Archive for Young Dragons
“YOUNG DRAGONS” AND A WEEK OF GRADINGS: MAY 2010
Posted by: | CommentsMAY 2010 “YOUNG DRAGONS” GRADING
RESULTS
Last month was a very busy one for me as it was “grading time” at my YOUNG DRAGONS school.
During the course of a week, eighty-eight youngsters graded as some were attempting their WHITE SASH whilst others their RED, YELLOW, ORANGE and GREEN.
Here, then, are the results of their efforts…
“West Cowes Young Dragons Kung Fu School”:
On Saturday May 22nd twenty YOUNG DRAGONS (all aged between five and fourteen) graded at my “West Cowes Young Dragons Kung Fu School” based at Somerton Middle School in West Cowes on the Isle Of Wight. Some of these youngsters were attempting their White Sash whilst others were going for their Red Sash, their Yellow Sash and their Orange Sash.
The grading lasted just over an hour where they were all put through a rigorous programme of kicks and punches, throws and rolls, strikes, shouts and self defence tasks as they all made their way steadily through their test. As always, a number of parents looked on as their child (or children) worked sometimes in pairs, sometimes in a group and sometimes by theirself.
Although the “Young Dragons” (YD) gradings are scheduled for every four months, their last grading was way back in November last year. The delay was owing to the fact that in February I was in China (training, networking and researching) whilst Easter this year appeared to throw very schoolboys/schoolgirls calendar into chaos! On the plus side, each Young Dragon had more time to prepare.
In order to earn their coloured sash each candidate must achieve at least a 70% result in their grading – anything less and they will fail and so will have to undergo a re-test.
The results of this grading are as follows:
Lee Buswell 99% pass RED SASH
Molly Knowles 99% pass WHITE SASH
Maddi Knowles 99% pass WHITE SASH
Jake Reed 98% pass RED SASH
Daniel Morris 98% pass WHITE SASH
Lillie Mildenhall 98% pass WHITE SASH
Beth Lockyer 96% pass RED SASH
Jadzia Morris 96% pass RED SASH
Jarrod Webb-Jones 96% pass RED SASH
Charlie Kermode 96% pass YELLOW SASH
William Kelly 96% pass RED SASH
Aiden Walder 96% pass YELLOW SASH
Joseph Skittlethorpe 96% pass YELLOW SASH
Clarissa Crocombe 96% pass YELLOW SASH
Hollie Mildenhall 96% pass WHITE SASH
Nikki Reilly 96% pass ORANGE SASH
Callum Crocombe 94% pass YELLOW SASH
Alex Lockyer 92% pass YELLOW SASH
George Kermode 92% pass YELLOW SASH
Shannon Webb-Jones 90% pass YELLOW SASH
Above: Charlie Kermode; Below: William Kelly and George Kermode
More photos for follow soon.
“The MARSTA Young Dragons Kung Fu School” (Ryde):
Above (both photos) :Young Dragons from the Saturday class at THE MARSTA in Ryde
That same day another twenty YOUNG DRAGONS also took their grading test. This was my YD group at THE MARSTA, my Ryde-based martial arts academy just of the high street.
Ella Measey 98% pass RED SASH
Tom Measey 98% pass RED SASH
Celine Russell 98% pass WHITE SASH
Rico Ramos 96% pass WHITE SASH
Jack Redfern 96% pass RED SASH
Luke Sheridan 94% pass RED SASH
Robert 94% pass WHITE SASH
Jasmine 92% pass WHITE SASH
Adam Gissing 94% pass RED SASH
Nathan Gissing 92% pass RED SASH
Isaac Hemper 92% pass WHITE SASH
Lucy Sothcooke 92% pass RED SASH
William Intaraskul 90% pass WHITE SASH
Rebecca 88% pass WHITE SASH
Neo Fryer 86% pass WHITE SASH
Isobel Russell 82% pass RED SASH
Madeline Hemper 80% pass WHITE SASH
Amelia Clews 76% pass RED SASH
Tim Sheridan 74% pass RED SASH
Kia Simpson-Daniel 74% pass RED SASH
Some of my Young Dragons (in all their glory) from the Thursday evening class
Friday afternoon YD class at THE MARSTA
The next morning (Sunday 23rd May) I graded three more of my “Young Dragons”. These youngsters practice under me on a Friday afternoon at a more recently established YD group – a group that is growing almost week by week.
