LITTLE CURRENT—Dan Fletcher’s Manitoulin School of Martial Arts celebrated its 4th anniversary last Sunday with grading and a luncheon.
“Normally the grading (karate grading test for students to earn the next belt up) is a surprise, but today everyone had a heads up as we thought it would be fitting to hold the grading along with the fourth year anniversary of the school,” explained Manitoulin School of Martial Arts founder Renchi Dan Fletcher. “It’s especially exciting because we have four students grading for their brown belt, which is the belt before black.”
Renchi Dan told The Expositor that in the past 20 years he has only ever given out three brown belts.
There were 23 students of the 40 that make up the Manitoulin School of Martial Arts participating in the grading on Sunday, with all partaking in a celebratory lunch following the tests.
The students that completed their grading and were awarded new belts were Nick Steer, brown belt; Brian Boyle, brown; Mackenzie Cortes, brown; Jared Cortes, brown; Crystal Morra, blue; Jeff Graham, green; Bob Pearson, orange; Christine Esquimaux, orange; Mackenzie Green, orange; TJ Green, orange; Morgan Green, orange; Andrew Rose, orange; Jaden Pearson, orange; Thomas Anderson, yellow; Carrie Hull-Spry, yellow; Hannah Pearson, yellow; Hannah Moggy, yellow; Leah Spry, yellow; Brie Rose, yellow; Catrina Rose, yellow; Connor Graves, yellow; Dylan Moggy, yellow; Joe Graham, yellow; Tanner Graham, purple.
“I am originally from the North Shore, but when I moved back several years ago I wanted to move somewhere in the area that didn’t have a karate school so that I could start one,” Renchi Dan explained of the school’s inception four years ago. “Now in our fourth year, we have a great core group that trains hard and consistently.”
