THE Cliff Anderson Sports Hall came alive last Saturday when the Japan Karate Association/World Federation Guyana conducted its third grading examinations for the year, with 74 students attaining a higher rank including nine-year-old Adrianna Phagoo.
Phagoo and 12-year-old Javon Fraser were both promoted from second to first kyu brown belt as they demonstrated the standards required to advance, while Klaus Chin, Shankar Singh and Shermon Kyte received their second kyu brown belt from third kyu as they too performed well.
Continuing in the brown belt category, three students gained promotion from third to second kyu brown, one from fourth kyu purple to third kyu brown, while Damian Kerry, Kelwyn Griffith and Marlon George attained brown belt status from fourth kyu purple to third kyu.
In the purple belt ranking, seven students received promotions from fifth to fourth kyu, six from fifth to fourth B kyu while in the green belt ranking two students were promoted from sixth kyu to five B kyu in purple.
Two more were promoted from seven kyu orange to six kyu green and three moved from seven kyu orange to six B kyu green with 11 students attaining seven kyu orange belt from yellow and five moved to eight kyu (second yellow from first yellow) in the five to six-year-old age group.
In the largest category, 23 white belts were tested and eight moved from 10 kyu white belt to nine kyu (first yellow), one from 10 kyu to 8B kyu, 11 were promoted from 10 kyu white belt to 8 kyu-2nd yellow, with Berbice’s Shairaz Hack, Natasha Persaud, and Nirvanie Persaud exhibiting outstanding performances in this category moving from 10 kyu white belt to seven B kyu (orange belt).
Local Fourth Dan and Chief Instructor Sensei, Christopher Chaves, who conducted this examination, mentioned that he was well pleased with the performances and encouraged the students to continue their regular training.
He informed them that their next grading examination is scheduled for November under the watchful eyes of first class Japanese Instructor Master Yasuaki Nagatomo.
He advised that their immediate attention be shifted towards their much anticipated local annual national karate tournament which is set for October.
Preparations for this event commence with a training camp from August 27 to 28 at Camp Kayuka before the national tournament, where top performing karatekas in both the kata and kumite for adults and children will form the elite team to represent Guyana in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the 2011 Pan American Karate Championships.