My Dad, Tony Hunns (Ni-Dan) was one of the Chief Instructors of the Isle of Wight Karate Association (previously known as Vectis Karate Kai) along with my godfather Ev McGrath (San- Dan), practising Wado Ryu Karate. Influenced by them both, I started off on my karate journey in 1990 when I was 8 years old. I graded up through the Wado Ryu system and on the 15th February 1998, I successfully graded for my Sho-Dan (1st) Black Belt. During my advanced years at the club, I used to help teach the juniors with Ev, and often took the higher junior kyu grades through their syllabus to prepare them for their gradings. We sadly closed our club in the early 2000’s. Dad, having practised martial arts since his late teens, was keen to keep practising after all his years of training. As there were no other Wado Ryu clubs on the Island, he found a Shotokan Karate club with Sensei Malc Bradley and Sensei Mick Lambert. Shotokan is similar to Wado Ryu, so this seemed like the perfect fit. Dad joined the club in 2004 and took me along to try it out not long after he did. Malc and Mick welcomed us to their dojo, and there started my time practising Shotokan Karate with Newport Shotokan Karate Club, which has been my karate home and family ever since. My training hasn’t been continuous. Starting a family meant that I didn’t train as much and unfortunately Dad passed away unexpectedly in 2012. I found it extremely hard to go without him as this was our thing to do together. My sister and I were honoured to be presented with my Dad’s Ni-Dan in Shotokan which SEKU awarded to him posthumously. When my daughter Jessica was old enough to start training, I couldn’t wait to get her started and it gave me more of an incentive to go when I wasn’t working in the evenings. Being a 3rd generation karateka, she has quickly come up through the Shotokan grades (although it would have been quicker if it wasn’t for covid!). I can’t write all of this and not mention the wonderful Sensei Malc Bradley. He had taught me so much since joining NSKC and I miss him terribly since his passing. He would often tease me about my hatred for Tekki Shodan! Mick has since taken on that Tekki baton! Since changing my job in 2022, I have been able to train more consistently, and I have hardly missed a training session since. I have loved getting back into it and even started going to the SEKU weekend Instructor, Brown/Black and All Grade courses. My favourite thing to do is to practise kata. I enjoy nothing more than a full training session of katas (Tekki excluded!). I love the individuality of it, it tells a story, and it puts together in sequences all of those skills you learn in basics. In September 2023, Sensei Mick asked me to consider grading for my Ni-Dan. ‘G-Day’ was the 24th March 2024. I put my heart and soul into my training and grading, and whatever the outcome would be, just getting me there to do the grading was an achievement in itself. It was of course an even bigger achievement to be successful. I cannot thank Sensei’s Mick, Andy, Malc J and Simon enough for their patience, encouragement and determination to get me through it. So now, I wear my Ni-Dan grade with pride and in honour of my Dad and Sensei Malc Bradley. For me, karate has always been a way of life from a young age. No matter how hard I find it at times to go, or feel like giving up, I always feel heaps better after a good training session and I always come away with something new. The learning never stops, no matter what grade you are. Karate is a journey that never ends, and regardless of age or ability, there is always something new to learn and improve on.I look forward to new challenges as I further my knowledge and experience, and who knows, maybe a San-Dan grade in the future!