Untitled Document

Wado-Kai England's 5th
All England Open
Karate Championships

The championships started around 10am on Saturday 13th May with Kata. Six Members from KMAC were entered into various catagories, Neil Irvine, Bradley Sweetman, Shem Katz, Ashley Ford, Nathan Jay and Ben Aimen all competed in the Kata catagories. They all preformed well on the day, but it wasn't quite enough to clinch any medal positions, They were all spoken to afterwards by KMAC kata coach Enzo Quirino from E.K.K. who went through where they made mistakes and gave them instructions for the next round etc.
Sunday 14th was Kumite which started around the same time. Everyone that was in the Kata event the previous day stayed on to compete in the Kumite, apart from Nathan plus a few additional members turned up to compete. James Gow, Laurence Knight, Will Scott, Rob Jefferies & Ed Lawrence. Everyone fought really well for the young squad, but only Ashlee Ford managed to come away with a Bronze medal.
Thanks to everyone who entered and we hope you manage to improve with the experiance and get better results next time round.

Report by Sensei Enzo Quirino E.K.K. and KMAC Squad Coach:

SATURDAY 13th MAY - DAY 1:

The first day of the competition was dedicated to kata whilst the second day was for kumite. The EKK had the largest kata squad it has ever had and with Sensei Clare too sick to help the competitors it was down to Sensei Enzo and senior squad members to take care of the new children competing.

The first category to be called was the under 10yrs, up to 4th kyu, Wado-Ryu kata. This section had 4 competitors from the EKK who were all competing for the first time. Well done to ELLIE BARTON, SIAN BARTON, LOUISE HICKS and RYAN BEAVINGTON who all performed Pinan Nidan well and are looking forward to competing again in the near future. A special well done to Ellie who managed to go through one round against a much higher kata!

BILLY MONTASSER and CHARLOTTE BOWIE were in the under 10yrs category for Shito-Ryu Katas. They both performed extremely well and met each other in the final. It was Charlotte who came out on top this time winning our first gold of the day and Billy won our first silver. Later on the organisers decided to add an extra category combining Shito-Ryu with Shotokan. A lot of competitors, including Billy, had gone home but Charlotte entered and won her second gold of the day after using a new kata in the final.

SAM BOWDEN and VISHAAL GUPTA competed in the 10yrs and under, 3rd kyu +, Wado-ryu katas. Sam, who is more experienced than Vishaal, went through 4 rounds but just missed out on bronze. Vishaal’s kata was strong and precise but he lost out to a much higher kata.

ALFIE WISE was our last competitor in a 10yrs and under section. He was in the 3rd kyu + category for Shito-Ryu katas. He was on form but nerves got to him in the semi-final when he competed against a very successful and talented female competitor. He lost out 2-1 after a few wobbles and had to settle for a bronze. However, he had another chance when the organisers combined the categories later on. He won the 2 eliminatory rounds 3-0 and also won the final 3-0 to take gold. Unfortunately a lot of competitors had gone home by this point but there was still some competition there.

NATASHA NUSSBAUM, SIAN O’HAGAN and SAM HICKS competed in the Wado-Ryu section for 11-15yrs up to 4th kyu. It was the first time for all of them but they controlled their nerves and can not wait for the next competition where they should start challenging for medals.

ABITHA ILLANGO was also competing for the first time in the Wado-Ryu section for 3rd kyu +, 11-15yrs. She performed 2 katas but although she was explosive and precise she was unlucky to be beaten by higher katas.

LISA HOLMES was our last newcomer to compete. She made it to the final in the Wado-Ryu section, up to 4th kyu, 16yrs +. As she is only an orange belt she performed Pinan Nidan every time. She just missed out on the gold loosing 2-1 to a male competitor who performed a higher kata, but she won a well earned silver medal.

Most of the EKK ‘A’ squad were in attendance to try new katas or to keep up the momentum of competing. JACK NEWEY, at just 11yrs old and SOPHIE WISE missed out on medals in the 11-15yrs, 3rd kyu +, Shito-Ryu section, but this was no reflection on their performances. RIO SMITH won gold in the same category after performing a brand new kata in the final and RACHEL NEWEY won bronze and also tried a new kata.

