Graaff-reinet karate reaches new heights

GRAAFF-REINET — The Karoo OGKK (Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate Kyokai) dojo based in Graaff-reinet has ended the grading year on yet another high note.

The October grading was conducted on Saturday, October 21, by Sensei Jannie le Grange (7th Dan) and his wife Sensei Betsie le Grange (6th Dan) from the Southern Cape Goju Ryu Dojo, in George, WC.

Sensei Jannie and Sensei Betsie and seven of the George Senior Students attended the OGKK Gashuku (training session) in Okinawa, Japan, in July this year, where Sensei Jannie was awarded his 7th Dan in Goju Ryu Karate.

Eager to share some of the finer details of the techniques, they spent an hour before both the junior (7 to 13years) and senior (14 and older) grading groups conducting a training session with the eager Graaff-reinet students.

Saturday’s grading saw 30 students put through their paces with four senior students being awarded their Orange Belt and everyone proceeding to a higher level.

Apart from Karate (meaning empty hand in Japanese) Okinawa is also known for its training in the use of traditional weaponry (Ryukyu Kobudo) and on Saturday, Neville Jones was awarded his 2nd Kyu Brown Belt after successfully completing his grading in the first three of eight traditional weapons, namely Bo, Sai and Nunchaku.

His grading session was conducted in front of his karate students and their parents - another first for Graaff-reinet.

Sensei Jannie once again congratulated the Karoo OGKK on its excellent standard and expressed the wish that by the start of 2018 Ryukyu Kobodu training sessions will have started in Graaff-reinet. All the Karoo OGKK students anked on the left by Sensei Jannie le Grange and Sensei Betsie le Grange and on the right by Sensei Neville Jones. Photo: Lee-anne Jones. Neville Jones being awarded his Brown Belt Certi cate from Sensei Betsie le Grange (left) and Sensei Jannie le Grange (right). Photo: Lee-anne Jones.