Most Recent Event –
New Inductees
To purchase copies of any photos shown on this page
please contact Edwin Mandahl, Photographer at
gemandahl@kol.co.nz
.
The 2009 NZ Martial Arts Hall of Fame awards were held in Wanganui last weekend. Action Martial Arts Supplies were immensely privileged to attend and to support the event.
It was well organized by the NZMAHOF committed and board of directors with special mention of President Shihan Dave Millar and strong support of Joanne Walford and the technical panel.
The venue was superbly prepared and presented for this black-tie occasion.
One of the highlights was to see attendance by a wide range of arts – from Aikido, to TKD, Judo, Ju-Jitsu, several styles of Karate and Chinese martial arts as well as sword arts. It was fantastic to see the cooperation and goodwill that permeated the evening between styles clubs and individuals.
If this is a signal of things to come for martial arts in New Zealand, the outlook is good. We need more of it.
Martial Arts need community support in order to grow (that’s where your students come from!). To get this support we all need to be seen as professional, well organized, cooperative and unified. The NZMAHOF is one means of demonstrating these qualities to the community. The event at Wanganui was a showcase for these qualities and it is abundantly clear that those who attended take this polish back to their clubs and it will rub off onto their students.
For these reasons we urge you and your martial arts colleagues to support the NZMAHOF in months and years to come. Talk to your instructor and your students about it and become involved in the concept.
As for this year’s awards, some of the recipients, when initially told of their selection, were humble by nature and saw acceptance of a nomination for an award as possibly being viewed as ego-driven. This is far from the case. The purpose of the awards are as much to acknowledge the families, students, clubs and styles of the recipients. The awards acknowledge progress of martial arts, progress of styles. They acknowledge excellence and they acknowledge effort. The awards bring together everything that is good in martial arts. It is not about creating tall poppies in any way shape or form. It is about cultivating the elite, in order that they can continue to cultivate their student bodies and develop excellent technique at every level.
This is why each and every martial artist needs to get in behind the NZMAHOF and to encourage their organization to become involved.
NZMAHOF are rapidly becoming the future of New Zealand Martial Arts at the highest level.
Those who were honoured by the NZ Martial Arts Hall of Fame at this year’s event are:
Angelina Carden Seishin Ryu Karate
Andrew Salton Taekwon-Do
Brenden Print NZ Freestyle Karate
Duayne Davies Kyokushin Karate
Gary Crosland Ninjitsu
Grant Butcher Wushu
Graeme Catlin Ju-Jitsu
Henry Lynch Aikido
James Salter Ju-Jitsu
Kevin O’Leary Kyokushin Karate
Matt Ransom Taekwondo
Martin Brady Zendokai
Michael Hannah Taekwondo
Ray Irving Shotokan Karate
Steve Pellow Taekwon-Do
Thomas Kupa Kyokushin Karate
Additionally the
following received awards from the International
Soke
Institute New Zealand
Professor Steve Heremaia – 10th Dan Ju Jitsu(additional to 10 Dan already held)
Professor Gary Trail – 8th Dan Ju Jitsu
Kyoshi Chris Dessa – 7th Dan Seishin Ryu Karate
Shihan Garry Luton- 6th Dan Wado Kai Karate
Shihan Ken Buckley- 6th Dan Okinawan Karatedo
ALL are first recipients of awards from the International Soke Institute NZ
Shihan Dave Millar also received a well deserved award from Japan, being the title of Kaicho. Kaicho is a title of seniority relating to an organization and equates to “Chairman of the Board”
To be eligible for an award, recipients must have been continuously involved in martial arts training and teaching for a minimum of 25 years and have demonstrated exemplary character. They also commit (as far as practicable) to continue to contribute to martial arts in the future. The awards also recognize technical expertise and an ability to pass this on to others. This provides continuity for their art and for those who follow.
High level grades and titles are awarded to those martial artists who are demonstrably worthy, but where there may be outside factors that prevent them gaining a higher grade in New Zealand (eg there may be no higher lineage in their particular style).
Each recipient gave a short speech and it was clear that Budo is in their hearts. Almost every speaker remarked on the spirit of goodwill that prevailed and urged it to continue.
To get more information about the NZMAHOF please see our “CONTACTS” page
The next NZMAHOF event will be in 2011 and is to be held in Auckland. Start making your plans now to attend and to support martial arts excellence, and to make new friends from a variety of backgrounds.