2015 Samurai Awards

Aberdeen City Council treated the 2015 Scottish Samurai awards to a special civic reception at the town house on the 20^th of July 2015. The Lord Provost, George Adam, welcomed distinguished guests and opened the awards with a very well received welcome speech. 

First to collect an award was Benedict Bruce, the youngest of this years recipients was awarded the Scottish Samurai – Order of merit and was also presented with his WKC Shodan certificate by Dr. Fritz Wendland, the President of the world karate confederation who travelled from Germany. 

Mr Hajime Kitaoka, the Consul General of Japan in Edinburgh was awarded the Scottish Shogun Commander for his work in promoting friendship between Japan and Scotland. Mrs. Kitaoka was also given a special presentation for her part in helping his work.

Ian Kirk, a well-known business figure in the Aberdeen Oil Industry was awarded The Scottish Samurai award (upgraded to Shogun later in 2015) for forty years of training in a Japanese martial discipline (Karate).  Bill Berry MBE, a very well respected Judo master (7^th Dan Judo) presented Ian with the award.  Bill Berry himself was also promoted to Shogun. As was a previous Samurai winner Mike Mitchell, star of the silver screen and five times world body building champion.

2 world-renowned sculptors, Hironori Katagiri and Kate Thomson were awarded the Scottish Samurai Award for their contribution to fine art.

The Lord Provost, George Adam collected an award on behalf of Aberdeen City Council for their part in helping with the hosting of the 2015 Samurai Awards and for Aberdeen, being the spiritual home of the Scottish Samurai.The ceremony concluded with a thank you speech from the founder and president of the awards, Ronnie Watt OBE ORS (8^th Dan) who celebrates 50 years of Karate in 2015 and also 20 years of running the Scottish samurai awards.

5th September 2015 – Presentations were made at Cults Community and Sports Centre on Saturday 5th September 2015 during a special Karate and Samurai training weekend course in the city of Aberdeen.  Presenting the awards with  Ronnie Watt ( 8th dan) OBE, ORS was Lord Charles Bruce who also attended the Karate course and Samurai training where his son Benedict now a Shodan black belt took part.

 Mike Mitchell (twice Mr. Universe and 5 times world body building champion)  travelled to the awards to collect his Shogun ‘military commander’ award for outstanding achievement, after being upgraded from his previous 1998 Samurai award. Mike was also presented with an honorary Shodan (1st dan) black belt.

Albert Thomson retired Police Inspector, founder of the ‘Grampian Police Diced Cap Charitable Trust’ and ‘Knight Commander of the Confraternity of the knights of the most holy trinity’, received a Samurai Shogun award for his work to good causes and chivalry. 

Carole Kelman (5th Dan) and Vivienne Grant (5th Dan) were awarded the Scottish Samurai Award with silver rays in recognition for the diligence in training karate and for good work in the community.