Another busy year for the Black Dragon

It has been another busy year for the Black Dragon Association Kokuryu Kai and the World All Styles Combat Association with several high grade promotions being awarded.

Association World President SGM Tom Foley (10th Dan) from Kilkenny has been inundated with events and in the New Year will travel to Events in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Morocco and Europe, where he will teach seminars and take black belt gradings.

The Associations, which were started in the early ’70s are now in 140 countries across the globe with many millions of members.

At the Evolution Martial Arts Academy in Kilkenny Marc Veldhuis was awarded his Shodan or First Dan Black Belt after many years of training in the arts with his instructor Mags Heffernan (8th Dan). Marc is one of the Instructors at the Academy and has a very promising future ahead of him.

On the other side of the world long-time member Michael Bradford was promoted to the rank of 8th Dan and Title Shodai Soke. He has also taken up the position of President of the Association in Australia.

Long-time martial artist Martin Farrell from Dublin, who has been practicing the arts some 45 years, was appointed to his 8th Dan black belt. He has been with the association for 45 years and is the Dublin representative for the World Body and was the WKA rep there also.

GM Terry Lim from Australia who, at 82 years of age, is still practising and teaching his art each and every day. He first started martial arts in 1951and is recognised as one of the greats in Australian Martial Arts. Terry was promoted to the rank of 9th Dan Black belt by Association World President Kaicho Tom Foley 10th Dan and the International Dan Grade Panel of six 10th Dan Ranks. He also holds the title Kancho. He has over 40 clubs scattered across Australia with many thousands of students.

Mags Heffernan from Kilkenny, who is Chief Instructor of the Evolution Martial Arts Academy with clubs in Kilkenny and Castlecomer, was appointed to her 8th Dan Black Belt after many years studying the martial arts.

Mags was presented with her belt at one of the seminars in Waterford recently. She is the highest ranked female instructor in the group of associations. Mags and her team can be found most evenings in their club, upstairs at the Girls Guide Den on the Castle/Bennettsbridge Road.