Left to right: Ben, Ruby and Taz along with other members of the Friday class
At this grading Ruby Barnett, Ben Brotherhood and Taz Mwamuka underwent their martial arts test where the results were as follows:
Ruby Barnett 88% pass RED SASH
Taz Mwamuka 84% pass WHITE SASH
Ben Brotherhood 74% pass WHITE SASH
l to r: Ben, Ruby and Taz with their certificates along with other members of the Friday class.
Young Dragons (Senior Class) grading results:
That afternoon at 1pm it was my senior YOUNG DRAGONS group that was next under the spotlight as they then had their grading! This group currently consists of seven youngsters all eager and hungry to ascend the YD ranks!
Niall Powell 96% pass GREEN SASH
Rhys Morgan 94% pass GREEN SASH
Adam Hayden 92% pass ORANGE SASH
Flynn Powell 88% pass GREEN SASH
Jack Elsom 86% pass YELLOW SASH
Rhea Morgan 82% pass YELLOW SASH
Adam Jones 80% pass ORANGE SASH
As part of their grading, Niall Powell, Flyn Powell, Rhys Morgan and Adam Hayden had to prepare an essay addressing the value of YOUNG DRAGONS training. These essays will appear upon this website in due course.
Aaron and James:
The final grading of the day was at 230pm when I graded two young boys who are sightless: Aaron Danvers-Jukes and James Black. During this grading their parents watched intently as I put both Aaron and James through a 45-minute test of punching, kicking shouting, throwing and self-defence. Both students passed admirably as the following results clearly show…
Aaron Danvers-Jukes 92% pass RED SASH
James Black 86% pass WHITE SASH
Above: Aaron and James with their newly-gained sashes and certificates
Below: Aaron punching
“St. Mary’s (Ryde) Primary School Young Dragons Kung Fu Class”
(Monday Session) Grading
On Monday 24th May, eleven of my thirteen “Young Dragons” Monday group at St. Mary’s Primary School in Ryde underwent their first Young Dragons Kung Fu grading. All were successful and the results are as follows…
Charlie Dilk 98% pass WHITE SASH
Maeve Hawthorn 96% pass WHITE SASH
James Rye 94% pass WHITE SASH
Jacob Cass 92% pass WHITE SASH
Trinity Wiltshire 88% pass WHITE SASH
Lucy Morley 78% pass WHITE ASH
Daniel Thornton 76% pass WHITE SASH
Alfie Knight 72% pass WHITE SASH
Morgan Symmans 72% pass WHITE SASH
Harry Walls 70% pass WHITE SASH
Tyler Wiltshire 70% pass WHITE SASH
“St. Mary’s (Ryde) Primary School Young Dragons Kung Fu Class”
(Friday Session) Grading
On Friday 28th May, all eleven of my “Young Dragons” Friday group at St. Mary’s Primary School in Ryde underwent their first Young Dragons Kung Fu grading. All were successful and the results are as follows…
Holly Eldridge 96% pass WHITE SASH
Jasmine Warren 86% pass WHITE SASH
Jacob Brown 86% pass WHITE SASH
Maisie Beere 82% pass WHITE SASH
James Carroll 80% pass WHITE SASH
Poppy Trotter 78% pass WHITE SASH
Josef Stratton 78% pass WHITE SASH
Shaunagh Campbell 76% pass WHITE SASH
Finbar Mitchell-Smith 74% pass WHITE SASH
Jimmy Eldridge 74% pass WHITE SASH
Liam Campbell 70% pass WHITE SASH
“The Priory Young Dragons Kung Fu School” grading results:
Everyone’s happy having made the grade!
