KARATEKA Clinton Orville Moria, of the New Amsterdam Shotokan Karate Dojo, was last Sunday awarded the 6th Dan black belt by Founder of the International Karate Daigaku, 9th Dan Shuseki Shihan Frank Woon-A-Tai, who promoted a total of 94 students at a ceremony held at the YMCA Thomas Lands. A total of eleven students were promoted to black belt (DANs), while 13 to yellow (8 KYU), 14 to orange belt (7 KYU), 25 to green belt (6 KYU), 9 students to blue belt (5 KYU), four students to purple belt (4 KYU), six students to brown belt (3 KYU) and nine students to brown belt (1 KYU).
Moriah was the only black belt promoted to 6th DAN, while YMCA’s Trvon Miller and GFK’s Mahadeo Ramotar were elevated to 2nd Dan.
Advancing to 1st Dan were YMCA’s Keyah Barker, Aaron Persaud, Mahendra Singh, Joshua Seedharie, Eton Whyte, and Jalen Chancellor, while the set also included Land of Canaan’s Ethon Persaud.
Woon-a-Tai was assisted by his wife and 8th Dan Shihan Maureen Woon-A-Tai, and 7th Dan Shihan Bernice Hughes, 6th Dan Sensei Janice Pike, 6th Dan Amir Khouri and 4th Dan Sensei Roger Peroune.
Shihan Maureen Woon-A-Tai presented the successful Dan students with their instruments of Dan ranks.
Students graded were from Shotokan Karate-Guyana Dojos all across Guyana – Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Albion, Blairmont, Land of Canaan, Canal #1 and Linden.
The students were commended for their outstanding performances while instructors of the varying Dojos were also praised for their instructions and guidance in assisting the students in their achievements.
Those commended included Amir Khouri and Roger Peroune from YMCA, Clinton Moriah from New Amsterdam, Hazrat Ali from Albion and Blairmont, Laurence Lowe and Mahadeo Ramotar from GKF, Parmeshwar Persaud from Land of Canaan, and Nathalie Gibson from Linden.
Special thanks also went out to all the visiting instructors from Canada.
Meanwhile, Shuseki Shihan Woon-A-Tai will be holding a special Brown and Black Belt and Instructors training session today at the Guyana Karate College (GKC) and tomorrow at the YMCA from 18.00hrs to 20.00hrs.
These training seminars are to prepare black belts for their Instructors Certification Examinations.