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Once again, Helen Payne did a spectacular job hosting the 2009 Awards party for Cville Yoseikan. Matter of fact, all of our parties seem to be hosted by Helen. A big thank you goes out to her as well as daughters Megan (Red) and Caitlyn.
This year the recipients of the Cville awards were Wes Grammer, Adult Karate-ka of the Year, Danny Monge, Youth Karate-ka of the Year, and Erin Hagedorn, Most Improved Adult Karate-ka of the Year. For the second year in a row, Brendan Ventura received Most Improved Youth Karate-ka of the Year.
The Hanshi and Kyoshi Dometrich Awards went to William "Buck" Bailes, Lolita Bland and Anne Patton.
The party was also a send off to Emma Gage, Sempai, who is on her way to JMU. Emma is an integral member of the Cville Yoseikan. She helped build the club from three members in October 2002 to its present enrollment of fifty students. She was instrumental (along with Richard Rike and Albemarle County Parks & Rec) in the reconstruction of the current dojo in the old bowling alley of the Greenwood Community Center. She has taught alongside her mother, Gage Sensei, throughout the course of the dojo's existence. She has personally coached several students who have gone before the National Test Board at the Honbu dojo in Covington, KY.
Emma received her Shodan in October 2007 before the National Test Board including Hanshi William Dometrich and Hanshi David Akatugawa. She is one of the youngest test applicants in the USCK history to receive her black belt. As an honor to Gage Sempai, Hanshi Dometrich promoted her to Nidan on the date of the party, July 18, 2009. This, indeed, is a very special compliment to Emma.
Emma will be missed greatly by all the karate-ka at Cville (not to mention Mom). We all look forward to having her back on the deck upon her return for Thanksgiving Holiday.
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