LKA Karate Senior Dan Grade Promotions

At the KUGB Special Dan Course held at Chesterfield on Saturday 19th April the LKA had two new Dan Grade promotions. A panel consisting of Sensei Andy Sherry 8th Dan and Sensei Bob Poynton 7th Dan graded Richard Zealand to 3rd Dan and Nick Heald to 6th Dan.

Richard started training in 1995 at the age 8. He started in order to build self confidence and rose to the rank of 2nd Dan within 5 years, an excellent achievement. As 3rd Dan gradings can only be held once an individual turns 21 years of age, he then had an 8 year gap before being able to take and pass his grading first time. Richard is graduating from University within a couple of months, making the start of 2008 a very successful one for him!

Nick started training in 1981 and his last Grading was in April 2000 when the late Sensei Enoeda graded him to 5th Dan. Passing this grading makes him one of the top 20 Senior Instructors within the KUGB, an achievement he never thought would happen when he started all those years ago. He would like to extend his gratitude to Sensei's Rhodes, Williams and Price for their day to day help in training over the last 26 years and to both Sensei's Enoeda and Sherry for their inspiration and training at Squad sessions and Courses over the years.