Outstanding Achievement ~ Black Belt Honours
Congratulations to Taye Goodger (Roncalli College) and Megan Pelser (Craighead Diocesan) both aged 14, who recently gained their black belts under the instruction of Megan's mother and JKA (Japan Karate Association) TImaru karate club sensei Lizelle Pelser.
The article published in the Timaru Herald is linked below:
Taye Goodger and Megan Pelser’s recent black belt karate gradings make them the youngest members to hold such an honour in their karate club.
The Timaru 14-year -olds, who have been learning the martial art for the past six years at the JKA (Japanese Karate Association) Timaru club, gained their belts at the end of June. Leading up to the black belt grading the teenagers put in extra training from the usual two sessions a week to about four a week for six weeks .
Megan, a Year 9 student at Craighead Diocesan School, said she worked ‘’really hard’’ to pass the grading but thought karate was a lot of fun.
“It makes me feel confident in other stuff like talking in front of people or, if I was being bullied, I would stand up to them.”
Both had to fight their instructor in the grading.
“That was hard,” they both said.
Instructor and mother of Megan, Sensei Lizelle Pelser started learning the karate 25 years ago and gained her black belt in 1993. She is now fifth dan.
She said it was a proud moment when the pair passed as she has taught both students since they started as eight year-olds.
She said they had both shown commitment and would be training towards their second dan in about a year’s time.
“It's a big thing for our club.”
The club (dojo) which Pelser established within her Go Girl Physique gym in 2014 has 40 members with about 70 per cent between the age of five and 14.
Esther Ashby-Coventry, Jul 21 2020
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