琉球唐手術国際研究會International Ryukyu Karate Research Society

Honour Roll 2015

The Kinjo Hiroshi Humanitarian Award - Huub Meijer [The Netherlands] Lifetime Achievement Award - Wendell Black [Canada]

Person of the Year - Mike Coombes [Canada] Researcher Award - Andreas Quast [Germany]

Writer Award - Marco Forti [Italy] Instructor Award - Cody Stewart [Canada]

Innovator Award - Ante Brännbacka [Finland] IRKRS Ambassador Award - Kimberly Spletter [USA]Yudansha Award - Jannick Otterstätter [Germany]

Mudansha Award - Sascha Ringel [Germany] Dojo Award - Koryukan Hungary [Hungary]

Special Recognition: Paul Lopresti [USA], Olaf Krey, Dinah Kretschemer & Martin Cassel [Germany], Edina Imrik & Alan Richardson [The UK], Josh Stewart, Brian

Sakamoto & Kai Kleinitz [Canada], Brett Hall & Erin Gamble [NZ], Damian Murphy [Ireland], Johnny Kennedy & Bill Johansen [Australia] and Paschal Wafula [Kenya]

Their dedication to the fighting arts, and continual efforts to study, preserve and promote its practice, history and value, is exemplary. The journey for each of these individuals has not been without significant discipline,

sacrifice and failure, and yet it is through adversity that we truly grow both inside and out. Ralph Waldo Emerson is remember for having said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared

to what lies within us." I like to think that much of our journey is about better understanding this and I'm honoured to be part of such a journey. On behalf of the IRKRS I’d like to wish all these recipients the best of

luck in their continued efforts. The fighting arts condition the body, cultivate the mind and nurture the spirit, in an effort to improve health, its holistic purpose; be better prepared to protect oneself, its defensive application; build moral character, its social aim; discover and overcome the source human weakness; its philosophical

nature; and finally, to know inner-peace, its spiritual essence.

Patrick McCarthy IRKRS Director

IRKRS Honour Roll 1996

Lifetime Achievement Kinjo Hiroshi [Japan]James Miyaji [USA]

Person of the Year Roland Gill [Australia] Researcher Award Graham Noble [The UK]Writer Award John Sells [USA] Historian Award Graham Noble [The UK] Member Award John Havers [Australia] Special Recognition Phil Hooper [Australia]

Steve Fekete [Australia]

1997

Lifetime Achievement William Dometrich [USA]Chuck Merriman [USA]

Instructor Award Steve McLellan [New Zealand] Special Recognition John Aylmer [Australia]

Yuriko McCarthy [Australia]

1998

Lifetime Achievement Li Yiduan [China] Ron Beer [Canada]

Instructor Award Marc Mathews [Australia] Researcher Award Joe Swift [Japan]Historian Award Joe Swift [Japan] Member Award Dr. Jeremy Arnold [Australia] Special Recognition Kim Tvede [Australia]

1999

Lifetime Achievement Ann-Marie Heilman [USA] Instructor Award Sam Moledzki [Canada]

Paul Massey-Reed [Australia] Researcher Award Joe Svinth [USA] Historian Award Joe Svinth [USA]Member Award Phil Beale [New Zealand] Special Recognition Tyler West [USA]

2000

Lifetime Achievement Henare Heta [New Zealand] Steve Hockey [Australia]Phil Hooper [Australia]

Person of the Year Dirk Thesenvitz [Germany]Researcher Award Charles Goodin [USA] Writer Award Heiko Bittmann [Japan]

Ilpo Jalamo [Finland] Historian Award Mike DeMarco [USA]Member Award Dudley Driscoll [Canada] Special Recognition Mario McKenna [Japan]

Joe Swift [Japan]

2001Person of the Year Brett Hall [New Zealand] Researcher Award Joe Swift [Japan]Writer Award Mario McKenna [Japan] Historian Award Charles Goodin [USA]Yudansha Award Frank Barca [Australia] Mudansha Award Ann Stachenfield [USA]Special Recognition Stephen Webster [Scotland]

2002Person of the Year Helen Sakamoto [Canada] Researcher Award Charles Goodin [USA]Writer Award Bill Burgar [The UK]Historian Award Mario McKenna [Canada]Yudansha Award Lars Andersen [Denmark] Mudansha Award Lynn Orzel [Canada] Special Recognition Per-Ivar Anderssen [Sweden]

2003Lifetime Achievement Masami Tsuruoka [Canada]

Ron Forrester [Canada] Terry Maccarrone [USA]

Researcher Award Charles Goodin [USA]Writer Award Sid Campbell [USA] Historian Award Victor Smith [USA] Yudansha Award Don Ouellette [Canada] Mudansha Award Dorthea Glavind [Canada]Special Recognition Bob King [Australia]

Darrin Johnson [USA]

2004

Lifetime Achievement Ron Tkacz [Canada]Don Shapland [Canada] Leif Hermansson [Sweden] Rony Kluger [Israel]

Person of the Year Phil Beale [New Zealand] Researcher Award Robert Hutchinson [Australia] Writer Award Bill Burgar [The UK]Historian Award Dr. Clive Layton [The UK]Yudansha Award Chris Mazzali [Australia]Mudansha Award Dorthea Glavind [Canada]Special Recognition Karel Zdrchany [Canada]

Wolfgang Vogel [Australia]Bob King [Australia] Phyllis Chalmers [Australia]

