Isshinryu Hall of Fame National Awards
FSDC’s founder, Mr. Z, was inducted into the prestigious Isshinryu Hall of Fame in 2016. This is the highest honor an Isshinryu Master can receive. Mr. Z has also received national Awards in 1993, 1994, and 1997, including 2002 when he received top honors for his “Isshinryu Spirit” and 2009 when he received the Number One Isshinryu Contribution award partnered with his wife, Chris. In 2012 and 2014, Mr. Z was awarded the coveted title Top Master Sensei. In 2011, Mr. Z was chosen Male Instructor of the Year, and was awarded top five honors for Spirit of Isshinryu, which he was honored with again in 2015. Chris, co-owner of FSDC, was recognized for National Honors in 1994, and 1999, including the Number One Isshinryu Contribution award in 2003 and 2009, and was chosen Female Instructor of the Year for 2010, most recently being awarded top five honors in the same category for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. In 2014, Ms. Chris was awarded top five in the category of Top Master Sensei, and in 2017, 2018, and 2019, in the category of Sensei of Senseis. In 2018, Ms. Chris was awarded the title of Top Female Instructor in the Nation. The school itself was voted as one of the top Isshinryu Schools in the world in 1999, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, receiving a Number One ranking in 2003. The school was also chosen as the Most Outstanding Dojo for 2011 and Most Supportive Dojo in 2012 by the Isshinryu Hall of Fame.
For 2019 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Young Female Karate Student 12 and Under: MOLLY FORSYTH First Place Award Winner-2019
Young Male Karate Student 12 and Under: REED BERMINGHAM and NOLEN KLASSA
Young Female Karate Student 13-17: KRISHNA KIRU
Adult Female Karate Student: RAE MANELA First Place Award Winner-2019
Adult Male Karate Student: JESSE BARRONS
Male Instructor: JIM BERTIN
Spirit of Isshinryu: RAE MANELA
Outstanding Contribution: ADOMAITIS FAMILY (all 6 members)
First Place Award Winners-2019
Sensei of Senseis: MS. CHRIS SZELAP
Isshinryu Dojo of the Year: FAMILY SELF DEFENSE CENTER
For 2018 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Young Female Karate Student 12 and Under: ROWAN ADOMAITIS, MOLLY FORSYTH, and
JESSICA HARRISON
Young Male Karate Student 12 and Under: AUSTIN BERMINGHAM and
JACHIN CHUNG First Place Award Winner-2018
Young Female Karate Student 13-17: AMEILIA CHUNG, EMILY KASPER, LEXI MAXTON, and
NEHA GOGINENI First Place Award Winner-2018
Young Male Karate Student 13-17: ANDREW ADOMAITIS and BEN MATAS
Adult Female Karate Student: RAE MANELA
Adult Male Karate Student: SCOTT VERHELLE and
JIM BERTIN First Place Award Winner-2018
Female Instructor: NEHA GOGINENI, LILY KOSAKA, and
MS. CHRIS SZELAP First Place Award Winner-2018
Male Instructor: TED LAMBERT and SCOTT VERHELLE
Outstanding Contribution: MIKE ARNOLD
Sensei of the Year Master Level: MS. CHRIS SZELAP
Isshinryu Dojo of the Year: FAMILY SELF DEFENSE CENTER
For 2017 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Young Female Karate Student 12 and Under: ROWAN ADOMAITIS and SHAELYN CARROLL
Young Male Karate Student 12 and Under: TREVOR ADOMAITIS
Young Male Karate Student 13-17: ANTHONY DEFEO
Adult Female Karate Student: LIZZY ARNOLD
Adult Male Karate Student: SCOTT VERHELLE
Junior Female Competitor: AMEILIA CHUNG
Female Instructor: LIZZY ARNOLD, RYAN SWANSON, and MS. CHRIS SZELAP
Male Instructor: TED LAMBERT
Outstanding Contribution: KIM CARROLL
Sensei of Senseis: MS. CHRIS SZELAP
Isshinryu Dojo of the Year: FAMILY SELF DEFENSE CENTER
For 2016 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Induction into the Hall of Fame MASTER Z SZELAP Induction Speech Video
Young Female Karate Ka 12 and Under: SHAELYN CARROLL, AMEILIA CHUNG
Young Female Karate Ka 13-17: LIZZY ARNOLD, NEHA GOGINENI and
