AN OKEHAMPTON karate instructor has been promoted to one of the highest grades within the karate world.
Stephen Chamberlain, who teaches Wado-Ryu karate at the Ockment Centre, has accelerated to the grade of 5th Dan.
Stephen, who has been training for more than 28 years, was asked to attend a meeting following a week's summer course in Barnstaple.
Here, the chief instructor for authentic Wado-Ryu in Britain and Europe, Shimitsu Sensei, announced that Stephen and his friend, Peter Hill, who teaches in Barnstaple, were to be promoted to 5th Dan.
'Shimitsu Sensei said that we had been under observation for almost three years to see if we were worthy of promotion,' he said.
'It was most unexpected and the reality of it has not sunk it yet — it is a real honour.'
Another piece of good news for the club is the success of student William Kent, who came third in his category at the recent UK Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Academy Championship held in Yate, Gloucestershire.
William was entered in the kata event (a series of fighting movements against a number of imaginary opponents) and competing two grades above his own 6th kyu green belt.
More than 250 competitors from all over the UK took part in the championship.
William was the first student of Stephen Chamberlain when the karate club was formed almost two years ago.
If anyone is interested in joining the club, training nights are each Friday from 6.30pm to 9.30pm at the Ockment Centre.