2005

Lifetime Achievement Sam Moledzki [Canada] Person of the Year George van Horne [USA]Researcher Award Joe Svinth [USA]Writer Award Sid Campbell & Greglon Lee [USA]Historian Award Charles Goodin [USA]Instructor Award Ante Brannbacka [Finland] Yudansha Award Dawn Foster [New Zealand] Mudansha Award Roeland Cuppers [The Netherlands] Special Recognition Carmelo Agius [Australia]

2006Lifetime Achievement Hokama Tetsuhiro [Japan]Person of the Year Helen Sakamoto [Canada] Historian Award Charles Goodin [USA] Writer Award Stephen Pearlman [USA]Instructor Award Paul Lopresti [USA]Yudansha Award Frank Barca [Australia] Mudansha Award Jemma O’Donnell [New Zealand] Special Recognition Ron Sheyan [Canada]

Andi Quast [Germany] Ante Brannbacka [Finland] Olaf Krey [Germany]John Holwager [USA] Danny Spletter [Australia]

2007

Lifetime Achievement Dick Smolders [The Netherlands] Person of the Year Ron Sheyan [Canada] Historian Award Joe Swift [Japan]Writer Award Lt Jim Phillips [USA] Instructor Award Phil Beale [New Zealand] Yudansha Award Bill Johansen [Australia] Mudansha Award Jeroen van Poucke [Belgium] Special Recognition Freddy Laseure [Belgium]

2008

Person of the Year Jan Kraayvanger [The Netherlands] Researcher Award Hokama Tetsuhiro [Japan] Writer Award Dr. Clive Layton [The UK]Historian Award Filip Swennen [Belgium] Instructor Award Brian & Helen Sakamoto [Canada] Yudansha Award Frank Barca [Australia] Mudansha Award Wendy Lam [USA] Special Recognition Victor Smith [USA]

2009Lifetime Achievement Bob Taiani [USA] Researcher Award Robert Hutchinson [Australia] Writer Award Mike Clarke [Australia] Historian Award Mario McKenna [Canada]Instructor Award Olaf Krey [Germany] Yudansha Award Darrin Johnson [USA]Mudansha Award Brad McNeal [USA] Special Recognition Paul Lopresti [USA]

2010

Lifetime Achievement Avi Nardia [Israel] Person of the Year Nakamoto Masahiro [Japan] Researcher Award Gerardo Pimental [Argentina] Writer Award Victor Lopez Bondia [Spain] Historian Award Gary Lee [USA] Yudansha Award Marco Forti [Italy] Mudansha Award Zoriana Tchaban [Finland] Special Recognition Jesse Enkamp [Sweden]

2011Lifetime Achievement Ishimini Yasunari [Spain]

Cezar Borkowski [Canada]Person of the Year Marco Forti [Italy] Instructor Award Nick DePaolo [USA]Researcher Award Joost Frehe [The UK] Writer Award John Burke [The UK] Historian Award Jesse Enkamp [Sweden] Yudansha Award Marko Kauppinen [Finland]Mudansha Award Jennifer Thompson [Canada]Special Recognition Brian Moore [USA]

Christine Baeza [USA]Steve Ofria [USA] John Ingallina [USA]Mike Coombes [Canada

2012Lifetime Achievement Bob King [Australia] Person of the Year Ben Ryder [The UK]Instructor Award Cody Stewart [Canada]Researcher Award Mario McKenna [Canada]Writer Award Mario McKenna [Canada] Historian Award Jesse Enkamp [Sweden] Yudansha Award Anders Hansson [Sweden] Mudansha Award Brian Moore [USA]Ambassador Award Sally Lewis [Australia] Dojo Award Sydney Koryukan [Australia] Special Recognition Wolfgang Vogel [Australia]

Christine Baeza [USA]Bill Johansen [Australia]Erin Gamble [New Zealand]Marco Forti [Italy]Chris Korona [USA]Kasia Motylewicz [USA]Joe Glavin [Ireland] Sven KÖhler [Germany]

2013

The Kinjo Hiroshi Humanitarian Award - Jim Mather [USA] Lifetime Achievement Award - Robert Hutchinson [Australia] 

- Steve Bellamy [Japan] Person of the Year - Jan Kraayvanger [The Netherlands] Researcher of the Year - Hendrik Felber [Germany]Writer of the Year - Andreas Quast [Germany]Instructor of the Year - Avi Nardia [USA]IRKRS Ambassador Award - Olaf Krey [Germany] Yudansha of the Year - Jen Thompson [Canada]Mudansha of the Year - Suzanne Begley [Australia] Dojo Award - Hatsuun Jindo c/o Mike Coombes [Canada]  Special Recognition - Peter Wetherspoon & Bill Johansen [Australia], David Daigle [Canada], Helen & Brian Sakamoto [Canada]

Their dedication to the fighting arts, and continual efforts to study, preserve and promote its practice, history and value is exemplary. The journey for each of these individuals has been not been without significant discipline, sacrifice and failure, and yet it is through adversity that we truly grow both inside and out. Ralph Waldo Emerson is remember for having said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." I like to think that much of our journey is about better understanding this and I'm honoured to be part of such a journey. On behalf of the IRKRS I’d like to wish all these recipients the best of luck in their continued efforts. The fighting arts condition the body, cultivate the mind and nurture the spirit, in an effort to improve health, its holistic purpose; be better prepared to protect oneself, its defensive application; build moral character, its social aim; discover and overcome the source human weakness; its philosophical nature; and finally, to know inner-peace, its spiritual essence.