RYAN SWANSON First Place Award Winner-2016
Young Male Karate Ka 13-17: RAM KIRU, ABHAY VORA First Place Award Winner-2016
Jr. Female Competitor: SHAELYN CARROLL
Female Instructor: TANAZ NATERWALA and MS. CHRIS SZELAP
Isshinryu Dojo of the Year: FAMILY SELF DEFENSE CENTER
For 2015 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Young Female Karate Ka 12 and Under: SHAELYN CARROLL First Place Award Winner-2015
Young Female Karate Ka 13-17: KRISHNA KIRU, ANWESHA SARANGI and RYAN SWANSON
Young Male Karate Ka 13-17: ANDREW SWANSON
Jr. Female Competitor: ELIZABETH ARNOLD and TANAZ NATERWALA First Place Award Winner-2015
Female Instructor: MS. CHRIS SZELAP and RYAN SWANSON
Spirit of Isshinryu: MR. Z
Isshinryu Dojo of the Year: FAMILY SELF DEFENSE CENTER
For 2014 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Young Female Karate Ka 12 and Under: LILY KOSAKA
Young Male Karate Ka 12 and Under: BENJAMIN MATAS
Young Female Karate Ka 13-17: LIZZY ARNOLD and TANAZ NATERWALA First Place Award Winner-2014
Female Karate Ka: KATHY O’MEARA
Male Karate Ka: MARK SWANSON
Jr. Female Competitor: SHAELYN CARROLL
Jr. Male Competitor: ANDREW SWANSON
Male Competitor: MITCHEL HUANG
Outstanding Contribution: ANDREW SWANSON and THE O’MEARA FAMILY
Sensei of Senseis: MS. CHRIS and MR. Z First Place Award Winner-2014
For 2013 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Young Female Karate Ka 12 and Under: KATELYN DESMIER
Young Male Karate Ka 12 and Under: ANDREW SWANSON and JOSH O’MEARA
Young Female Karate Ka 13-17: RYAN SWANSON and ABBY O’MEARA
Young Male Karate Ka 13-17: ABHAY VORA
Female Karate Ka: KRITHIKA SWAMINATHAN
Male Karate Ka: MARK SWANSON – First Place Award Winner-2013
Male Instructor: RANDY FANCHER
Jr. Female Competitor: SHAELYN CARROLL
Jr. Male Competitor: JOSHUA HUANG
Male Competitor: MITCHEL HUANG
Outstanding Contribution: TANAZ NATERWALA and HEATHER SWANSON-First Place Award Winner-2013
For 2012 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Lizzy Arnold was voted the Top Female Karate Student for ages 13-17, with Tanaz Naterwala voted Top Jr. Competitor. Top Five honors went to: Randy Fancher for Male Instructor, Trina Frick for Female Karate Student, Krishna Kiru and Tanaz Naterwala for Female Karate Students, Shaelyn Carroll for Jr. Female Competitor, Andrew Swanson, James Takeshita, Zach Verhelle and Andrew Pospeshil for Male Karate Students, Mitchel Huang, Soorya Ramappan and Rohun Savanur for Jr. Male Competitor, and the Swanson Family and Shankar Kiru for their Contribution to Isshinryu.
For 2011 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Ryan Swanson was voted the Top Female Karate Student for ages 12 and under, with Ian Kosaka voted the Top Male Student in the same age group. Tanaz Naterwala received top honors for Female Karate Students ages 13 – 17, with Ami, Jim and Devon DeCaire being voted the Top Contributors to Isshinryu Karate. Top Five honors went to: Alex Pospeshil for Jr. Competitor, Belle Spencer for Female Karate Student ages 13- 17, Mitchel Huang for his Contribution to Isshinryu, Kathy O’Meara for Adult Female Karate Student, Mark Swanson for Adult Male Karate Student and Tom Pospeshil for Adult Competitor.
For 2010 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Devon DeCaire was chosen Top Female Karate Student in the country, for ages 10-12, while Mitchel Huang was chosen Top Jr. Male Competitor. Tanaz Naterwala earned top two honors for her Contribution to Isshinryu, and Ryan Tgiros earned top five honors for Male Karate Students, ages 13-17. Mr. Huang and Miss Naterwala were also chosen the Top Karate Students in the Country for ages 10-12
For 2010 the following students and Senseis were nominated for awards:
Brenna Cameron received Top Five honors for Karate Students aged 13-15.