Lindoln Chan upgrades martial arts ranking to Instructor

New Ireland’s rising martial artist, Lindoln Chan, has upgraded his martial arts ranking to instructor following a six-month training course in Australia.     

Lindoln traveled with two other martial arts fighters from New Ireland Province, including Steven Tommy and Brandon Wengip, to participate in two separate tournaments in Australia and attend training courses.

The trio undertook approximately a six-week training program and were certified and graded in various martial arts rankings. 

Lindoln obtained a Certificate in Karate, Steven received his Instructor’s License from Karate and Taekwondo, and Brandon attained a Certificate in Taekwondo. 

Steven and Lindoln studied the instructor's course and received the Third Dan (Black Belt). A third Dan has three stripes, which qualify Lindoln and Steven to become Masters or Senseis.

Beyond the martial arts training course, Lindoln prepared well for the two tournaments. However, he sustained a bad injury and was ruled out of competing. 

“I couldn't participate because I had a knee injury (meniscus). When I turned up for the fight, the organizers said I shouldn’t fight. I couldn't participate, but at least I still trained,” he said.

Despite not fighting, Lindoln remains hopeful of recovering in the next few months and participating in the upcoming tournaments in New Ireland and overseas.

“Yes, once I fully recover and get an opportunity, I will fight again. I’m disappointed, but I look forward to participating in next year’s tournaments," he said.        

He admitted that the training was challenging and demanding, which pushed him to his limit: “The experience was very gruesome and painful.  

“The Zen-Duru Karate training that I went through, especially the small jiujutsu pressure point, which is also a mixture of shotokan karate.

“The training was tough, but I learned a lot. It pushed me out of my comfort zone. I hope to recover soon and fight again next year.” 

The New Irelander congratulated Steven and Brandon for their fights, and aims to fight alongside them in future bouts.

Lindoln said it was a new learning experience for him, noting that he had learned a lot from internationally recognized martial arts instructors and looked forward to honing his craft and passing the knowledge he gained to emerging fighters in New Ireland.   

New Ireland Province has over 10 mixed martial arts clubs. The provincial government, under the leadership of Governor Byron Chan, has equipped Lindoln, Steven, and Brandon with martial arts skills to train the budding talents in the province.