RIO SMITH, SOPHIE WISE and RACHEL NEWEY then did team kata. They won the first round 3-0 to make it to the final. They did Sepai in the final and although it was not compulsory they practised their bunkai by performing this to the judges as well. They won the final 3-0 to take the gold and will now spend some more time practising the bunkai!!

SIMON BONELLO and MICHAEL KATES competed in the male Shito-Ryu kata, 16yrs +. Michael was not generating the same power he usually does and just missed out on a medal. Simon made it to the final but his lack of training showed on the mat and he lost 3-0 but won a silver medal.

Well done to the other members of KMAC who competed. Neil Irvine, Bradley Sweetman, Nathan Jay, Ashlee Ford, Shem Katz and Ben Armin all did well in the large categories even though they did not win a medal.

The final medal tally for Saturday was 5 golds, 3 silvers and 3 bronze. There was good spirit on the day and Sensei Clare would like to thank everybody who made her new students feel welcome. She felt bad not being there for them on their first competition and also it is a shame she could not compete but there was not much competition anyway so she was not too disappointed! Well done to ALICE HOOPER who stepped in unexpectedly in Clare’s place to try out her new Shito-Ryu katas. She won a bronze medal but there are a lot higher expectations for her future.

SUNDAY 14th MAY- DAY 2:

Sunday was dedicated entirely to kumite. The EKK had a much smaller squad of 5 competitors with 2 competitors having only competed once before.

LUKE ROBESON, who is a blue belt, lost to a much more experienced black belt fighter, but he is gaining more confidence and shows a lot of potential. USAME AMIN has only competed once before but although he tried hard the judges were not scoring his techniques and he lost first round.

ALFIE WISE, who won a bronze in kumite at his last tournament and gold in kata the day before, was hoping to win a medal again. He lost the second round 1-0 but as his competitor was the eventual winner Alfie could fight for the bronze. He won 3 more bouts to take a well deserved bronze medal.

RIO SMITH, who won 2 golds in kata the day before, fought in the cadet 15-17yrs under 65k. It was a tough category to be in as she weighs less than 60k and is 15yrs old. She showed good strength of character and made it to the final after winning 3 rounds. She has fought the other finalist many times and it is always a close contest with either of the two talented youngsters coming out on top. Unfortunately Rio lost this time but only by 1 point. The fight could have gone either way but it was a great achievement to win silver in such a high quality category.

SHEILA KEMP, who won gold in her last competition, was the favourite to win. She made it to the final where she beat the Irish opponent in a close contest. Sheila was fighting on form and won the final gold of the weekend in the cadet +65k category.

The final medal tally for the competition was 6 golds, 4 silvers and 4 bronze medals.

Sensei Enzo would like to congratulate the whole squad for their conduct on and off the mats and he would like to give a special thank you to all of the ‘a’ squad who supported and welcomed the newcomers. They made their first competition a pleasant experience just by being there for them and for sharing their red and blue belts! Well done to the competitors from other clubs within KMAC who made an effort to support everyone. Overall Sensei said it was a successful weekend and after speaking to some old colleagues he looks forward to training together again in the future.

Well done and thank you to everyone involved in this weekend.

Click here for photos of this event

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CHAMPIONSHIP KICKBOXING - HOVE 13th MAY

"Saturday May 13th saw Championship Kickboxing come to Hove Town Hall. The Show sanctioned by the IKF (International Kickboxing Federation), and put on by 21st
Century Promotions had Local Kicks fighter and IKF European Straw-weight Champion Tiffany Williams up against the highly rated Nadia Grieva from Greece, who is trained by former Champion Tim Izli, out of Cobra Gym, London.

Both fighters were fast out of the blocks in the first round and both trying to push forward. Grieva scored with a well executed axe kick but Williams came back with a side kick to the face. In the middle rounds both fighters showed their agile legs and fast hands, but Williams used her strength to push forward at any opportunity;in order to keep the quick and agile Grieva on her back foot and to knock her off balance as she kicked.
The fourth round saw Grieva coming out strong and working with good combination of hands, but Williams kept the pressure up, and took a unanimous decision over four rounds, much to the delight of her loyal fan base.
British Champion Stacey Gosden from Pro - Am Gym Hove was also scheduled to fight, but due to his opponent
being forced to pull out at very short notice, Gosden was unable to show his skills in his home town.
Other local fighters from Brighton, Hove and Worthing were pitted against fighters from across the country, and showed ability and class in a top class night of entertainment enjoyed by a near capacity crowd.