On Wednesday 26th May, fifteen of my Young Dragons at “The Priory” private school in Luccombe, Shanklin underwent their Young Dragons grading. Of these students two had already graded to WHITE SASH as they have been training under me for a long time and have even attended some of my classes at THE MARSTA (in Ryde). As a result they were both now attesting for their RED SASH.
Kit Matjaszek leads the group
During this grading the “Isle Of Wight County Press” stopped by to get some photographs together with some names.
Pictured above: Top, Tullulah; Middle, Erin and Lucy: Bottom, Kit and Jack
All sixteen youngsters (aged between five and twelve) were successful and the results are as follows…
Erin Lovely 92% pass WHITE ASH
Dexter Gauntlett 84% pass WHITE SASH
Shanelle Gauntlet 82% pass WHITE SASH
Jacob Lewis 82% pass WHITE SASH
Samuel Collings 82% pass WHITE SASH
Oliver Watson-Hayles 82% pass WHITE SASH
Kit Matyjaszek 80% pass RED SASH
Jack Sanders-Jolliffe 80% pass RED SASH
Joseph Gray 80% pass WHITE SASH
Tullulah Cloud 78% pass WHITE SASH
Lucy Challice 78% pass WHITE SASH
Corey Tuncer 78% pass WHITE SASH
Alisha Lawrence 78% pass WHITE SASH
Dino Goodley 76% pass WHITE SASH
Megan Suckling 74% pass WHITE SASH
Kyah Wells 72% pass WHITE SASH
Congratulations to each and every one of you…
but now your work gets even harder as you continue to
practice and prepare for your next grading.
Your next grading will not be until September but do not be fooled …
that will very soon come around so make sure that you are ready!
The dates for the next grading are as follows:
For “Young Dragons” that practice on Saturday mornings at “Somerton Middle School” in West Cowes – Saturday 2nd October at 11am.
For “Young Dragons” that practice at THE MARSTA on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in Ryde – Sunday 3rd October at 1pm.
For the “Young Dragons Senior Class” the grading will be held on Sunday 3rd October at 3pm.
The Sheer Awesome Power of REAL KUNG FU!
Posted by: | Comments
“Eyes like an eagle, mouth like a lion!”
This is how REAL KUNGFU truly is. It is an awesome practice and “an holistic medicine” overshadowed by the ’exercise/fighting’ cliche and diluted, in appearance, by everyday mundane terms such as ’sport’, ‘hobby’ and ‘interests’.
In ancient China REAL KUNGFU was practiced by 10% of the nation’s population!
Practiced correctly and diligently REAL KUNG FU is the most powerful of all disciplines and untouchable by any other personal practice available to the general public.
REAL KUNGFU can be scary to the observer yet beautiful for the practitioner – the one looking from the inside inwards rather than the one looking from the outside at the outside.
In principle, REAL KUNGFU can be practiced by anyone…yet not just anyone can actually ‘do’ Kung Fu. Just a microscopic minority!
The world in which we now live is a fast-pace world hell-bent on deadlines, cosmetics, ego, vanity, greed, avarice, laziness, quick fixes, illusion and delusion. In order to break away from this one has to undergo a severe re-education process.
Not everyone can do this for not everyone is prepared to undergo the personal sacrifice required in order to be successful in this self-set quest. Not everyone wants to do this and not everyone understands the need to do this.
REAL KUNGFU is not about training but about RE-training: learning how to breath properly, walk properly, sit properly, move properly, think properly…live properly.
If you are not afraid to be different, unique, free from the crowd and ‘not of the general mould’ then REAL KUNGFU might be for you however…one only gets out what one puts in.
REAL KUNGFU will put you on your own unique path that will reshape your life. It will give you incredible strength, boundless energy, enormous confidence and self-belief. It will get you fit and keep you fit. All things being relative it will give you super-human strength, for this is what it was indeed to do when it was first created all those centuries ago and all those thousands of miles away in a land and at a time time when Longevity was acheivable and not just the dream and ‘hopeless cause’ that it is today.
REAL KUNGFU is available to you now.
