JKA Weston SKC member Trevor Byrne passed his 5th Dan belt belt at a recent grading in Crawley.

JKA Weston SKC is basking in their recent success at the JKA England international black belt examination.

Forty-three-year-old Trevor Byrne passed his 5th Dan black belt grading under an international grading panel consisting of JKA England chief instructor Sensei Y Ohta (7th Dan), JKA Thailand chief instructor Sensei F Omura (7th Dan), Sensei T Imamura (7th Dan) and Sensei Shiina (3rd Dan), both from JKA Headquarters in Tokyo.

The grading was held after a three-hour training session at the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley.

The grading is held midway through the four-day training camp which is arduous to say the least. Trevor always enjoys training on these camps, making the effort to travel to the K2 twice yearly to train and catch up with old friends within the UK and also from the various visiting countries.

It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to earn a JKA black belt. So to grade to this level is an extremely high achievement. Passing 5th Dan on this course was extra special as it was the 50th anniversary of JKA Shotokan Karate in this country.

JKA Weston SKC offers karate classes for children as young as eight-years-old as well as classes for adults and teens. The club is currently offering free taster sessions for new members. For further information or to sign up for classes, visit: www.jka-weston-super-mare.org or call 07528 512355.