Hastings & Bexhill BKK
One World. One Kyokushin
National Kata Tournament, 8th March, Chelmsford
First event of the year in the BKK calendar and the club kept up with the success achieved last year!
Representing the Seniors, Dan Remmer took a well deserved 2nd Place in his first Kata tournament in the Blue Belt Senior Men Category. Sempai Lucy Wilson also reached her first final in the Black Belt Senior Women Category, taking home a hard earned 3rd Place.
Seven red belts entered the Red Belt Junior Category. All competing for the first time, did us very proud and scored very well! Cian Piper and Oliver March competed in the Blue Belt Junior Category. Oliver carried his on his success from his 3rd Place in Reds last year to secure 2nd place in the Blue Belt Junior Category. Tobias Batkin, Todd Carr-Williams and Charlotte Harding competed in the Yellow Belt Junior division. Todd went one better this year and took home 2nd place whilst Tobias just missed out on the final, taking 4th Place. The trio also competed in the Junior Low Grade Team Category and narrowly missed the final, taking 4th Place. Kieran Seal and Sami Mehio competed in the Brown Belt Junior Category, but were unlucky not to progress past the top 8.
Congratulations to all who competed. Another good set of results for the club. Welldone!
Pilatus Cup, 16th March, Switzerland
England v Wales, 5th April, Cardiff
First event of the night was Kata. Senpai Lucy made up a team with two others and performed Geksai Sho, but unfortunately Wales was given the decision in the Women's event. Second event was the Junior Clicker Team. Captain Sami lead the team of 9 to a great start winning his fight and it ended in a draw. He had to fight again in the decider and after another convincing performance the decision turned against him and the Welsh won. In the Women's Clicker, Captain Lucy again started the event dominating her fight winning with 2 ippons. Success carried on from there and the team of 5 English Women were crowned winners with 3 wins and 1 draw, taking home the Clicker shield for England for the first time in 8 years!
Overall Wales won the Kata, Junior Clicker and Men's Clicker and England won the Cadet Clicker, Women's Clicker and the Knockdown.
BKK Open Regional Knockdown, 21st June, Reading
In this years event the club had 3 fighters enter. Senpai Derek Lowers in the Open Men's Heavyweight, Senpai Lucy Wilson in the Open Women's Lightweight and Lorraine Garniss in the Open Women's Heavyweight. All three fighters gave a good account of themselves.
Senpai Derek was first out to compete. He fought very well and has improved with each tournament. He was unlucky to lose his first fight on a weight decision after 2 rounds to a strong fighter from Crawley, who eventually progressed to the final. Senpai Lucy was next on the tatami. After 2 rounds, and a dubious decision from the refs, she lost on weight to a Crystal Palace fighter. Made worse by the fact that her opponent could not continue into the final after their bout! She made up for it in the 3/4th place fight off and convincingly beat her opponent from Dunmow to take 3rd place. Lorraine gave another very good account of herself, as always, giving her opponent a hard time. She fought a very experienced fighter from Crystal Palace. Lorraine worked well and did'nt give an inch as she kept in close to her opponent. Unfortunately her opponent was forced to step up a gear and Lorraine lost on decision and took home 3rd place.
IFK 2nd World Junior Championships, 11th-12th July, Berlin
The 15 year old led by example, winning all five of his fights, including two play-offs after the matches against Ireland and Switzerland had finished all square. These performances helped earn Sami the cup for the Best Technical fighter in what could be his last appearance at Junior level.
He triumphed in a further three contests to reach the semi-finals of the individual boy's clicker section before being beaten by the eventual winner. 3rd place for Sami on his Great Britain debut! Sami has represented England on several occassions and has produced many fine performances. Well done Sami!
IFK Swiss Kata Championships, 28th July, Willisau
Sempai Lucy was selected to represent Great Britain in Switzerland at the Swiss National Kata Championships in the Womens individual event and Team event with Sempai Anil Tailor from Loughborough and Sempai Stephen Davies from Mountain Ash.
In the individuals Lucy got through to the finals performing Pinan Sono Yon, Geksai Sho and Seienchin. Lucy placed at 4th going into the final after scoring 22.8 for her Geksai Sho performance. A respectable score of 22.4 saw her finish 5th overall. In the team event Lucy, Anil and Stephen performed Yantsu, Geksai Sho and Seienchin and narrowly missed out on 3rd place by 0.1 of a score with 22.7!
Lucy is hoping to improve on her performance and represent Great Britain at the next World Tournament in Switzerland in 2010.
IFK Oyama Cup, November 2nd, Zevenbergen
Congratulations to Lucy Wilson and Darren Chan, Bethnal Green both fought this weekend in the IFK NKA Holland Oyama Cup.
Both fighters fought extremely well with Darren scoring a Wazaari in his first fight using a ushiro geri followed by an Oi Tsuki, and by a stunning knockout after 17 seconds in his second fight with his trade mark Jodan Mawashi Geri. His Semi Final match was a bit controversial when whilst executing Ushiro Mawashi Geri jodan. He took too long to stand and return to his position on the mat and they gave an Ippon the other way.
Lucy’s first fight was a blinder going two rounds against a Dutch fighter she fought at K2 earlier this year, she lost on a decision 3 to 1 with the judges, but not before breaking her opponents nose with a Jodan Mae Geri. Her second fight for 3rd/4th place fight off was taken to a 3rd extension, with coaching from Darren and changing her tactics and movement she came out a different fighter and gave it everything she had in the last round with some good combinations of punches and kicks to take 3rd to beat another Shinkyokushin Dutch fighter.
Both Lucy and Darren came home with 3rd places and Darren was also awarded the spirit of Shihan Ruberg trophy for the fastest Knockout and the Best Technician on the day. Report from Ollie Potter
