Isshinryu Karate: Donald Bohan's Memorial Website: Cyndy Jones

Cyndy Jones

Shihan Cyndy Jones began her karate training in 1981 under Sensei Joseph Fontana. She obtained her Black Belt (Sho-Dan) in November of 1984 while training with him at the Mazzochetti Karate School in Penfield, New York. She taught karate lessons at the school and became Vice President of Mazzochetti Karate, LTD.

In 1985, while visiting her home in Byron, New York, Master Kichiro Shimabuku asked Shihan Jones to start a karate school in the Byron Bergen area. She agreed and began teaching in the summer of 1986 after receiving her promotion to Ni-Dan (second degree black belt) from Master Shimabuku. He also awarded her a full Isshin-Ryu Teaching Certification. Master Shimabuku promoted Shihan Jones to San-Dan (Third Degree Black Belt) in April of 1988. In May of 1990, Master Shimabuku promoted Shihan Jones to Yon-Dan (Fourth Degree Black Belt). Shihan Jones was promoted to Go-Dan (Fifth Degree Black Belt) in August of 1993

(Cyndy Jones)

In August of 1994, Collamer-Jones Karate, Inc. hosted Master Kichiro Shimabuku's IWKA World Tournament. Master Shimabuku sent Shihan Jones the certificate for Renshi-Go in November of 1995. In August of 1996 Master Shimabuku promoted Shihan Jones to Roku-Dan (Sixth Degree Black Belt) and in 2001 to ShiChi Dan (Seventh Degree Black Belt) with the title of Shihan. In 2005, Master Shimabuku presented Kiyoshi-Go certificate to Shihan Jones. On April 7, 2007, Cyndy Jones was promoted to Hachi-Dan by Master Shimabuku.

Shihan Jones earned many tournament awards in over nine years of active competition. She retired from competition in 1990 after winning gold medals in fighting and weapons at the 1990 AAU National Championships. Shihan Jones also won an AAU Gold Medal in Fighting at the 1989 AAU National Championships. The Collamer-Jones Dojo houses her numerous awards and trophies from these and other tournaments. The Collamer-Jones Karate Tournament Team has won many IWKA and AAU awards.

The main emphasis at the Collamer-Karate Dojo is Isshin-Ryu Karate. However, Cyndy Jones is also a Yon-Dan in Iaido under Shihan John Drouin as well as a Full Instructor in the Filipino Martial Arts and a Black Sash in Jeet Kune Do under Sifu Kevin Seaman.

In 2000, Cyndy Jones and her husband Evan Thomas Jones visited Master Shimabuku and his wife Yoshiko in Okinawa. In addition, the Shimabuku’s have visited Jones’ home in Bergen several times.

In 2007, Grand Master Kichiro Shimabuku honored Cyndy Jones with The Tatsuo Shimabuku Award at the IWKA World Championship, June 30, 2007, Princeton, NJ.

For additional information visit the Collamer-Jones Karate website at www.collamer-jones.com.