5 Years of Training Award Gallery

This award was created in order to recognise those students who have taken their karate seriously enough to continue studies for at least 5 years in our club. As the clubs were only founded in 2002, 2007 was the first qualifying year, so we (Steve) designed a small badge to celebrate the achievement and we started issuing them in 2008.

Sensei Stephen Bates (Nidan) was a founder member of our clubs in November 2002.

Rikesh Parmar joined our clubs on 24th February 2004 after training in Goju Ryu at a local club that closed down.

James Weber (Shodan) has been a member of the clubs since 25th May 2004, starting as a junior and having now attained adult Yudansha grade.

Luke Cox(2kyu) has been a member of the clubs since 4th August 2004 and is the ONLY Leybourne student to have stayed the course since we opened the club!

Andrew Hallam joined the club on 14th October 2004 after studying Wado Ryu for several years. He has had some time out to attend university and is now back full swing into his karate study.

Jordan Halls joined our club on 22nd December 2004 after training at another club for a while. He attained Cadet Shodan grade in 2009 and has now joined the adult class and is being reassessed through the adult syllabus.

Ruth Smith-Burr joined our club in West Malling as a novice on 5th May 2005. At the time of this award she had attained her 3kyu grade and was under assessment for Sempai qualification.

Anjali Sawhney was awarded her 5 Year badge on 11th June 2010.