Five Vernon Valley Karate Academy students earn black belts
Vernon. Five students at Vernon Valley Karate Academy recently earned black belt ranks in Shorin-Ryu Reiho-kan karate following testing overseen by regional martial arts instructors.
| 01 Jun 2026 | 12:29
Back row: Mark Spear, Timothy Duvelsdorf, Braden Rosario, Paul Doumanis, Scott Wolven Sr., Tim Duvelsdorf, Thomas Tedeschi; front row: Jillian Vazquez, Jose Gomez, Erin Spear
Vernon Valley Karate Academy announced that five students have earned black belt ranks in Shorin-Ryu Reiho-kan karate.
In 2025, the academy became affiliated with the Reiho-kan organization and began training under Hanshi Ahagon in Okinawa through the leadership of Kyoshi Mark Spear, owner of Black Bear Dojo and East Coast regional director for Reiho-kan.
Kyoshi Mark Spear, Sensei Erin Spear of Black Bear Dojo and Renshi Thomas Tedeschi of Iron Horse Dojo were present for the testing.
The students who earned promotions were:
Paul Doumanis, who tested for nidan (second-degree black belt); Jose Gomez, who tested for shodan (first-degree black belt); Braden Rosario, who tested for shodan; Jillian Vazquez, who tested for shodan; Scott Wolven Sr., who tested for shodan
Academy officials congratulated the students on their achievement and recognized their dedication and hard work in reaching the milestone.