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WARRIOR ATTENTION

Bracknell 2st May 2006

“Warrior Attention” a BIKMA Sanctioned Event at Bracknell Leisure Centre on Sunday 21 st May had competitors from across the country taking part in a day of Martial Arts.

Two Rings were in continual action as Bouts of Semi-Contact Kickboxing in the earlier part of the day made way for Full- Contact Kickboxing; Thai Boxing and MMA in the afternoon.

Kicks Fighters from across the South East were participating; and in the Semi Contact Arena M. McCarthy(Btn), T. Evans(Btn), S. Kent(Btn), D.Platt(Sussex Uni), B. Godts (Sussex Uni), I. Maranon(Ldn) and C.Davis(Ldn) all came away with wins.

Particular attention was paid to the bout between S. Kent and R. Stapleton which due to the skill displayed by both fighters and the variety of techniques thrown was regarded by many as the Semi Contact Bout of the day.

J. Warburton(Btn), M. Danielou(Btn), and T. Sullivan(Btn) in his first junior bout came away with draws.

In the Full Contact Arena Tony Cross (Kicks Ldn) had his first bout against Memet Mustapha (McNeish’s Gym) over 3 x 1.5minute rounds and came away with a points win.

Antony Hogbin(Kicks Btn) was back in the ring after a seven year absence. Hogbin has a successful Amateur and Professional Kick-Boxing Record behind him, and in this initial re-entry to the ring switched to a European Rules Thai Boxing Bout over 3 x 2 minute rounds. Hogbin was up against the more experienced S. Saunders (Semtex Gym) who has a record of 6 straight wins and a British Title Belt. The Bout was a points victory to Saunders but Hogbin is eager to amend the record in the near future.

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Central England Karate Championships

25.6.2005
On Sunday 25th June 2006 the EKK along with Kicks members were engaged in a competition that they had never been to before so nobody knew what to expect. This is what happened…

KATA:

The competition started promptly at 10am with all the kata events on first. There were 4 areas on the go all day so once things kicked off it was non-stop!

RYAN BEAVINGTON was first on the mats in the 10-12yrs, up to 7th kyu category. Having celebrated his 10th birthday just 1 week ago and the fact that this was only his second ever competition, meant that he found it tough in the 10-12yrs age group. Unfortunately he did not medal this time but, with his commitment and determination, he should be getting better results soon.

NEIL IRVINE, NATASHA NUSSBAUM and CHARLOTTE BOWIE all competed in the 10-12yrs, 6th-4th kyu category. Charlotte went the furthest and won a bronze medal for her efforts. Neil and Natasha both went through 2 rounds and did well considering they are still new to competing.

JACK NEWEY and ALFIE WISE both entered the 10-12yrs, 3rd kyu + kata. Alfie lost in the second round but Jack made it all the way to the final. Unfortunately Jack lost the final 2-1 but did well to not repeat any katas in the 5 rounds.

SOPHIE WISE, RACHEL NEWEY and SAM BOWDEN were all in the same category of 13-15yrs, 3rd kyu + kata. Rachel lost in the first round after performing a strong Bassai Dai. Sam, however, was the best he has ever been and earned himself a bronze medal. Sophie made it all the way to the final where her rendition of Annan won her the gold medal.

The EKK seniors were the last to compete in individual kata. CLARE BONELLO competed in the senior female kata where she won all 4 rounds 3-0 to take the gold. SIMON BONELLO won gold in the senior male kata after meeting team mate MICHAEL KATES in the final. Michael had to settle for silver as Simon won all his rounds 3-0.

Some squad members paired up on the day to do pairs kata. JACK NEWEY and ALFIE WISE lost in the second round of the under 15yrs pairs kata but did well with no practice. SOPHIE WISE and RACHEL NEWEY, who are members of the same kata team, won bronze in the 15yrs + group after loosing 2-1 in the semi-final but winning the fight for the 3rd place. SIMON BONELLO and CLARE BONELLO claimed victory in the 15yrs + pairs kata to each win their second gold of the day.

