjoyable day - and not cold at all!