It is called SANSHANGONG.
It is real, genuine and authentic.
It is physical, mental and spiritual.
It is practical, functional and attainable.
I teach it, I research it, I study it , I preserve it, I promote it, I practice it and I live it. Seven days week, 247.
If you are interested – for yourself or for someone else…call me.
07877 960 799
“WEST COWES YOUNG DRAGONS KUNGFU SCHOOL” First Grading – results
Posted by: | Comments
Last Saturday (September 5th, 2009) eight members of the “West Cowes Young Dragons Kungfu School” underwent a grading.
This was held at Somerton Middle School in West Cowes where they train weekly under me on a Saturday morning from 11am until 12 noon. This particular morning seven tried for their White Sash whilst one student attested for his Red Sash (the second colour within my YD programme).
As a part of this grading (test) each student had to demonstrate his or her skills by way of teamwork, paired practice (where each student would partner-up with another student) and solo performances. Marks were awarded for their technical ability, their skill, their focus, their control, their effort, their attitude and their spirit. The examination lasted just over an hour where they all had to kick, punch, strike, lock, roll and shout their way through a rather intensive catalogue of martial arts techniques in an attempt to secure their much sought-after Kungfu sash! They had been waiting for this day for ages (weeks) although they all knew that there was no guarantee that they would pass. That would be purely down to them!
But as a result of all their hard work I am very pleased indeed to announce that all eight candidates passed!
To date I have not failed anyone in any of the YD gradings I have so far held. On this particular occasion the standard was particularly high – with no-one falling below an 80% pass-mark and with two of my students (Nikki and Alex) achieving a 100% pass-mark!
Well done to each and every one of you! You are all making excellent progress and I am very proud of you all! I look forward to seeing you all next Saturday when I will present you with your certificates and your sashes. I will also take some photographs of you all and then post these on this website. I will also send these in to the Isle Of Wight County Press together with a Press Release in the hope that they will include this in a forthcoming edition of their paper. Fingers crossed!
Here, then, are the results…
Those that graded last Saturday were:
Nikki Reilly 100% pass (White Sash)*
Alex Lockyear 100% pass (White Sash)
Clarissa Crocombe 92% pass (White Sash)
Aiden Walder 88% pass (White Sash)
Jarrod Webb-Jones 84% pass (White Sash)
Shannon Webb-Jones 82% pass (White Sash)
Joseph Skittlethorpe 82% pass (White Sash)
Nathan Bishop 80% pass (Red Sash)
* Since this grading Nikki Reilly has graded to RED SASH.
The next “West Cowes Young Dragons Kung Fu School” grading
will be held on
Saturday November 21st at 11am
with a one-hour lesson that same morning from 10 am.
* * *
New students are always welcome at this class.
For more information please call me on 07877 960 799.
The 2nd “YOUNG DRAGONS” Grading
Posted by: | Comments
On Sunday May 3rd 2009 the second YD grading was held at THE MARSTA in Ryde. This time it was a mixture of White Sash candidates and Red Sash candidates. Three YDs attested for their White Sash whilst five attempted their Red Sash. In all, eight attested and, I am pleased to report, everyone passed.
As with the previous grading there were three categories of pass – from First Class pass to Third Class pass. Three YDs achieved very high marks and so have been awarded a First Class pass. But to everyone that participated, very well done indeed!
* * *
The YD gradings are not all about how good you are or how bad you may think that you are, but are about quantifying your levels and skills so that you know those areas, if any, where work needs to be stepped-up. As a part of today’s CPD culture (Continuous Professional Development) the YD Gradings are an essential part of “Continuous Assessment” and should also be seen as an important inclusion upon every student’s CV.
Gradings are also about maturity over athleticism: just because a student is fit, sporty and quick to learn does not mean that he or she can jump or skip grades. The true meaning of “Kungfu” is:
“High level skill achieved over time and with effort and patience.”
Pictured above, left to right: Rhys, Flynn, Adam H, Angel, Niall, Ollie and Mike. Adam F was also successful in passing his grading but was absent from this photo-shoot.
