KJK judokas grade to junior black belts
The judokas were part of three that represented the West Rand.
Two talented judokas from KJK Judo Club have successfully graded to their junior black belts.
The grading, held on October 18, saw Tia Sheppard and Ruan Goosen representing the West Rand and impressing the judges with their Kata performance, successfully moving to the next phase of their Judo journey.
Both Tia and Ruan were previously brown belt holders, and they competed against other Gauteng clubs, including Tshwane, Ekhurhuleni and Sedibeng.
Speaking to the Roodepoort Record, they described this prestigious moment as one worth its weight in gold.
“Preparing for grading is like taking an exam. We train weeks or months before the grading, and we are very grateful to have made it this far,” said the duo, beaming with pride.
Despite fracturing her hand during the grading, Tia demonstrated remarkable determination and strength, persevering to successfully obtain her belt.
“We are also grateful to our Judo partners for helping us reach this goal,” they added.
Sensei Katja Bruwer, who is also the head coach of the club, expressed her extreme pride in her students, saying they’ve worked hard to reach this goal.
