JKS (GB) Open Nottingham

This weekend nineteen karateka from Selby boosted the IJKA Yorkshire contingent travelling to Nottingham for the competition to thirty-seven.
Many thanks to our hosts Campbell and Langley Sensei for organising the competition and extending the invitation to join them.
We have never really been a competition orientated club but we are slowly trying to build into our training some preparation and build up a small team. It was very encouraging to see so many of our club members come and compete for the first time.
Although I am always a little disappointed at my performance I do find these events very motivational in my overall training. It spurs me on to make further improvements.

The IJKA results were as follows:

• 1st Place - Holly Bamford - Haxby Club - Ind. Kata - 10 to 4th Kyu - 10 to 15 years - Mixed
• 1st Place - Eve Nixon - York Club - Ind kumite - Any grade - 12 to 14 years - Girls
• 2nd Place - Max Baudouin - York Club - Ind Kata - 10 to 4th Kyu - 16+ years - Mixed
• 3rd Place - Elanneor Dook - York Club - Ind. Kumite - Any grade- 9 to 11 years - Girls
• 3rd Place - Julie Dallison - Selby Club - Ind. Kumite - 10th to 4th Kyu - 18+ years - Female
• 3rd Place - Paul Brant - Selby Club - Ind. Kumite - Any Grade - 40+ years - Male
• 3rd Place - Shaun Bushby - York Club - Team Kata - Any grade - 16+ years - Mixed
• 3rd Place - Jordan Rankin - York Club - Team Kata - any grade - 16+ years - Mixed
• 3rd Place - Simon Flint - Haxby Club - Team Kata - any grade - 16+ years - Mixed
• 3rd place - Tom Smith - Haxby Club - Team Kumite (Seibukan "B") - any grade - 13 to 15 years - mixed

Josh, Ellie, Abby, Amy, Lewis, Liam and Shauna were first on in the under 9 kata. Poor Shauna was I think the very first on. It is not easy when you are not even sure what should be happening. This happened to Rebecca at the European championships, it is very daunting. Don't worry about freezing, I do it all the time. Just look forward to the club competition in May. Abby did particularly well as a yellow belt knocking out a 2nd kyu, she was very unlucky not to be in the medals, may be next time?

Leila and Jammie competed in the 10 to 15 years section, which was always going to be tough. You both performed your kata as well as you could with no mistakes. Well done, you both have quite a few years left in this age band so better luck next year.

Claire, Alan and Julie all competed in the 16+ age group for 10th to 4th Kyu. I think as adults sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves. As normal with a couple of minutes to go I was trying to run through kata in my head and couldn't remember anything, I started to panic (as usual) and thought just forget everything, relax and go out with an empty mind. It actually worked. You have all done your first event now, it will be easier every time from now on (promise).

Rebecca was not competing so it left only Helen to fly the SSKC flag. I think her opening round was a split decision unfortunately going to the other karateka.

Dom, Mickey and myself were in a massive group of over thirty competing in 3rd kyu and above over 16 years. Poor Mikey was drawn against a really strong Japanese karateka. It seems that every event Mikey enters he has a really tough draw. I was just glad to finish my kata without a mistake, I usually get knocked out and then wait for the kumite.

The standard of kumite was really strong and unfortunately Shobu Ippon Kumite is not something that we practice very much of at all with our low grade youngsters. We tend to have a strong focus on Gohon kumite up to 4th Kyu and then Jiyu-Ippon Kumite from 3rd Kyu to 1st Kyu. I personally see this as a strong foundation to long term development, but it may be a short term disadvantage for competition preparation.

Claire, Alan, Julie as adults starting karate later in life I think kumite is difficult. We are not as flexible and we were as a youngsters and have been told for the last few decades not to go round punching and kicking people. Now our Sensei is shouting instructions from the sidelines , we can't hear them properly and having trouble breathing with this gum shield in our mouths. We keep think we are delivering scoring techniques, but no flags go up and the referee appears to be suddenly mute. The time keepers clock also seems to have stopped because we are starved of oxygen and there is not even a sign of the 30 second warning. When it does eventually come to the end of the round it is a draw and this bloke wants us to carry on for another minute when all we want to do is collapse in the corner out the way...welcome to Kumite, it does get better. Our big surprise of the day was Julie who gained a bronze medal for 3rd place in the Female kumite 10th to 4th kyu age 18+ years, not bad for a 7th Kyu, Gold next year?

Mikey competed in the 3rd kyu and above kumite a very tough section and was unlucky not to progress further.

Andy, Mike and myself competed in the "old mans" kumite which unfortunately was all a bit of a mix up, from entrants to the odd decision.

All in All, the JKS (GB) Open gave our club the opportunity to compete at a level in between our club competition and the IJKA Europeans. Hopefully we can all look forward to May when we will hold our club competition and I think it will be July in Tallin, Estonia for the Europeans but this is yet to be confirmed.

I would like to thank every one of the IJKA karateka for representing our three clubs, your discipline and conduct were a credit to our association. Otagai-ni-rei.

Many thanks to Gullen Shihan our coach, Sensei Mike,Ian and Bernard for acting as our representative officials, without whom none of us can compete. Sensei-ni-rei.

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