🥋 SOLO Ambassador Thomas (Bronze Level)

A huge congratulations to Thomas for achieving his Bronze Ambassador Medal!
Thank you for proudly sharing SOLO with your friends, the Ambassador Path is our way of celebrating students who help others begin their journey.

It’s about kindness, leadership, and community… and Thomas showed all three.
Well done, Champ!

Ninja Development Pathway

A huge well done to these Ninjas who earned their next Ninja Development Pathway character!
These cards aren’t handed out, they’re earned through focus, effort, and positive behaviour on and off the mats.

With a brand-new Ninja character launching in January, we can’t wait to see who earns the next one.
We’ll be sharing more Ninja Pathway photos in the January Spotlight, let’s see which Ninjas step up and collect their next character!

Every child has the chance to earn all five… and we love watching that confidence grow one card at a time. 🌟

Leadership Level 1 Achievers!🎖

A huge well done to our Leadership students who earned their Level 1 Leadership Medal this year.
This isn’t about kicking or punching, it’s about the powerful life skills they’ve worked hard to build, including:

• Taking responsibility in and out of the academy

• Helping younger students with patience and kindness

• Speaking clearly and confidently

• Showing leadership through everyday actions

• Building positive habits that support school, home and training

We’re incredibly proud of their progress, every challenge they completed took courage, consistency and a big dose of determination.

And as always, every child at SOLO grows at their own pace.
We hope these achievements inspire all our students to keep building confidence, focus and resilience in their own unique journey.

We can’t wait to celebrate more Leadership highlights in January!

Celebrating Two Future Young Leaders

These two superstars have shown fantastic focus, responsibility, and a consistently positive attitude over the last term.

In January, they’ll begin developing new leadership qualities such as
confidence, communication, teamwork, and personal responsibility, skills that help children grow both in their training and in everyday life.

We’re incredibly proud of the mindset they’ve shown, and we’re excited to support them on the next stage of their personal development.

Well done to every student who stepped onto the mats this month, whether they earned a new belt or focused on improving their skills.

At SOLO, we remind our students (and ourselves!) that progress is never measured by one moment. Belt promotions are just one type of achievement. Confidence, focus, resilience, better listening, trying something new, or finally mastering that tricky technique…
these wins matter just as much.

For parents, this is a brilliant time to remind your child:

“It’s the journey that makes you strong...not just the destination.”

Every young person grows at their own pace, and what we saw throughout December was incredible:
children showing courage, supporting their training partners, bouncing back from challenges, and discovering just how capable they really are.

Whether your child tested or not, whether they earned a new belt or simply took one brave step forward —
we are proud of them. Truly.

And as we head into January, we’re excited to guide every student into a fresh year of growth, focus, and personal achievement.
Because at SOLO, the goal is simple:

Become a better you — one training session at a time.

COMING IN JANUARY…

We’ve got an exciting start to 2026 planned at SOLO. Here’s a little preview of what’s on the way:

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Focus Week (NEW!)
A special themed week designed to bring families together on the mats in a fun and meaningful way.
More details coming soon… this is one you won’t want to miss.

📲 SOLO Vault Launch (Optional Add-On for Kids and Adults)
Our brand-new online training hub arrives in January, with curriculum videos, bonus drills, home challenges, and dedicated adult support.
An early-bird discounted rate will be available at launch.

🥋 2026 Belt Testing Calendar
We’ll be sharing the full testing schedule so families can plan ahead with confidence.

🐾 New Ninja Development Character Reveal
A fresh Ninja character joins the pathway in January…
Who will be the first to earn the next collectible?

✨ …and even more exciting updates we’ll be sharing in January.

We’re kicking off 2026 with powerful momentum. 
a new year, new goals, and plenty of ways to grow.

This year reminded me of something important:
leadership doesn’t begin with a belt or a medal, it begins with the small choices we make every single day.

For our children, that might be:
• taking a breath before reacting,
• speaking up with confidence,
• helping someone younger,
• or choosing to try again when it felt easier to stop.

And for our adult students, it’s been:
• showing up even when life feels busy,
• building discipline and strength one session at a time,
• and proving that growth has no age limit.

These moments are the real achievements —
the quiet wins that shape who we become, both on and off the mats.

As we step into a new year, here’s something I’d love every student to remember:
progress isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being willing to grow.
Every small step forward builds powerful momentum, and January is the perfect time to begin again with fresh energy and a growth mindset.

Thank you for being part of the SOLO family.
2026 is going to be something truly special.

– Sensei Darren