|
20/11/2011 Portsmouth Open Karate Championships
Local karate clubs have even more success in 2011.
Another fine showing at the weekend at the 2011 Portsmouth Open Karate Tournament from the local group of Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International in one of the most prestigious tournaments of the annual karate calendar. This was the tournament’s 41st year and the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth was absolutely packed with competitors and spectators alike to witness an excellent display of top class karate, with competitors coming from all over the UK and also from Holland, Belgium and the Czech Republic as well.
The local successes were, the under sixteen’s team kata where the local Hemel Hempstead club took the gold medal in real style in a very tough event. The three lads involved were: Thomas Carson (13), Sam Richards (15) and Danny Richards (15) and they performed the toughest and indeed the hardest kata (Unsu) to win in real style.
Ethan Hagel took a gold medal in the three step kumite event and Rachael Houlton swept everybody aside to win the ladies free-fighting title. Young Lauren Brooks (15) repeated this feat in the senior girl’s free-fighting event giving the local club four gold medals on the day.
Three silver medals were also taken by local students and these were: Thomas Carson, Sam Richards and the ladies free-fighting team of: Rachael Houlton, Leah Groom and Arthi Niranjan.
The local clubs also took three bronze medals on the day and these were: Rachael Houlton, Arthi Niranjan and Danny Richards.
To add to the above tally, Adam Cockfield also took a gold medal in a mixed London team that won the men’s five-man international team free-fighting title on the day and won his actual match in real style in an exciting final.
Another excellent showing from the local group and the worldwide Chief Instructor, Malcolm Phipps 8th Dan, who is also the Hemel Hempstead instructor, was very impressed and extremely pleased with his young charges and stated that five champions in this very high class tournament is indeed another huge success. He went on to state that it had been an absolutely wonderful year and indeed one of the very best in our thirty-four year history in Hemel Hempstead, where these clubs had picked up two world championship titles along with countless national titles. Anyone interested in training with this local group please either ring HH 266048 or log on to the Association’s website: www.sski.org where you will see details of all the local clubs. Everyone will be welcome, children and adults alike.
The local clubs are members of the Dacorum Card scheme and support the NSPCC.
Posted by - Malcolm Phipps 7th Dan – Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International
|
