Dokan Karate Club

Dokan karate club can now add to their ranks four black belt second dan cadets after their brilliant performance at Sundays grading ceremony.

The four are Liam Mackell 16, Becky Purvis 13, Eleisha Mitchinson 12 and Megan Purvis aged 11.

Liam started karate at Dokan Gudo Nishijima aged 8 and has trained regularly since. Becky and Megan both started aged five and Eleisha started aged only 4 years old. All are regular competitors at karate tournaments, especially the girls who compete all over the country.

Eleisha and Megan are both 2014 English national champions as well as 2014 international champions and both won world championship titles this year at Kosovo; Eleisha aged 12 is the individual kumite world champion.

Megan, aged only 11, may be very young to hold such a rank but there are no sloppy or poor grades at Dokan. Megan trains 6 hours a week and Eleisha trains 11 hours weekly. Instructor Kev Mitchinson says all four have shown a level of commitment that is very unusual in today's society. To put so many hours in for so many years means they have come to realise that karate is not just an hour a week hobby in a church hall, it is a way of life that requires a strength of character, courage and dedication.

There were two first dan gradings on Sunday. Milly Pomfret and Simone Stewart, both aged 12, passed their first dan grades and were awarded their black belts. Both girls hold English national titles and Simone is also a world title holder. Both are also big attenders at lessons training 7 hours a week for four years to reach the level required by Dokan to achieve their black belts.

Sensei Kev commented "I have never been prouder of any black belts at my clubs. They were exceptional."