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JACK PASSES BLACK BELT!
By Admin
15 March 2020 11:19 pm
Picture: Jack shakes the hand of Sensei Sherry, while fellow examiner Sensei Rhodes looks on.
Picture: Jack shakes the hand of Sensei Sherry, while fellow examiner Sensei Rhodes looks on.
Congratulations to Jack Salter for passing his black belt after six and a half years of hard work and dedication.  Saturday was the culmination of all that training, as he stood in front of a grading panel of the KUGB's chief instructor, Andy Sherry (9th Dan) and the renowned Sensei Bob Rhodes (8th Dan) to prove he was worthy of the coveted black belt.

Jack has already been training in Karate for half of his life, having started Karate in Autumn 2013 at age 6 as part of Bristol Karate Academy's Bushido Warriors programme.  So while Karate is ingrained in his life and arguably his blood (Jack's dad is a 3rd Dan instructor at Bristol Karate Academy), Jack still had a tough journey to grading day.

The step up from brown belt to black is a considerable one. Like many people, Jack passed his 1st kyu well over a year before attempting his black belt grading. Much more than simply the passing of time, Jack used this period to hone his skills. The improvement in the last six months was good; this earned him a medal at the South West Championships for the first time. But in the last three months the improvement was exceptional. Jack transformed his Karate, improving not only his technique but also his overall competence and confidence. 

Well done to Jack for continuing to push for improvement, even when it felt tough. You provide an excellent example for the next group of 1st Kyus who now hope to follow in your footsteps.