YOUNG DRAGONS classes are held every Thursday evening in Ryde – from 530 until 630. There is now a second YD class and this held on a Saturday in West Cowes – from 10am unti 11am at Somerton Middle School.
All enquiries: 07877 960 799
YOUNG DRAGONS GRADINGS AUG/SEPT 2009
Posted by: | Comments
For students at the MARSTA:
On Sunday August 9th there will be a YOUNG DRAGONS grading at my Ryde-based “MARSTA” (Kungfu School).
This grading will begin at 1pm and will finish at 2pm. The cost of this grading will be £10 per student. If you are successful you will receive a laminated certificate together with your Kungfu Sash both of which will be presented to you the following week at class. You photos and achievement will also be put onto my website (subject to your parents’ approval) whilst I will also invite the local press to also cover this important event.
It is a requirement that you have attended at least nine YOUNG DRAGONS lessons prior to this grading otherwise you will not be permitted to take your test. If you are short of this nine and you want to take your grading, you can book enough private lessons to make up for your shortfall.
At this grading some of you will be testing for your White Sash whilst others will be trying for the Red or Yellow sash.
Good luck to all of you!
Simon.
For students at my West Cowes school:
On Saturday September 5th there will be a YOUNG DRAGONS grading (a test for the White Sash) at Somerton Middle School.
This grading will begin at 11am and will finish at 12 noon. The cost of this grading will be £10 per student. If you are successful you will receive a laminated certificate together with your White Kungfu Sash both of which will be presented to you the following week at class. You photos and achievement will also be put onto my website (subject to your parents’ approval) whilst I will also invite the local press to also cover this important event. The grading will be preceded by a regular Young Dragons class that will begin at 10am and finish at 11o’clock.
It is a requirement that you have attended at least nine YOUNG DRAGONS lessons prior to this grading otherwise you will not be permitted to take your test. If you are short of this nine and you want to take your grading, you can book enough private lessons to make up for your shortfall.
Good luck to all of you!
Simon.
YOUNG DRAGONS’ 1st Demo
Posted by: | Comments
On Saturday July 4th 2009 eleven of my “Young Dragons” kungfu students performed for the very first time before the general public.
The event was Wootton’s annual Summertime village get-together called, “Party In The Park”.
The demonstraion began with a twenty-minute kungfu display where my YD’s punched, kicked, rolled and dived their way through an exciting programme of traditional Chinese martial arts where their all showed their skills by way of throwing techniques, locking techniques and self-defence moves.
It was a lovely day despite a rather dodgy (that is, rainy) morning and all went extremely well although, sadly, one of our team was absent through sickness. Read More→
Young Dragons at The MARSTA
Posted by: | Comments
For a long time now I have been trying to find a way of taking the traditional Oriental Martial Arts into the school curriculum here on the Isle Of Wight – as a justified way to improve many essentials skills that youngsters should be developing (both in school and out) and yet are clearly not.
Now, perhaps, I have found such a way!
In truth these skills are missing from far too many youngsters (autistic and otherwise) and so something, seriously, needs to be done. No longer is it sufficient for martial arts to be taught simply as an after school activity but, rather, needs to be brought right into the ‘working day experience’ of the pupil and at all three levels – Primary school, Middle school and High school. Read More→
“Young Dragons” Make The Grade!
Posted by: | Comments
Recently the “Young Dragons ” martial arts class (a class designed for chldren of Primary School and Middle school age) had their first-ever grading.
This grading was an intensive physical test lasting one hour where they were tested upon their technical ability to perform ‘martial moves’ (moves such as kicks, punches, strikes and throws) as well as their ability to demonstrate correct attitude, focus, concentration and spirit.
Whilst the “Young Dragons” class is some twelve students strong only seven attested…but all seven passed. Those that graded were Angel Harman, Flynn and Niall Powell, Daniel Turvey, Nathan Bishop, Oliver Reed, and Rhys Morgan (who also attends the “Young Dragons” class at ‘Sandham Middle School’ in Sandown). Read More→
