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As 2025 draws to an end, we want to recognise the members of the Bath Club who are part of the KUGB Central Region Kata Squad and have maintained their commitment throughout the year.

Being selected for the squad is just the beginning – staying on it requires discipline. Our squad members – Ron, Kieran, Mark, Craig & Julian – have committed to attend all training sessions, showing up consistently, regardless of the demands on their time.

The Central Region Kata Squad, led and instructed by Sensei Frank Brennan (8th Dan), KUGB senior instructor and coach to the KUGB National Squad, demands a level of fitness, focus and discipline that goes beyond regular club practice. Our members have risen to that challenge, refining their karate, particularly kata, and aiming to uphold the standards we aspire to in our club and as members of the KUGB.

The Central Region Kata Squad squad meets roughly seven times a year at dojos across the Midlands. It is open to all KUGB members (with a current KUGB Licence), who are 3rd Kyu and above, and at least 12 years of age. Each event begins with a 90-minute all grades’ training session, open to all KUGB members and grades with Sensei Brennan. The all grades’ session (open to everyone) is strongly recommended for any club members who wish to train with Sensei regularly, have the opportunity to improve all aspects of their karate, and prepare for gradings. The squad training session follows, but is only open to those selected onto the squad at the first session of the year.

If you wish to know more, please talk to any of the club’s squad members. The first squad session of 2026, incorporating squad selection, will take place on January 25th in Grantham.

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Last night Bath Karate Club held its last club grading of the year. We would like to thank Sensei Rob Welsh who made the trip to Bath, with Sensei Lin Welsh, to take a training session for all club members followed by the grading. We were also joined by Will Skinner and members of Bristol Shotokan Karate Club.

Thanks to all the club members who turned up to train and support their fellow students. Many congratulations to the following Bath students who successfully graded:

Clare Birch – 9th Kyu
Jude Kemp – 9th Kyu
Sam Matoviski– 9th Kyu
Wolf Whalley – 9th Kyu
Luca Parry – 9th Kyu
Florence Watson – 6th Kyu
Chloe Burden – 5th Kyu
Jake Williams – 5th Kyu
Ollie Childs – 5th Kyu
Lucas Mitchell – 4th Kyu
Amy Beattie – 3th Kyu
Emma Thompson – 3th Kyu
Harry Sanders – 3th Kyu

Our last club training session this year will be Thursday 18th December, and we will start again on Monday 5th January 2026.

Congratulations to Roy Sanders, who successfully achieved his 2nd Dan grading, last Saturday in Chelmsford, under the watchful eyes of Sensei Jimmy Brennan and Sensei Frank Brennan.

Roy’s journey to this achievement has been marked by resilience, perseverance and focus, demonstrating the mental strength that defines a martial artist.

Well done, Roy, from all the club’s instructors.

In what is becoming an annual event, last night Bath Karate Club once again welcomed back Sensei Holly Bruce, 5th Dan, from Sendai Kushiro Karate Club. As an internationally acclaimed competitor and KUGB ambassador, Sensei Bruce brought her characteristic attention to detail and technical precision to another exceptional session that benefitted the whole club, from novices to 6th Dan.

The evening began with focused kihon, centred around a three-step striking combination. Sensei Bruce’s emphasis on slow, controlled movements set the tone for the session. She guided students through the critical elements of weight distribution, demonstrating how a softened back leg creates the foundation for fast, direct technique delivery.

The evening’s focus was a kumite session built around the fundamental techniques of kizami zuki and gyaku zuki. Sensei Bruce’s systematic approach to controlling the distance was fundamental and clear. The defensive strategy she taught was particularly insightful, “you have only two options,” she explained, “go in and counterattack, or escape then counter—never attempt both simultaneously.”
The progression from slow, controlled partner work to full-speed attack and defence allowed everyone to develop their familiarity and skills gradually with progression and intensity. Swapping partners ensured students experienced different timing and distance challenges, reflecting the unpredictable nature of kumite.

The session concluded with kata, focusing on Heian Sandan and Gojushiho Sho. Sensei Bruce connected the kata elements back to the kihon at the session’s start emphasizing how proper weight loading and smooth transitions carry through every aspect of karate practice.
Sensei Bruce’s ability to break down complex concepts into simple actions was evident throughout the evening. Her teaching approach — progressing from foundational principles through partner drills to full-speed application — ensured that every participant, left the session with concrete technical improvements and a deeper appreciation for the strategic elements that separate effective kumite from mere stepping and punching.

Bath Karate Club held its latest kyu grading under Sensei Rob Welsh last week. We would like to thank Sensei for making the trip to Bath, for taking the club training session and then the grading. Thank you to all those club members who turned up to train and support the evening. Finally, many congratulations to the club members who passed their grading:

Beatrice Craig – 8th Kyu
Florence Watson – 7th Kyu
Chloe Burden – 6th Kyu
Jake Williams – 6th Kyu
Ollie Childs – 6th Kyu
Marlena Gulaj – 5th Kyu
Amy Beattie – 4th Kyu
Emma Thompson – 4th Kyu
Harry Sanders – 4th Kyu
Storm Jackson – 1st Kyu
Peter Ashby – 1st Kyu
Dan Walklin – 1st Kyu

Congratulations to Richard Thompson for passing his Shodan yesterday at the University of Bath Sports Training Village, under Sensei Frank Brennan (8th Dan) and Sensei Garry Harford (8th Dan) of the KUGB.

