Shorin-Ryu Kempton Cranes Traditional Karate

Yip, still remains - all 9 infact
Barnes Karate

Here’s a breakdown of all 9 sensei types. Each one explains the personality behind the teaching style:

*1. Smiles before suffering begins*
This is the sensei who knows pain is coming and wants you ready for it. That smile isn’t kindness. It’s a warning shot. They’ve run this drill a thousand times and they know exactly how your legs will feel in 10 minutes. The grin disarms you, lowers your guard, then the real work starts. Students remember this type because the hardest lessons always came after the calmest smile.

*2. Says “relax” during brutal conditioning*
This sensei weaponizes the word relax. When your arms are shaking and your lungs are on fire, “relax” means drop your shoulders, breathe, and find control inside chaos. It sounds cruel in the moment, but it’s teaching you the core skill of fighting. If you can stay loose while exhausted, you can stay dangerous when it counts. They’re not mocking you. They’re forging composure under fire.

*3. Counts slowly during planks*
This is time-dilation training disguised as core work. Their seconds last longer than yours because they’re teaching mental endurance. A slow count forces you to sit in discomfort without an escape timer. It builds the patience fighters need to wait for openings instead of rushing. Every student hates this sensei during class and thanks them years later when they can outlast anyone.

*4. Knows every excuse already*
You can’t fool this sensei. They’ve heard every version of “I’m tired,” “My leg hurts,” and “I forgot my belt” since before you were born. They don’t get mad. They just nod, because excuses are data. This type teaches accountability by refusing to engage with your reasons not to train. You learn fast that the only thing they respect is showing up and doing the work anyway.

*5. Hits harder with age*
This sensei breaks the rule that power fades. Technique, timing, and body mechanics replace youth, and their shots get heavier every year. They don’t waste movement, so all their force goes straight into you. Training with them rewrites what you think is possible at 40, 50, or 70. They’re proof that karate isn’t about athleticism. It’s about efficiency refined over decades.

*6. Calls pain “spirit training”*
For this sensei, physical struggle is just the entry fee to mental growth. They don’t believe in pointless suffering, but they do believe pain reveals character. Shin conditioning, long stances, and endless reps aren’t punishment. They’re meditation. This type produces students who don’t break when things get hard because they’ve already reframed pain as progress.

*7. Still faster than everyone somehow*
Age doesn’t touch this sensei’s reflexes. Their hands are lighter, their footwork is quieter, and they read you three moves ahead. Speed here isn’t about muscles. It’s about anticipation built from 30+ years of sparring. Young fighters come in fast and leave confused. This type keeps everyone humble and proves that timing beats raw speed every time.

*8. Has a quote for every situation*
This is the sensei who teaches through stories, proverbs, and one-liners that stick in your head for life. Nothing they say is random. Each quote is a lesson compressed into a sentence so you’ll remember it when you’re tired, scared, or losing. They turn the dojo into an oral tradition. You don’t just learn karate from them. You learn how to think like a martial artist.

*9. Leaves quietly... but legends remain*
This sensei doesn’t chase respect. They show up, teach, and disappear without ego. Their impact isn’t measured in loud speeches or medals. It’s measured in the students they shaped who then shape others. Years after they stop teaching, people still say “My sensei used to say…” or “Sensei would’ve done it this way.” That’s real legacy. No noise needed.

Annual Blackbelt Gasshuku 2026

There is something that happens when black belts from four nations step onto the same mat. The language of karate is universal — a shared vocabulary written in the spine, the hip, and the breath. No translation needed. Just presence. Just training.

This past weekend at Gariep was exactly that. From the very first evening session, it was clear this was not merely a training camp — it was a gathering of a global tribe that holds the same values, the same lineage, and the same fire.

The instruction from Kyoshi Pat Haley from USA and Kyoshi Claude Johnson was a masterclass in refinement — decades of knowledge distilled into a weekend that felt simultaneously too long and impossibly short. Kyoshi Sheldon Barnes from Australia & Renshi August Connolly from Ireland brought the heart and precision to every drill. Sweat, laughter, corrections, breakthroughs — all of it woven into the fabric of this Gassuku.

And between the sessions? Old friendships rekindled over meals and late evenings. New bonds forged in the shared exhaustion that only a gasshuku can produce. This is the part no syllabus can teach — the connection, the lineage made living, the reminder that we are not just practitioners of a style. We are a family!

"One style. One spirit.
One Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan family." 🥋

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Last night Kempton Cranes hosted the first gradings for the year, Congratulations to all the karatekas on their achievement — we are proud of your dedication and progress. 🥋

We also had the privilege of welcoming Rokudan John Coetzee, Guardian of Tradition of Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan, who shared valuable practical insights into the art of karate with the students..

The following grades were achieved:
Nevéah Ackermann - promoted to orange
Zainab Naeem - promoted to green
Johnwinn Nell - promoted to green
Rumano Joubert - promoted to green
Calla des Brulais - promoted to green
Cassidy Sinclaire - promoted to blue

As students progress through the belt ranks, the standard and expectations continue to grow. True development in karate comes not only from technique, but from a deep understanding and appreciation of the art itself — this is what drives personal growth and character development. 🥋

Congratulations to each and every competitor that took part in the tournament. Your hard work resulted in Shorin Ryu Shorinkan winning the overall championship as the top Federation in the country.

I am also proud to say Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan had 4 athletes in the top ten individuals for the entire tournament, 3 of which were in the top 5.

I really feel privileged and blessed to be a part of such an incredible Shorin Ryu Shorinkan family and am proud of each and every one!

Personally to my Dojo, I am super proud of you, just being able to compete in such a big competition, you are all winners!!

Kempton Cranes results for WUKF SA’s:
Johnwinn Nell:
🥉Kumite
4th Kata
8th Long Weapons

Rumano Joubert:
6th Kata
9th Long Weapons

Renzke Liebenberg
6th Kata
6th Kumite
🥈Long Weapons

So unbelievably proud of my students!!
Over a 1000 athletes competing in over 2500 entries in categories!
Countries also competed: USA, Scotland, Mauritius, Reunion, Namibia

This was BIG!!!!

Kempton Cranes are in PE for the 2026 WUKF national Championships.
We wish all our students all the best, give your best and go get those medals!! 💪🏻🥋
You’ve got this!!!

Yesterday Kempton Cranes competed in the WUKF Gauteng Championships and did exceptionally well with 301 entries!
So proud of every student that competed, each one showed growth and the potential to become a better karateka!

Podium results:
Calla des Brulais - 🥈kata
Rumano Joubert - 🥉kata
Johnwinn Nell - 🥉kumite
Renzke Liebenberg - 🥉kumite, 🥉long weapons

Congratulations to everyone!!

Good luck everyone competing in the WUKF Gauteng Championships today!! 🥋💪🏻