Emmie Brown

Emmie Brown

Nidan

Biography

The reason I started karate was out of jealousy of my little brother, he started a few months before me and I decided I wanted to join so I could be better than him and beat him up. I can still remember my first class as a scared little 10 year old, at the back of the class, facing the wrong way punching like a complete girl!! I remember getting my 9^th kyu grading and thinking ‘Bruce Lee beware!!’, and I continued to challenge my little brother at each class and grading, determined to be better than him.

Eventually my brother left to join boxing, which he claimed was more of a man’s sport (quitting a few months later) and I continued my training with Kenshukai. I had officially caught the karate bug and there was no going back. By the time I had reached my green belt (12yo) I had entered my first competition and was soon on the road to many more competitions. Although it took me a while to see any results in the ring (some 2 years) I continued to work hard and improve my karate to be better, stronger and faster than others my age.

By the age of 16 I was successful in gaining my black belt, a great moment and a life long dream fulfilled. However my training and hard work did not end here. I continued achieving great results both in the ring and in classes, pushing myself to get higher up the rankings. Sadly a hip injury lead me into taking some time out to recover and joining the adult world of working meant training and getting to classes became more difficult. This left me with a horrid decisions, leave my club and join another more local, or give up karate altogether.

After 11 years of training it was an easy choice, so I hung up my Kenshukai gi and went to join some great friends of mine at Kaizen Ryu and have not looked back since.

Now at the age of 23 I am competing in bigger and better competitions, I am training harder to learn new skills and pushing myself to reach better and higher goals I could only have dreamed about previously. I have already been greatly honoured with training in Japan, which has given me a thirst to become even better and strive for higher rankings and achievements. Changing over the Kaizen Ryu was the best move I have made and I look forward to many more years with this club!!

Training History

1998 Started training in January aged 10 with Go Kan Ryu under Grant Higgs Sensei

2000 Started training in Kenshukai Karate under Rod Martin Sensei and Mal Martin Sensei

2004 Graded to Shodan aged 16yrs old

2008 Graded to Nidan in Kenshukai Karate under Rod Martin Sensei and NAKMAS

Registered black belt on NAKMAS website and hold NAKMAS license

2009 Started training with Kaizen Ryu Karate in Dagenham

2010 Graded to Nidan with Kaizen Ryu Karate, London UK

2010 Graded to Shodan in Seiwakai Goju Ryu under Leo Lipinski Sensei and Shuji Tasaki Hanshi in Omagri, Japan. 

2010 Graded to Shodan in Japan Karate Federation Goju Kai under Fujiwara Sensei in Takamatsu, Japan.

2011 Current Team Kaizen Coach

2011 Squad Captain of the Yudansha Team

2011 Continues to train in Senior Class and is an active member of the Elite "Yudansha" Squad

Achievements to date

• 2^nd Open Kata – Kaizen Cup 2010
• 1^st Open Kumite – Kaizen Cup 2010
• 2^nd Senior Team Kata – Kaizen Cup 2010
• 2^nd Senior Team Kumite – Kaizen Cup 2010
• 3^rd Open Kata – Seitou Ryu – 2010
• 2^nd Senior Team Kata – Seitou Ryu – 2010
• 3^rd Senior Team Kumite – Seitou Ryu – 2010
• Competed for Great Britain at JKF Goju Kai All Japan Championships
• 1^st Open Kata – Kaizen Winter Finals -  2010
• 1^st Open Kumite – Kaizen Winter Finals – 2010
• Cup Winner – Open Kumite – Kaizen Winter Finals – 2010
• 2^nd Senior Team Kata – Kaizen Winter Finals – 2010
• 2^nd Senor Team Kumite – Kaizen Winter Finals – 2010
• 2^nd Open Kata – Seitou Ryu Charity – 2010
• 3^rd Open Kumite – Seitou Ryu Charity – 2010
• 1^st Senior Team Kata – Seitou Ryu Charity – 2010
• 2^nd Senior Team Kumite – Seitou Ryu Charity – 2010
• 4^th Kata – FSKA World Championships in Poland – 2010
• 5^th Kumite – FSKA World Championships in Poland – 2010

Competitions (all at Kenshukai Karate National Championships)

• 1st Kumite 2001 (graded group)
• 2nd Kumite 2001 (graded group)
• 2nd Kumite 2002 (graded group)
• 2nd Team Kumite 2003
• 1st Kata 2003 (graded group)
• 2nd Senior Team Kata 2003
• 2nd Kumite 2003 (graded group)
• 2nd Kata 2003 (graded group)
• Team Challenge 3rd Kumite 2003
• Team Challenge 1st Kata 2003
• 2nd Kumite 2003 (graded group)
• 1st Kata 2003 (graded group)
• 1st Kata 2003 (graded group)
• 2nd Senior Team Kate 2003
• 1st Kata 2003 (graded group)
• 1st Kumite 2003 (graded group)
• 1st Senior Team Kata 2004
• Team Challenge 1st Kumite 2004
• Team Challenge 3rd Kata 2004
• 1st Open Kata 2004
• 1st Female Open Kata 2005
• 2nd Team Kumite 2006
• 1st Open Kata 2006
• 1st Open Kumite 2006
• 1st Open Kumite 2008
• 1st Open Kata 2008

Recognitions to date

2009 Outstanding Contributions

2010 Senior Squad Captain

2011 Kaizen Academy Senior Ambassador for Karate