On the back of years of learning, and the best part of a month of hard work, each of the candidates were rewarded for their dedication. 

“The most I have had being graded at one time before is 16,” Hickey explained.

“To get to a provisional black belt usually takes four years, and then another 12 months on top of that for the confirmation of that black belt.

“On Sunday we had people who were getting their provisional black belt through to their first dan, second dan, third dan and in the case of Taylor [Hickey, Warren’s daughter] a fourth dan.

“The ages ranged from as young as 10 years old right through to 35.

“To get to that position the students have to train consistently, usually a minimum of three sessions a week and two hours for each session, learning all the basic techniques, the katas which are the basic moves put into a sequence.

“That then gets applied into self-defence.”

After years of that style of training, the candidates commenced their grading three weeks ago and that included a gruelling day of assessment and training that involved three two-hour sessions with a one-hour break between each.

That process was repeated, and throughout the whole exercise the students were assessed on their techniques and dedication, with certain scores required to ensure that they progress.

“The students have to put in a lot of commitment, they have to be prepared to be consistent, to do all the hard work and also a major element of it comes back to fitness. It is quite demanding stuff,” Hickey explained.

“For the 10-year-olds, they had to start when they were five and six years old, and we try and tell the parents when things start that there is a lot of dedication, time and commitment involved.”

Graded to their provisional black belt were Nick Peachey, Chris Peachey, Casey Cutts, Rhys Cutts, Dakota Sadler and Annabelle Masters while Jared Grimmond, Lewis Dunshea, Dale Thornberry, Tracey Gunning, Kiara Blattman, Sophie Courtney, Abbie Woodyatt, Corban Sadler, Braiden Curran and Michael Bower were all made first dan black belts.

Felicity Hickey and Brittany Reece were given their second dan belts.

According to Warren Hickey the sheer work rate of the students sets them up for high achievement in other areas of their lives.

“I look at it like a black belt is a kind of martial arts university, in the old days getting to your black belt used to more or less be the end of the road, but there are people now who go on and specialise in ju jitsu, they compete in tournaments, they train in weapons, or some are just all-rounders who do a bit of everything,” he said.

“Our martial arts system is a bit of a microcosm of the world, we try and teach people how to achieve things, how to set plans and goals, and we try and instill a work ethic in the young students that they take forward into life.

“They apply it in their school life and university and in a lot of cases they go on to good academic jobs because they know what sort of effort it takes to achieve at the highest level.”