Shunkenkan Ju-Jitsu welcomes graduates earning their new belts
Grading at Alida van Wyk Hall displays the importance of hand-to-hand self-defence
Rainbows may be associated with happiness but should you encounter these multi-coloured belts, you may be left seeing stars.
For twenty years, Sensei Adrian van de Werken has been shaping some of the best ju-jitsu minds and bodies on the West Rand. His Shunkenkan Ju-Jitsu is an expert crafter of self-defence martial arts experts and at their Horison-based dojo more of his students were tested on their skills as they looked to earn their new belts.
Always preferring to use senseis from other clubs to grade his fighters, Sensei Adrian enlisted the help of two of the sport’s most respected names for the 15 May grading. Sensei Stuart Kinchin, a 6th Dan black belt from Benoni and very special guest, 8th Dan black belt and Vice President of the South African Ju-Jitsu Council, Sensei Sam Tonkin, lent their time to add integrity to the grading.
In the junior section, Jo-Mari Bouwer and Mikhaela du Toit climbed their first hurdle, earning their first white belts. Additionally, brother and sister pair, Xanru and Mariel van de Werken earned their yellow and green belts, respectively. In the seniors, sisters Kirsten and Leah Isaacs joined Lola Dos Santos Sardinha in moving from yellow to green belt. Many of the newly graduated fighters are female, stressing the need for this vital self-defence skill.
