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.
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!
As we approach the end of one year, and the start of 2025, it is fitting to remember our good friend and sensei, Bob Poynton, and his thoughts on karate and life. The KUGB made this film of Sensei Bob Poynton in December 2019, sharing a bit about himself – https://vimeo.com/399117804
See you all on January 6, 2025 for our first session back. Happy Christmas!
As another successful year draws to a close, Bath Karate Club has recognised two exceptional members who have embodied the spirit of karate through their dedication, perseverance, and achievements.
The prestigious Student of the Year award, carefully deliberated by the club’s senior instructors, has been awarded to Sara. This recognition celebrates more than just technical progress – it honours the essential qualities that define a true martial artist: consistent training, resilience in the face of challenges, and an unwavering belief in self-improvement.
Sara has demonstrated these attributes throughout the year, maintaining an exemplary training record and showing determination even when faced with obstacles. Her commitment to the art was ultimately validated by her successful achievement of Shodan (1st Dan Black Belt), a testament to her dedication and the very qualities that earned her this award.
This year we have reinstated our Competitor of the Year award, with Emma earning this recognition. Emma’s competitive record in 2024 has been nothing short of remarkable, securing medals in all three regional and national competitions she entered. The highlight of her competitive season was claiming silver at the National Children’s Championships, an outstanding achievement at such a prestigious event.
Beyond the medals, Emma’s competition experience has enabled a deeper engagement with her karate journey. Her success on the competition circuit has enhanced her confidence and led her to take greater ownership of her training and development – a mature approach that promises even greater achievements in the future.
These awards not only celebrate individual excellence but also reflect the strong foundation and supportive environment that Bath Karate Club continues to provide for its members, from beginners to advanced practitioners, from recreational students to competitive kareteka.
Please note that our last training session this year will be Thursday 19th December, and we will start training again on Monday 6th January 2025.
Bath Karate’s instructors wish you all a peaceful and Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.
Congratulations to Sara Kousalari for passing her Shodan, last weekend at Chelmsford, under Sensei Frank Brennan (8th Dan) and Sensei Garry Harford (8th Dan). Sara has travelled a long way to achieve this, and I don’t mean the 8 hour round trip to Chelmsford; her dedication and commitment have been plain for all to see. She has been ‘on the boil’ for most of the year and has worked tirelessly and with ‘quiet’ enthusiasm (she does remember to relax a little and to smile now and then). She has also had ‘The Eye of Sauron’ (aka Sensei Ron Hicks) on her for at least 6 months, but has endured – and enjoyed – it. Sara represents everything we at the Bath club hold dear and is a welcome addition to the ‘Black Belt Club’. The next challenge – all those new kata to learn. Congratulations Sara!
We have also recently held a Kyu grading with our examiner, Sensei Rob Welsh, 7th Dan. Congratulations to the Bath members who passed their next grade:
Florence Watson – 9th Kyu Jake Williams – 8th Kyu Olly Childs – 8th Kyu Cloe Burden – 8th Kyu Amy Beattie – 6th Kyu Harry Sanders – 6th Kyu Emma Thompson – 6th Kyu Lucas Mitchell – 5th Kyu Storm Jackson – 3rd Kyu Peter Ashby – 2nd Kyu Marc Bessant – 2nd Kyu Tom Park – 1st Kyu
In a display of talent and competitive spirit, two Bath Karate Club karateka added to their medal collections at the South West KUGB Championships, held at Uffculme School near Exeter, last weekend. The tournament featured multiple categories across various age groups and skill levels, showcasing the depth of karate talent in the region.
Bath Karate Club made a strong showing at the championship, fielding four competitors across different categories. The club’s representatives showed karate as a family pursuit, with two parent-child pairs competing.
Emma continued her impressive competition streak, securing a bronze medal in the Children’s Individual Kata. The result validates her recent silver medal performance in the Girls Individual Kata at the KUGB Youth & Student Championships in October. This establishes Emma as a consistent competitor on the circuit. Most remarkably, Emma has now medaled in all three of her competition appearances, showing remarkable consistency for a young martial artist. Her father Richard also competed in kumite and kata, making it a true family affair.
In the Children’s Ippon Kumite competition, Harry demonstrated his fighting spirit by claiming a bronze medal. Ippon Kumite, requires precise timing, control, and technical execution, making his achievement particularly impressive in this demanding discipline. Harry’s father Roy rounded out the Bath club’s competition squad, illustrating how karate can bridge generations within families.
These results highlight the growing strength of youth karate in the Bath Club, with both Emma and Harry exemplifying the dedication and spirit that characterises our martial art. Their success suggests bright futures ahead in their karate journeys, as they continue to develop their skills and competitive experience, supported by their karate-practicing parents.
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