Nigel Knighton Ishinryu Karate - Carrum Downs

🥋 Two competitions today and some fantastic results! 🥋

I was super impressed with everyone who stepped outside their comfort zone and challenged themselves by trying something different. The improvement across our athletes has been exponential, and it’s fantastic to see all the hard work paying off!

One of the things I’m most proud of is the camaraderie within our group and the genuine willingness everyone has to support and encourage each other.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped out today, as well as the many club members, families and supporters who came along to cheer on our athletes. It really is appreciated!

🏆 Lion Bushido Tournament

🥉 Matthew – 3rd Kata | 🥈 2nd Kumite
🥈 Georgia – 2nd Kata | 🥇 1st Kumite
🥇 Kailem – 1st Points Sparring | 🥇 1st Continuous Sparring — an outstanding effort in his very first competition!

🏆 Alan Murdoch Tournament (VKL)

🥈 Heath – 2nd Kata | Kumite rounds
Oliver – An unlucky loss in the second round
🥈 Jason – 2nd Kumite
🥉 Glenn – 3rd Kumite
🥉 Dan – 3rd Kata in the Elite Division!
🥇 Lachie – 1st Kumite in the Elite Division!

Some fantastic performances, but even more importantly, plenty of improvement, courage and great sportsmanship on display.

Well done to everyone involved — very proud of the whole team! 👊🥋

Don’t forget kumite class at 5pm followed by our kata class at 6pm Friday night. Some pics of last week of an excellent Kumite class followed but Sensei Dan sharing a kata and some basics we learned in Thailand with Sensei Shu and some of the expertise he picked up from his travels in Okinawa 🙏

Congratulations to Alex, our Student of the Week this week!

Alex has been part of our club longer than any of our other kids and is always there supporting our events and seminars. Of course, it was no surprise that he had his spot booked for our Echuca Super Seminar months ago!

Alex always brings a bundle of enthusiasm and energy with him as he walks through the dojo doors. His focus, effort and commitment—particularly over the past month—have been outstanding.

Keep up the great work, Alex! We’re really looking forward to spending some quality time with you in Echuca next month. 👊🥋

Congratulations to Jasmine, our Student of the Week this week! 👏

Jasmine always arrives early to class and is quick to help set up the mats. She is respectful, diligent and clearly puts in plenty of practice at home. She is always keen to learn, regularly asking questions before or after training to help improve and be the best she can be.

Her hard work and dedication are really paying off, and she has improved out of sight!

Keep up the fantastic work, Jasmine! 👊🥋

Happy birthday Sensei Bruce Hyland from all of us 🎉🎂💗🙏

Some snippets of last weeks classes. A great week of training 👊

Our Student of the Week award this week goes to our very own smiling assassin, Matthew! 😁👊

Matthew is one of those kids who is an absolute pleasure to have in the dojo. He always arrives with his trademark beaming smile and brings such a positive attitude to everything he does, both on and off the tatami.

What impresses us most about Matthew is his character. At his most recent competition, he performed extremely well, but unfortunately the results didn’t go his way. Despite the disappointment, Matthew never stopped smiling, remained positive and stayed for the rest of the day to support and encourage his fellow athletes.

That attitude says a lot about the type of young person he is. Karate is about so much more than winning medals, and Matthew is a fantastic example of that.

Keep up the great work, Matthew. We’re very proud of you! 👊🥋

It has been a big week in the dojo though we have been hit by illness during the week with quite a few away with the flu. Hope everyone is looking after themselves 🙏. A big thankyou to Sensei Brodie and Sempais Jason, Sean, Aliyah, Reece and Orazio for their help with the junior classes during the week. Was able to conduct more individualized programs with a focus on kata

After many years in the wilderness, we’ve reintroduced our Student of the Week award!

Congratulations to our first recipient, Ashton. 👏

Ashton always brings a fantastic attitude to class and is eager to improve. He helps set up as soon as he arrives, gives 100% in everything he does, and has made massive improvements in his karate.

Other than being a Collingwood supporter 😉, this young man is the complete package!

Congratulations, Ashton. Keep up the fantastic work! 🙏

These are our first two students to grade in our new Kinder Class! 👊

Congratulations to Finn and Hudson on this fantastic achievement. They have been with us since day one and have done an exceptional job over the past six months. We’re incredibly proud of the effort, enthusiasm and progress they’ve shown. Well done, boys!