'Wax on, wax off': More black belts for Tamworth's skilled Chaffey family

The Chaffey trio spent three November days at the invitation-only Uechi-Ryu Australia Spring Camp in Wollongong, where they were graded by some of the world's most experienced sensei masters from Okinawa, Japan.

The highest level that one can obtain in karate is a 10^th dan black belt. Clint Chaffey now has his 7^th, meaning he is classed as a kyoshi, which is the martial art equivalent of a highly-esteemed university professor.

Mr Chaffey's two children, Scott who took up the sport when he was five, and Kristie at the age of three, both now have their 6^th dans.

And between the three, they have picked up more than a few national and international titles in the tough, highly-disciplined martial art of Uechi-Ryu karate, in places such as Amsterdam, Canada, New Zealand and Japan.

And every year, the Chaffeys head to Okinawa with their 9^th dan sensei (karate master) Arthur Moulas from Tahmoor, south of Sydney, to train with his skilled sensei in Japan.

The iconic red-and-white Chaffey's Martial Arts building at 240 Marius Street, unmissable as you head towards Armidale, has been a local karate institution, now incorporating Muay Thai and Kobudo, since before the family opened there in 2019.

Prior, the family unlocked the doors to their first martial arts business in Barnes Street, Taminda, in 2011, which "just blossomed", Clint Chaffey said.

"Ever since then, that's all we've done is just teach martial arts full time," he said.

"But before then, it was sort of like; three nights a week, training out of halls and centres."

And there's no denying the pop-culture influences of the 1980s to 1990s hit movie franchise Karate Kid and its 2023 Cobra Kai update on Netflix, starring all the original cast, had a hand in attracting future martial arts prodigies.

Mr Chaffey said Chaffey Martial Arts had changed the lives of many people of all ages who had walked through their open doors throughout the years.

He said a lot of younger children have also benefited from the teachings, and guidance about learning discipline, respect and confidence.

"We get feedback from school teachers all the time, saying, 'what's little Johnny been doing? His grades are improving. He seems to be a lot more focused at school', and that all comes back to the teaching of karate," Mr Chaffey said.

His grandchildren Jayda, 11, has a black belt in Uechi-Ryu, and Violet, 7, has a passion also for the martial art and Muay Thai.

"So, it's all going down through the generations," Mr Chaffey, who kicked-off his karate career almost 40 years ago in 1985, said.

And Chaffey's wife Carol also has a karate black belt, and although she no longer trains full-time, she remains a vital cog in the family-run business.