Darion is a distinguished martial artist who has mastered both Judo and Karate. At the young age of 20, he was awarded the Kyokushinkai 1st Dan black belt by the esteemed Hanshi Steve Arneil. Unfortunately, at the age of 24, he sustained a back injury while playing rugby, which led him to discontinue his practice in combat sports.

Despite his inability to participate in combat sports, Darion remained active by engaging in other sports. It was not until 22 years later, in 2022, that Darion walked through the doors of a dojo again when he joined EMAR Dojo and resumed regular training.

Regaining his physical shape and full-contact Karate skills at the age of 45 required a great deal of effort on Darion’s part. However, his hard work has paid off tremendously. Without hesitation, he entered a Knockdown tournament in the veteran’s category and became one of our esteemed competitors, regularly participating in competitions.

Rekindling his love for martial arts has brought back discipline, motivation, and health to Darion’s life, and he is excited about the future. The atmosphere, mutual respect, and passion at EMAR dojo are what Darion loves the most, along with the great mix of modern and traditional training offered.