Our annual memorial service for Jonathan Church is this Friday. This year marks 24 years since his passing. He was Sifu’s 6th student and Sifu considered him to be like a brother/son and was one of Sifu’s first Gold Belts. Every year on 12th June we honour his memory. Our Student of the Year Awards have been given in his name every year since his passing.

Jonathan Church was one of 18 killed in a training disaster in Townsville 1996. In 2015 a new annual tradition was initiated called “The Jonathan Church Ethical Soldier Award and will be made to nine soldiers each year, three of whom will be also named as ambassadors. The award is named in honour of Tpr Jonathan Church, an SASR paramedic who helped save children whose parents were massacred in Rwanda in 1995.”

For those who cannot make it into the city, we will be observing one minute’s silence before the 7:30am morning live stream class. For those who can make it in, we are meeting at the Martin Place cenotaph between 11 and 11:30am. Afterwards we will go to the Cauliflower Hotel in Waterloo to commemorate. Jonny’s training buddies will be there as always.

We hope to see you on Friday online or in person.