Yesterdays Competition

I hope everyone had a great time at the competition Yesterday.

Firstly apologies to Sensei Andy for forgetting to mention "Denby Security Services" as a sponsor of the event. The previous results post has also been updated and please click in the sidebar on SSKC Cups and you will see details of each of the cups, their sponsors and the winners.

Well how did Selby get on?

Very well done to our beginners from the Hambleton dojo, Marcus, Michael, Jamie and Harry, I hope you didn't find the kata too daunting and you did well in the knee boxing , perhaps a medal next year?

Leila managed 4th place in the Under 12 kata, just missing out on a medal. Abby had a very tough draw getting drawn against Elanor the eventual winner in the first round.

In the Under 17 Kata Josh Robinson was the lowest grade at 9th Kyu and was competing within a fairly large group, including 5 brown belts. He lost in the semi finals to Holly the eventual winner and lost against Nick last years winner for 3rd place, ending with a very respectful 4th place.

In the Over 16 Kata up to 3rd Kyu David beat Holly in the semi and lost against Max for an eventual 2nd place an excellent result, Kelvin was pipped by Holly for 3rd place and came 4th.

In the Over 16 high grade Kata Michael put in some very strong performances and ended up 2nd with Rebecca coming 3rd.

In the Family kata the Dallisons got 4th place to a clean sweep by the Bamfords. Next year we need to enter more teams to increase our chances.

In the U12 Kumite Nathan was unlucky to get drawn against Lucas the eventual winner in the first round, Liam fought well through to the final and ended up with 2nd place.

In the U17 Kumite Josh Robinson went one better than kata and won a 3rd place medal.

In the low grade Over 16 kumite David was knocked out by Max and in the play off for 3rd place was knocked out by Simon from York to end up 4th. Kelvin met Max in the final and fought well ending a very close 2nd.

In the Over 16 Female kumite Julie came 1st and Claire 2nd, well done ladies!

In the O16 high grade kumite Michael was pipped into 2nd place by Max.

I have updated all your member pages with your achievements, these can be viewed by clicking on members in the side bar and clicking on your name.

Our congratulations goes to Max from York who I think won everything he entered even the events above his grade!

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Rebecca's Videos from Hungary

Rebecca competed for the first time in the European Championships in Budapest Hungary in July 2007.



Below: Rebecca perform Bassai Dai in the 14 and 15 year old female Kata competition




Rebecca was not happy with her kata, as always you can always do better in your own dojo in familiar surroundings.

Below: Rebecca competes in the 14 - 15 year old female Kumite



Rebecca was a little daunted by European kumite, good experience for the future and a chance to make new friends.

Below: Belt training from the course preceding the championships

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IJKA Championships Hungary

Above: Shuitsu Okazaki Shihan IJKA Japan (7th Dan)

Sensei is chief instructor and president of the IJKA in Japan he instructed a number of sessions in the two training days on the Thursday and the Friday.

Above: The Championships had the support of the Hungarian Sports Minister and IJKA Hungary, the 2007 Championships were designated as the 1st Asai Shihan memorial championships.

On the Sunday a minutes silence was observed for Asai Shihan.

Above: kato Shihan with the young ladies from Russia

As you would expect the Russians put forward a really strong team, with an equally strong determination to win. The Young lady to the left of the photo had a particularly strong kata and kumite. I believe her name to be Anastasia Nazarkin, she came first in Kata and second in kumite.

Above: Kato Shihan teaches in the training sessions

I will do my best to bring back some of the training that was undertaken on the course to the club. The emphasis was on Kihon and Kumite, a pleasant change. Okazaki Shihan ran us through some kumite training in the Japanese way. One Karateka at the front of the line with all others practising techniques. Kato Shihan concentrating on basics first and their interpretation. How a single block can be developed into blocking a wealth of attacks.

Shihan was encouraging us to think for ourselves and not like a karate robot, to develop our karate. To brings things back to our Shihan for the development of all.

I watched closely as Shihan demonstrated techniques, I am always amazed at the way Kato Shihan moves etc but what I had not perceived before was in the same dojo I saw some very senior Japanese grades with the same look of amazement. Look forward to some very interesting training sessions over the next few weeks.

Above: Rebecca is taking part in team training

Above: Rebecca at the championship venue pre competition

Above: Female 14-15 yrs Kata presentation

1st Lasma Avotinja, Latvia, 2nd Natalia Avdeeva, Russia, 3rd Rebecca Brant, England, 4th Lorincz Viktoria, Hungary. Rebecca and Victoria managed to communicate quite well considering neither could speak each others language, they even exchanged e mail addresses to keep up their friendship.

Rebecca put up a good fight in kumite but was unsuccessful in getting past the first round.

Helen had quite a height and reach disadvantage in kumite but came a very close second in her kata. Andre Shihan for Russia awarded her the decision against the four corner judges who saw it differently. It looked very close to me. The competition was especially tough in the ladies division

In my first round of Kata I had to perform Heian Godan, this is my least favourite kata, but somehow I managed to get the decision. In the second round I had to perform Heian Yondan and was knocked out. I enjoy Kata in the dojo at the club but have this fear that it will all go horribly wrong when I am in front of all those people on the day. It was a relieve to get it behind me. I could focus on the kumite.

Sensei Alec from Scotland had given me some sound advice about being positive a couple of days before the competition, he was not impressed that I considered I was just making the number up. I would have liked to have Gullen Shihan there as a coach but a pep talk from Sensei Alec may have been just what I needed. When the draw came out I was due to compete against our host Tamas Molnar, Sensei Tamas has a long reach and was a difficult opponent to close, I lost but was reasonably happy with my effort. Tamas went on to win the Veterans competition and I was called back with all the others that had lost against him in the repachage, I won all my fights but still I was not sure where it placed me.

My jaw was still aching from a wicked left hook from Tamas, PJ from Ireland had also received a devastating punch from Tamas that had put him to the mat for a second, so perhaps I had done better than I thought.

The results sent through from Tamas showed the positions as 1st Tamas Molnar, Hungary, 2nd P.J. Ireland.3rd Paul Brant England and 3rd Gabor Windt also from Hungary. I had remembered Sensei Gabor from Cyprus, a fine kumite exponent.

It is proposed to run the next Championship in Cyprus followed by Poland and Italy. If we are going to compete effectively we need to train as a team and be established with a coach. If you have any thoughts on this please e mail me.

See you in Cyprus next year!

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IJKA European Chamoinships 2007

On Wednesday, Helen Rebecca and myself will be leaving for Hungary.

I have more than a few mixed feelings about the trip. I have my name down for the veterans events, am I too old now to be competing? With a relatively new job and working long hours, my karate has taken a poor second place. I was definitely better 6 months ago, my karate is going backwards, so should I compete at all? Well I think I will just go and enjoy myself, meet and train with some old friends and we will probably meet some new. I have no doubt that I will only be making the numbers up in competitors, but if it makes for a better competition for everybody else, I have achieved something by turning up and entering.

Helen is competing for the first time in the Europeans and her karate is looking the sharpest it has ever looked. She is still fighting against niggling injuries but as long as she does her best I am sure that she will be happy. She will surely meet some tough competition.

My daughter Rebecca is also taking part, we have permission from her school for her to attend in school term. Rebecca is taking a GCSE in physical training and she wants her karate to take an integral part in her course. I see Rebecca improving week by week and I am sure that although she is still a 2nd kyu that she will reach Nidan before me.

I would like to wish all competitors the very best of luck and we look forward to seeing you all next week. Many thanks to our hosts that have put in many hours of hard work organising the event. Osu!

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