The final tally for kata was 4 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.

KUMITE:

CALLUM HUNT was the first competitor from the EKK to fight. His fast jodan punches and controlled jodan kicks earned him a place in the final of the boys 9yrs and under, under 4’3”. Unfortunately he narrowly missed winning the gold but took home a well deserved silver medal.

LAWRENCE KNIGHT, ADAM CHAPMAN and JAMES GOW all fought in the boys 10-12yrs, over 4’6” kumite. They all fought with spirit but lost in the early rounds to more experienced competitors.

NEIL IRVINE, ALFIE WISE and JACK NEWEY all competed in the boys 10-12yrs, under 4’6” kumite. Neil is gaining more experience and is improving every time he fights but did not win a medal this time. Alfie had it tough but made it to the final after some emotional fights. Jack also made it to the final after clearly dominating all his opponents. There was no coaching in the final as it would not be fair so the boys were left to their own devices. Alfie took an early lead of 3-0 but Jack did not want another gold medal to slip through his fingers. Jack fought back strong and won the fight. Jack won the gold and Alfie had to settle for silver.

SOPHIE WISE and WILLA MCKIE both fought in the girls 13-15yrs kumite. Willa, who is the more experienced of the two girls, lost in the first round during extra time. Sophie did well to win her first round but she came out in the second round to the eventual winner. There was no repercharge on the day so Sophie could not go any further.

USAME AMIN was leading 3-0 in the first round of the boys 13-15yrs, over 5’2” kumite when he was disqualified on his first warning for a punch to the head. CHARLES MCKIE fought well in the cadet boys kumite but also came out in the first round.

The last individual fighter from the EKK was SHEILA KEMP. She fought in the senior ladies 16yrs + kumite. It was possibly the most challenging group Sheila has ever been in but she came through every round to finally win a very well deserved gold medal.

The day finished with the kumite teams. The EKK had two teams both entered in the boys 10-12yrs team kumite. All of the boys fought with passion, enthusiasm and excitement. The team of ALFIE WISE, JACK NEWEY and NEIL IRVINE lost in the semi-final but as there was only one bronze position they had to fight again. It was very close with one win, one loose and one draw but they lost on points and placed 4th. The team of JAMES GOW, ADAM CHAPMAN and LAWRENCE KNIGHT beat some good fighters to make it to the final. Lawrence got injured in the semi-final so he could not participate in the final. With only 2 fighters remaining they found it hard in the final, but they won a silver medal and should be proud of their achievements.

The final medal tally was 6 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze medals. It was enough to make the EKK ‘the most successful club of the day’ and Sensei Enzo was awarded with a huge trophy!

CHESHAM SEMI-CONTACT KICKBOXING SHOW

Kicks Squad of Semi- Contact Fighters had a successful day out at Chesham Leisure Centre on Sunday 2 nd July 2006 .

In the Open Section of the Competition Dan Cleall (Btn Kicks) showed his growing skills. Cleall used fast flurries of punches and accurate body kicks to out point both Ashley Fisher (TKO) and Matt Gilbert (TKO) over 3 x 1 Minute Rounds, and to become the new BIKMA English Middle-Weight Semi- Contact Champion .

Tanith Colburn (Btn Kicks) and Gez Wilson( Btn Kicks) shared the Female BIKMA English Welter - Weight Title after both beating Kelly Copeland (TKO) over 3 x 1 Minute Rounds. Colburn made good use of her ring skills drawing her fighter in, and then slipping out of range as she countered to great ability with her trademark legs and relaxed hands. Wilson was straight on her opponent and used her range to constantly barrage her opponent with straight punches and kicks, effectively keeping Copeland on her back foot for most of the fight.

Dougie Platt (Sussex Uni- Kicks) lost his 3 x 1 Minute Bout against Steve Cooke (Pegasus) in the Welter Weight Division of the Open Section. Dougie used his strength and ability to keep Cooke at range in the first round scoring with lead leg kicks to the body and hands to the head, but Cooke came back in the second, and clinched the fight in the third with a couple of accurate and well executed head kicks.

