Sixty students from Baradine and Coonabarabran have advanced from white to yellow belt in Go-Kan-Ryu (GKR) Karate. 

Participants of all ages were congratulated at a training session and belt presentation ceremony held at the Baradine Memorial Hall on July 21.

Karate students in action at the Baradine Memorial Hall. (Image: Liz Cutts).

GKR founder and chief instructor, Kancho Robert Sullivan explained the belt journey process and took the students though some new moves.

“This is their first grading; they have been learning some different techniques,” he said.

“Their training focus so far has been on developing basic moves. Having achieved their yellow belt, they will now be introduced to two important elements of karate training, Kata and Kumite.

“It will take three or four months to progress to the green belt, followed by blue and red belts. There are then three separate levels of brown belt, finishing with the black belt. The whole journey can take from four to seven years.

Kancho Sullivan is an 8th Dan Black Belt and has been training in and teaching karate since 1964. He spent time learning and teaching in both Japan and the USA before establishing GKR in 1984. His original aim was to build a small karate club, but he soon realised that teaching karate was something that would become his lifelong vocation.

“My fascination for karate led me to training in the Japanese style of Goju-Kai,” he explained. “Over the next decade I spent most of my time studying and learning two of the most prominent Japanese styles of karate, Goju and Keishinkan (Shotokan).

“I initially taught in Broken Hill many years ago and it is great now that it is here in Baradine and Coonabarabran. It certainly seems to have caught on; the response has been wonderful. 

Baradine and Coonabarabran karate students received their yellow belts at the certification ceremony. (Image: Liz Cutts).

“Training for karate keeps me active and physically fit. I will be 77 years old later this year, so I am an advocate for karate as a great activity for all ages. Once you see some skills happening you get stimulated from learning new techniques and coordinating your body. I modify the techniques as I get older. 

“As long as I can stand and walk, I will continue to do some movements in Karate. Once you get into it, it is very enjoyable.”