Richard’s achievement comes as no surprise to those who train alongside him. His commitment to training twice weekly, combined with his competitive spirit has created has created a disciplined approach that serves as a model for all club members.

The grading also saw Roy Sanders attempt his 2nd Dan examination, successfully completing two elements of the grading. While he will need to retake the kumite portion, his performance earned praise from the examiners for his strong attitude and determination.

Both Richard and Roy received special recognition from Sensei Brennan, who commended their attitude, and had noted their participation in the additional training sessions at the KUGB Spring Torbay course – note to all club members, it’s important to go and train on KUGB courses!

We’d also like to thank all those club black and brown belts who turned up to represent the Bath club on the training sessions led by Senseis Brennan and Harford that preceded the grading.

The KUGB National Kyu Grade Championships, at Grantham Meres Leisure Centre last Saturday, provided an impressive showcase for Bath Karate Club’s young talent, with three junior competitors bringing home medals across multiple events.

Emma delivered a standout performance, claiming gold in the Girls Novice – 4th Kyu Kata category. Her technically precise and spirited performance impressed the judges, adding another achievement to her growing competitive resume. Amy also competed strongly in the Girls Kata, finishing just off the podium in fourth place.

The kumite competition presented significant challenges for the Bath competitors, with all three juniors facing opponents who were mostly older, physically larger, and higher-ranked brown belts. Despite this substantial experience gap, Bath’s young karatekas showed tremendous spirit.
Amy demonstrated remarkable determination, securing bronze in the 13-14 Girls Kumite division. Perhaps most impressively, Amy she showed true fighting spirit when she continued competing despite taking several blows to the face during her matches. Harry added to his growing medal collection with a well-earned joint bronze in the Boys Kumite division. In the kata competition, he narrowly missed qualifying for the finals by just 0.4 points, finishing seventh overall in a highly competitive field.

The competition marked a significant milestone for the young competitors, as it was their first experience in Jiyu kumite. Despite facing more experienced opponents, all three Bath competitors demonstrated technical ability, fighting spirit, and composure under pressure.
“They are a real credit to the club,” noted Ron Hicks, the Bath club chief instructor. We are “so proud of them. Both Amy and Emma got smacked in the face several times in their rounds, but still carried on.”

This national-level tournament experience, particularly against more advanced competitors from across the country, will prove invaluable for the continued development of these promising young karatekas. The Bath club’s emphasis on both kata and kumite was evident in their performances across different competition categories. The National Kyu Grade Championships once again highlighted the strength of KUGB’s developing talent while providing an important developmental opportunity for these dedicated young martial artists from Bath Karate Club.

Members of the Bath club had a good day at the KUGB Southern Area Championships last Saturday – and very successful in many ways. Competitions always bring a sense of camaraderie between the competitors and this was no exception. The ‘Bath squad’ consisted of Richard, Emma, Amy, Kieran and Ron.

Kieran was first up in the Veterans’ kata, where he performed Sochin to secure a place in the finals. Ron was next in the ‘open’ kata event. Although he didn’t get to the finals, he did put beat the competitor who denied him a place in the last 8 at the Nationals 3 years ago – as Amy put it, ‘get revenge’ on him!

Next were Emma and Amy, who both performed Heian Yondan. Emma got through to the finals but Amy missed out by a narrow margin – still an excellent result for her first competition. These three categories had all taken place on Area 4, whereas Richard was on Area 1 so he had no-one to watch/coach/encourage him.

In the finals, Kieran drew with the eventual winner, but due to the ‘count back’ method of adding the scores he lost out by 0.1, taking the Silver. Emma performed Heian Nidan in her final and also took Silver. This was her 4th competition, and 4th medal, an excellent record.

The ‘competitor of the year’ trophy table so far has Kieran and Emma tied for 1st place, with 50 points each. Watch this space…

Last night, Bath Shotokan Karate club was pleased to hold its first grading of the year under Sensei Rob Welsh, 7th Dan. The club instructors would like to congratulate all of our students who passed their grade. Also special thanks to Sensei Welsh for making the trip to Bath to hold our grading.

Well done to …

Beatrice Craig – 9th Kyu
Florence Watson – 8th Kyu
Jake Williams – 7th Kyu
Ollie Childs – 7th Kyu
Chloe Burden – 7th Kyu
Marlena Gulaj – 6th Kyu
Emma Thompson – 5th Kyu
Harry Sanders – 5th Kyu
Amy Beattie – 5th Kyu
Storm Jackson – 2nd Kyu

It’s that time of year again. The KUGB Southern Region Championships are around the corner, on Saturday, 15th March, in Reading – more details can be found on the KUGB website.

Competitor entries are now closed, but all club members are encouraged to attend and support our competitors. Doors open at 09:00, the competition starts at 10:00, and the costs are £10 adults or £5 5-15 years (just pay on the door).

Just to remind you of last year’s club successes go to the ‘Competition News’ section of last April’s update. Who knows what will happen this year?!

Oh yes, and the club is sponsoring the Children’s kyu grade kata competition!