In the novice section of the competition Sean Kinsella (Kicks Eastbourne) beat Dan Turner (TKO) over 2 x 1 Minute Rounds.

Rachel Olley (Walton) and Kelly Dixon (TKO) stepped into to do 1round each against Naoko Sukegawa (Btn Kicks) due to the pull out of her original opponent. An unusual situation with Naoko declared the winner as in each round she clearly outpointed both opponents .

Donna Torrance (Ldn Kicks) beat Carolyn Weighill (Shaolin) over 2x 1 minute rounds.

Marie Danielou(Btn Kicks) had a draw over 3 x 1 Minute Rounds against Laura Clarke(TKO).

Clifton Davis (Ldn Kicks) lost his bout to Les Milton (TKO) over 2 x 1 Minute Rounds.

In the Junior Section Tommy Sullivan, Age 11, (Btn Kicks) had a loss over 2 x 1 minute rounds to the older Thomas Mathas(Pegasus). Sullivan showed his determination and grit as he battled against his taller and older opponent. Sullivan worked well with his hands but was unable to score so effectively with his kicks, and accepted his point loss graciously.

WUMA FULL CONTACT KICKBOXING - WORCESTER - SEPTEMBER 9th 2006

On Saturday 9th September Brighton Kick's Fighters Tom Hatton and Gez Wilson competed at a WUMA Full Contact Kickboxing Show in Worcester.
Gez Wilson(Kicks) beat Emma Porter from Lincoln's Black Dragon Gym over 3 x 2 minute rounds. Wilson used her height and reach advantage to keep her shorter,
stockier opponent at bay. Each time Porter tried to move in and work her hands, Wilson used her front leg and front hand to pick her off, and in the first two rounds used her round kick to the head to seal the decision on the judges
scorecards. In the third round Porter stepped up the pace, but Wilson continued to counter-attack and dominate the ring and finished the round with an effective spinning side-kick to the body.
Tom Hatton(Kicks) lost to Matt Ogden from Bristol Black Dragon's Gym over 3 x 2 minute rounds. Hatton was up against a much taller and experienced ring fighter
who frustrated Hatton's work in the initial round by making good use of the ring and picking Hatton off as soon as he tried to close the distance down.
In the second round Hatton caught Ogden with a good front kick, and followed up with good hand combinations and kicks keeping Ogden on the back foot and Hatton pushing forward.
In the final round Ogden dropped Hatton with a stong side-kick to the body causing Hatton to get a count. Ogden then used his foot work to keep out of trouble and picked Hatton off when he tried to work at his range.

English Junior Championships 2006

2006-09-24
KMAC had a small squad of 8 competitors at this year’s Junior English Championships in Sheffield on Sunday 24th September 2006.

The competition opened with the kata events and ALFIE WISE, BILLY MONTASSER and NEIL IRVINE were on first in the boys 10-11yrs section. Neil was not really supposed to do kata as he only knows 1 ½ katas but he did well to get through the first round with Seinchin and then lost the second round when he forgot Bassai-Dai. Billy is also new to competing with high grade katas and lost the first round 2-1 after performing a precise and strong Bassai-Dai. Alfie had put the training in for this competition and was by far the strongest competitor in the group. He lost the first round after performing Bassai-Dai but the reason was not power or precision, neither was it over breathing or bad stances. The reason appeared to have nothing to do with the kata, but either way Alfie suffered and although he was stronger he lost the first round. In the repecharge Alfie’s katas were excellent and he won all 3 rounds to win a bronze medal.

SAM BOWDEN competed in the boys 12-13yrs kata and was unlucky to loose the first round 2-1 with Bassai-Dai. The coaches were pleased with his performance and maybe he will get better luck next time.

SOPHIE WISE and RIO SMITH were KMAC’s last 2 kata competitors and they competed in the girls 14-15yrs kata. Rio won the first round 3-0 with Bassai-Dai but lost in the second round after her Seinchin was stronger than her opponents, but it was inconsistent, so she lost 2-1. Sophie went through the first 3 rounds and then lost to the eventual winner who won on sheer strength. Sophie fought back in repecharge and did well to win bronze against a very good opponent.

