Senseis Juan and Andrea Rodriguez were promoted to Go-Dan (5th degree black belt) in Isshin Ryu Karate by Shihan Cyndy Jones on behalf of Master Kichiro Shimabuku of Okinawa. The husband and wife team started training in Byron at the Gillam Grant Collamer-Jones Karate in 1988. They were instrumental in starting a Saturday Karate program at Kodak Park in Rochester and then moved to Connecticut where they continue to teach and train. In other high level tests, Senseis Kathy Hyde, Chuck Lehmann, Ron Cok and Tim Gersey were promoted to Yon-Dan, 4th degree black belt. Senseis Hyde and Gersey teach karate at the Genesee Community College in Batavia and Kodak in Rochester, respectively. Senseis John Dorr, Frank Jergler, Valerie Kuykendall and Tom Story were promoted to San-Dan (3rd degree black belt). Story and Dorr teach at Kodak. Kuykendall and Jergler teach at Perinton Community Center in Fairport. Ni-dan (2nd degree black belt) promotions were earned by Rob Jacob, Cynthia Smith, Andrew Lehmann and Christine Nickerson. Nickerson teaches a karate program at the YWCA in Batavia and Smith teaches at the Wheatland Chili Elementary school. Sho-Dan (1st degree) promotions were awarded to Dan Adams and Vince Lanzalaco along with the title of Sensei (teacher). Brian Jesse, Stacy Dimora, Candace Kuykendall, John Dicillo, Matt Cook and Becki Sherrett earned brown belts. |
