UW Karate Club Receives International Recognition

Feb. 14, 2006 -- Nine members from the University of Wyoming Shorin-Ryu Karate Club were recently recognized by Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate International for outstanding achievement in the sport.

Ben Froidevaux, fourth degree black belt, was named Instructor of the Year; Kate Lehman, first degree black belt and Heather From, green belt, shared honors as the 2005 female Martial Artist of the Year; and Khris King, brown belt, was honored as 2005 Male Martial Artist of the year. Brett Philbrick, brown belt was selected as the Kobudo (weapons) Practitioner of 2005.

Kyle Gewecke, brown belt, was selected as the UW Karate Club Top Student Martial Artist.

Joe Miles, brown belt, received the Oyama Award, named for Mas Oyama, an extraordinarily powerful martial artist of the last century.

Kyle Linton, second degree black belt, was selected for the Funakoshi Award, an honor representing the positive aspects of martial arts and scholarship, named after martial artist and scholar Gichen Funakoshi who introduced karate to Japan in the early 1900s.

UW Shorin-Ryu Karate Club members who received rank promotions, presented by Dan Hausel, grandmaster, 10th degree black belt and 11-time hall-of-fame inductee, are:

Blue Belt
Jessica Ricks, Brandon Bishop, Amber Hammerschmidt and Nicole Maxwell.

Green Belt
Leonard Martin, Joe Miles, John Benson, Samantha Daniels and Jessica Robinson.

First Degree Black Belt
Kate Lehman

Second Degree Black Belt
Glenn Polk and Kyle Linton

Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate International includes members in Canada, Australia, China, India, France, Norway, Italy, Spain, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Japan, Puerto Rico and the United States.

Photo

Dan Hausel, grandmaster, 10th degree black belt and 11-time hall-of-fame inductee, presents University of Wyoming karate club member Kate Lehman with an award for a first degree black belt.

Posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2006

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