Chisinau, January 11 (Infotag). Victor Panasiuk, President of the Moldovan Association of Okinawa Goju-Ryu Karate-Do, has just returned from Japan where he successfully passed a qualification exam and has become the holder of Dan 6 degree in that Japanese martial art.

As was said at the Association’s news conference held in Infotag today, Panasiuk received a personal invitation from Japanese maestro Morio Higaonna to visit the karate’s place of origin, Okinawa, yet in June 2005 when Mr. Higaonna conducted a training seminar in Chisinau.

Dan 6 is an extremely high qualification degree in the Japanese martial arts sphere. In all the 12 CIS states, there are now only 2 holders of this degree, of whom one is Mr. Panasiuk, and in entire Europe – no more than 10 persons.

While in Japan, Victor Panasiuk, along with his Japanese colleagues, took part in a special demonstration of karate-do techniques for an encyclopedia of Okinawa martial arts. The Association is proud that a Moldovan was invited to participate in such a significant event, regarding this as a symbol of international recognition of Moldovan athletes.

Panasiuk said the Association organizes twice a year all-republican tournaments in goju-ryu karate-do under the slogan of “Say No to Drugs!”