Gillam Grant Black Belt Promotions - (front left to right) (Ni-Dans) Angelo Caraballo, Alana Armstrong, Melissa Suter, Alyssa Armstrong; (Sho-Dans) Jennifer Skerrett, Amy Kohler, Cynthia Smith, Ann Kohler; (San-Dans) Laura Armstrong, Gina Wyffels; (Brown Belt) Nicholas Adams, Jordan White, Russell Adams; (back left to right) (Ni-Dans) Jay Schildkraut, Gordon Curley, Tony Gilbert; (Sho-Dans) Mark Stutzman, Christine Nickerson, Rob Jacob, Andrew Lehmann; (San-Dans) James Koudelka, James Kunkel, Jerry Ciriello; (Brown Belt) Nathan Pawlukiewicz.

Gillam Grant (Collamer-Jones) Karate held Isshin Ryu Black Belt Tests on November 10, under Head Instructor Shihan Cyndy Jones, a 7th degree black belt. Sensei Laura Armstrong, Jerry Ciriello, James R. Koudelka, James Kunkel and Gina Wyffels successfully tested for San-Dan, 3rd degree black belt. San-Dan requires years of dedicated teaching, training and study beyond the first two black belt levels.

Sensei Alyssa Armstrong, Alana Armstrong, Angelo Caraballo, Gordon Curley, Anthony Gilbert, Jay Schildkraut, and Melissa Suter earned promotions to Ni-Dan, 2nd degree black belt. They demonstrated the advanced Isshin Ryu kata and show continued leadership in the school.

Sho-Dan, first degree black belts, were awarded to Rob Jacob, Ann Kohler, Amy Kohler, Andrew Lehmann, Christine Nickerson, Jennifer Skerrett, Cynthia Smith, and Mark Stutzman. Physical endurance, sparring, self-defense, kata and Okinawan weapons proficiency were part of their tests.

Brown belts were earned by Nicholas Adams, Russell Adams, Nathan Pawlukiewicz and Jordan White.

All blacks belts promoted will receive Isshin Ryu World Karate Certificates from Okinawan Karate Master Kichiro Shimabuku. Master Kichiro Shimabuku, a 10th degree black belt, is the son of Isshin Ryu's founder, the late Tatsuo Shimabuku.