In the kumite BILLY MONTASSER fought a much bigger opponent and lost first round. ALFIE WISE produced a good fight and attacked well but he was not convincing the judges and eventually lost 1-0 in extra time. NEIL IRVINE lost in the first round also but his opponent made it to the final so Neil had a chance to go for bronze. He fought back well and did what was required to eventually win the bronze medal.

NATHAN JAY had it tough in his first fight because his opponent just kept running in. He eventually lost in extra time but is determined to do better next time with a bit more training and experience.

USAME AMIN fought the best he ever has in a karate competition. He won his first round after beating a more experienced competitor but then lost to an opponent from EKKA in the second round. Although he did not medal this time his attitude and techniques were much more promising.

RIO SMITH and SOPHIE WISE were the last kumite competitors from KMAC and it was down to them to ensure that KMAC did not return home without any gold medals! Sophie's fighting improved a lot and she won the first round but then lost the second round by a very small margin. Her opponent then pulled out of the competition so Sophie had no chance of repecharge. It was down to Rio now and she did not disappoint. As always her fights were exciting and although it was a close call in the semi-final against a girl from EKKA,she made it to the final. The final was frustrating as her opponent kept crying everytime Rio scored and sometimes Rio received warnings when perhaps she should not have! However, Rio did not want the title to slip through her fingers so she kept her cool and eventually won the final to become female 14-15yrs, -57k English Kumite Champion of 2006.

The competition attracted more associations than last year but it was well organised and finished by 6.30pm. Thanks to Peter Allen for ensuring the championships took place this year and well done to all the competitors who supported it. All the top names were there, including competitors from the KUGB and as it was an open tournament there were also competitors from Wales present. It was encouraging to see the increasing popularity of this prestigious children’s karate event. Finally, well done to the KMAC squad for continuously improving and for supporting each other all day. Overall results:-

ALFIE WISE, boys 10-11yrs kata – BRONZE

SOPHIE WISE, girls 14-15yrs kata – BRONZE

NEIL IRVINE, boys 10-11yrs, +35k kumite – BRONZE

RIO SMITH, girls 14-15yrs, -57k kumite – GOLD – ENGLISH CHAMPION

KICKBOXING - BIKMA - 22nd October 2006

On Sunday 22nd October Bracknell Leisure Centre was the venue for a BIKMA sanctioned daytime semi-contact event followed by an evening of Championship Full Contact Thai and Kickboxing.

In the Semi Contact Daytime Show
Brighton Kicks Fighter and English Semi-Contact Champion,Dan Cleall notched up another win when he beat Jim Rafter from Chadwell Gym.

Tom Evans(Kicks Btn) Beat Darren Hall from Combat Academy,UK.

Naoko Sakegawa(Kicks Btn) lost in a closely fought fight to Nicola Severn from Shaolin Tigers.

Kris Baxter(Kicks Eastbourne) lost his debut bout to Tom Fryer from All Range Gym.

Donna Torrance(Kicks Ldn) beat Sarah Leakey from Cobras Gym.

Ben Walker(Kicks Ldn) beat Zac Crocket from Spartans Gym

Irma Maranon(KicksLdn) lost to Alison Maranon from Shaolin Gym

Matt Mahoney(Kicks Ldn) was forced to retire when his shoulder popped out of its socket in his fight against Robert Gajewski from Castle Gym.

In the Full Contact Evening Event the young and up and coming Kicks Fighter Sarwar Abdul Hamid,16, had a three round leg kicks fight against Che,25, from Gary Howes Gym Frimley.

In the first round Che came out punching strongly but Sarwar kept his cool, and used his timing to knock his opponent down with a straight left resulting in the referee giving Che a count.

In the second round Sarwar continued to keep the shorter and stockier opponent at a distance with strong kicks to the body and head, and to the crowds delight caught his opponent with a jumping spinning hook kick to the head.
In the third round Che came out knowing he needed a knock out to win, and in the early part of this round had some success with his hands, but the young fighter covered up and moved and from that point on kept his range with his front kicks and round kicks. Sarwar won on a unanimous points decision.

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