Katikati Goju Ryu Karate Club members make the grade

Katikati's new black belts Paul Lewis (left), Meika Laman-Trip, Darren Bruning, Mike Palmer and Oscar Sandford. Photos / Supplied

Katikati has four new black belts.

Katikati Goju Ryu Karate Club had its annual grading and four new black belts were welcomed into the club's senior ranks after a successful grading.

The club now has eight black belts, and coach Jason Sandford says eight out of 20 members is a good ratio for black belts.

Mike Palmer, Meika Laman-Trip, Paul Lewis and Oscar Sandford each have an average of 10 years' training to get to the standard required for black belt. Darren Bruning also graded that day from first-degree black belt to second degree (ni dan).

The grading was conducted by teacher Peter Turner (8th dan), who visited from Auckland for the event.

Jason says the rest of the club's students all graded successfully "and look forward to wearing their new belts with great enthusiasm as they steadily gain karate technique and all the other life skills karate teaches in order to survive and more importantly, thrive".

Katikati Goju Ryu Karate Club held its annual grading.

The club grades only once a year, but not last year due to Covid-19.

"Thus training for 10 years in order to reach black belt is probably longer than is normal in some karate clubs; however, the students know that they can wear their belts in confidence given it is better to perform at a great skill level than your grading suggests rather than the other way round."

He'd like to encourage people to join.

"You'll never regret the calm, inner strength, physical prowess, discipline and confidence, as well as club camaraderie, that you gain practising a martial art."

He says another great aspect of practising a martial art is there is no end line.

"There's no point in time where you can say I know it all, and can stop training. Like riding a bike uphill, if you stop peddling you go backwards, so the key to most things in life that are worth achieving is not to stop, and karate is a tremendous pursuit to live by that motto."

• Karate classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 5.30pm-7pm. Contact Jason on 021 458 614.