Tonight, was our annual Christmas party and end of year awards. As always it was a fantastic night with great company with academy owners, instructors and students from all regions.

Not only is the party a great way to celebrate a great year of martial arts but it is always used as a way to highlight one particular student from each academy who has had an exceptional year and award them with the prestigious student of the year award.

We were briefed by Mr Hauer to keep our speeches short when announcing our students of the year and this we did, however now that the awards are over I can now post on here in more detail exactly why our student was awarded student of the year.

• He is incredibly humble and has never shown any kind of big headedness since he became a black belt.

• He always helps students that struggle with either kata or combinations and techniques without been asked and if sparring with new students he always fights to their level, not his own and coaches them.

• He has now taken to helping once a week in our junior classes and is very well respected and liked by all our students in that class.

• He is also incredibly polite, and I have not once in all the years I have known him had to ask him to stop doing anything he shouldn’t be doing, I don’t believe he knows how to misbehave.

• He is extremely mature and sensible for his age and is both a privilege and teach and a real asset to our academy.

A massive congratulations to Nathan Swift our very deserving student of the year.

A big thank you also to all students, parent and carers that attended tonights Christmas party and made the night really special. It was great to see you all and we look forward to seeing you again in the new year.