Karate history was made on Sunday, May 2, when the Guyana Karate College participated in the biggest-ever Dan level examinations held under the watchful eyes of Master
Frank Woon-a-Tai; and, for the first time under the auspices of the International Karate Daigaku (IKD), the newest worldwide karate organisation based out of Toronto, Ontario, dedicated to the teachings of Masters Funakoshi and Nakayama, where all aspects of karate are being studied and analysed. These include philosophy, physical education and fitness, self defence and sport.
Dan examinees on Monday May 2 (L-R): Roger Peroune, Claire Cheeks-Martelly, Eric Hing, Terrence Nicholas, Jeffrey Wong, Dr Guy Low, Laverne Jones, Chetram Mortley and Gayendra Jaipersaud.
Leading the Dan rankings for the GKC were Sensei Jeffrey Wong, who obtained a 6th Dan (Rokudan) ranking; Dr Guy Low, 5th Dan (Godan) ranking; Lavern Jones, 5th Dan (Godan) ranking; Terrence Nicholas, 4th Dan (Yondan) ranking; Chetram Mortley, 4th Dan (Yondan) ranking; Eric Hing, 3rd Dan (Sandan) ranking; Claire Cheeks-Martelly, 2nd Dan (Nidan) ranking; Roger Peroune, 2nd Dan (Nidan) ranking; and Gayendra ‘Penny’ Jaipersaud, 2nd Dan (Nidan) ranking.
Hing and Peroune were graded on evening of Friday, April 29th, at the Malteenoes Sports Club Dojo, along with the other GKC students, prior to Dan exams held on Monday, May 2.
Additionally, Sensei Wong, who is the senior instructor and vice chairman of the Guyana Karate College, was awarded licences by the International Karate Daigaku as a judge, instructor and examiner.
The International Karate Daigaku (IKD), headed by Karate Master Frank Woon-a-Tai, uses a grading system known as the Kyu/Dan system. It was adopted from Judo in 1924. The Kyu system uses a number of coloured belts to represent different standards of mudansha (one without dan) ability, ranging from 10th kyu as the lowest standard of karateka, to 1st kyu, which precedes Dan (black belt – the highest colour belt to be gained).
Once black belt is achieved, the karateka becomes a yudansha (one with Dan) and begins to progress from shodan (first Dan) through numerical levels of Dan. To pass a grading, a karateka is required to demonstrate specified kihon techniques, kata and kumite drills.
On Friday last, April 29, the Guyana Karate College held its grading examinations at the Malteenoes Sports Club Dojo, Thomas Lands, Georgetown for more than a hundred karatekas, all of whom successfully moved up a rank, with 35 students skipping a belt from the GKC’s various dojos, including the Malteenoes Sports Club, Timehri, Marian Academy and Girl Guides Pavilion.
Leading the successful karatekas graded were Black Belt recipients Jennifer Rameshwar, Mark Wong, Roland Fanfair, Simonica Fanfair and Radesh Mohan. In the Brown Belt category were: 1st kyu – Travis Arjune; 2nd kyu – Tyler Orderson, Alyssa Persaud, Sara Hassan, Desmond Fernandes and Michael Hing; and 3rd kyu – John Mc Grath, Wayne Kendall, Sara Hassan, Mathew Hurry, Alliyah Seeram, Shem Wilkie and Carlos Gonsalves.
Special mention was made of Timehri, the newest dojo of the GKC, whose students performed extremely well, with most of their Karatekas skipping a belt.
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