Isle of Wight Kung Fu teacher, Simon Lailey, has been in touch to highlight the outstanding achievement made by some of his students, including Aaron Danvers-Jukes who has been blind since birth. Congratulations to all the students for their hard work.
Simon tells us more in his own words. Ed
Recently, five Young Dragons (Brandan Beddard, Katie Taylor, Laura Huish, Lyle Winfield and Lee Webb – all teenage high school minors) underwent a three-hour exam together with Aaron Danvers-Jukes – an adult (Sanshangong Kung Fu) student. The grading was a huge success with everyone putting their absolute all into everything they did.
Aaron has been blind from birth and is now in his twenties and did remarkably well given that he also has cerebral palsy and 
other health issues, whilst Katie is partially deaf and has to rely upon hearing aids and her lip-reading skills in order to engage, generally, in life.
Brandan also falls into the “special needs” category for he battles daily with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Verbal Dyspraxia and is also showing several traits of a person on the Autistic Spectrum.
Putting skills to the test
The grading required each student to demonstrate punching, kicking, striking, throwing, shouting and specialized breathing skills.
They also had to throw each other and be thrown by each other whilst demonstrating safe falling/landing skills along with rolling skills, diving skills, full-contact conditioning drills and pre-arranged self-defence techniques using joints-locks and take-downs.
3,000 word essay
Each student had to demonstrate forty separate essential skills and score a minimum of eighty per-cent in order to pass.
Students had to write a 3,000 word essay, execute 100 fist push-ups within a five minute time frame and present a five minute talk on martial arts. Additionally, Aaron had to execute 100 kicks and punches upon the focus pads and hand-held shield.
Many years of studying
Each student trains weekly at the Ryde-based martial arts academy (called THE MARSTA) whilst each student has been studying for the past five to twelve years.
Brandan 100% pass
Katie 99% pass
Laura 98% pass
Lee 97% pass
Lyle 97% pass
Aaron 97% pass
