Saturday 21^st of June was not a bad day for Ikkyo Aberystwyth, bringing back home 9 medals from the KUGB Welsh Region Championships.

Read the full report……

A group of competitors travelled to Merthyr Tydfil with their Chief Instructor and Welsh Squad Kata Coach, Paul James, 5^th Dan, and Instructor, Toni James, 1^st Dan. The competition kicked off at 10am with the Children’s categories starting first. Fergus Tiddeman, Sioned Exley, Cerys Scott, Lowry Scott, Sophie Jones, Nathan Jones and Charlotte Smith competed in Kata, all performing very well. In Kihon Ippon Kumite, Sioned Exley and Cerys Scott did their best, with Cerys (3^rd Kyu, brown belt) doing exceptionally well and winning the 3^rd place to the podium and the bronze medal.

In the Senior categories, the competition was fierce. The competitors had their mind in winning, and winning only they did. In the Individual Men’s events, Christopher Davies, Rostislav Revako, Bernard Tiddeman, Steven Bailey, Peter Ainsley and Nathan Theopanidies, competed against strong opponents in Kata and going one round after the other, Steven Bailey won a hard-fought place in the finals where he performed the Kata Unsu, winning the 3^rd place. Rostislav Revako, Bernard Tiddeman and Steven Bailey, also competed in Individual Kumite. Some spectacular fights for strong nerves were fought by our competitors, narrowly missing a place in the semi-finals.

At the Senior Men’s Team Kumite, on the other hand, our team, comprising of the same three karate-kas, turned the odds in their favour, beating the opponent team and participating in the finals and taking the 2^nd place on the podium, leaving with silver medals and an air of achievement. The victorious team for the Senior Team Kata event of the night brought back to Aberystwyth some more bling, with Steven Bailey, Katharina Hone and Christopher Davies taking home the bronze, winning the 4^th place in the finals in this very challenging event.

In the Senior Ladies’ Individual events, Katharina Hone and Stefani Dritsa competed in both Kata and Kumite. At her first round, Katharina Hone performed against the final champion. The very strong Kata she did certainly convinced some referees, but unfortunately not all. Stefani Dritsa, despite being a 4^th Kyu (purple belt/white stripe), took out all the opponents in her way to the finals, earning the 4^th place and the bronze medal. Katharina and Stefani, also, entered the Kumite event, performing well under some of the finalists.

Congratulations to all competitors for carrying proudly the name of their dojo, Ikkyo Aberystwyth and for bringing some “shinies” back to Aberystwyth.

Article kindly written by Stefani Dritsa

Back row: Paul James, ?, Dave Mills, Hywel Davies, Christopher Roberts, Meleri Pryse, Steven Bailey, Katharina Hoene, ?, Berith Lochery, Mark Reading, ?, Becky Mitchell, Sensei Bob Poynton.

Middle row: Christopher Davies, James Roberts, Colin Ferguson, ?, ?, Brett Ferguson, Callum Bain, ?, Rachel Hill, ?

Front row: Thomas Cowhig, Lowri Scott, Luke Taylor, Cerys Scott, Olivia Hill, Mathilda Fenton, Connor Lochery, Holly Thomas, Julia Davies

Graham Hunt, Karen Owen, John Booth, Steven Bailey, Lorna Meikle, Lloyd Birt, Sensei Terry O’Neil, Alex Cheung, Matthew Foster, Paul James, Poppy, Toni James

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Left to right: Holly Thomas, Kerry Lyn Thomas, Lowri Scott, Natasha Archer, Lorna Meikle, Sophie Bradley, Toni James, Jenna Welfare, Christopher Roberts, Millie Hore, Alex Cheung, Mark Reading, Sophie Eve Evans, Sensei Bob Poynton, Katharina Hoene, Graham Hunt, Callum Bain, Dan Baker, Colin Ferguson, Matthew Foster, Ffion Ducket, Paul James, Steven Bailey, Meleri Pryse, Ceri Scott, Rosie Reading, three from Tregaron Karate Club and Nathan Gale

Congratulations to you all!!

Sensei Bob Poynton, James Roberts, Christopher Davies, Colin Ferguson, George Griffiths, Thomas Cowhig, Holly Thomas, Christopher Roberts, Bernie Tiddeman, Lowri Scott, Adam Bradley, ?, Dave Mills, Millie Hore, Matthew Foster, ?, ?, Sophie Eve Evans, Tyrone Robinson, ?, ?, Alex Cheung, Leah Beswick, Tim Hudson, Meleri Pryse, ?, Sophie Bradley, Steven Bailey, ?, Graham Foster, Kerry Lyn Thomas, ?, ?, Lorna Meikle, Brett Foster, Rosie Reading, Natasha Archer, Dan Baker, ?, ?, Katharina Hoene, ?, Karen Owen, Callum Bain, Hywel Davies, ?, ?, ?, Cerys Scott, Ffion Ducket, Nathan Gale, ?, ?, Paul James

Sensei Paul captaining the Welsh team kata at his final competition.  With Christian Whale and Mark Leggett

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Sensei Paul makes an impressive debut as Wales’ new kata coach at the 2011 WSKA World Championships in Chicago with Lloyd Birt of Bargoed SKC coming 2nd in the Cadet Men’s Kata and 3rd in the Junior Men’s Kata.  Wales went on to further success with the Men’s Team Kumite coming 3rd by beating South Africa in the quarter finals only to narrowly lose to the eventual winners Germany in the semi finals.  Certainly putting Wales on the map that’s for sure… Brilliant!!

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Having returned fitter, stronger and with more karate knowledge than they left with! It’s great to be back – we’re all looking forward to doing it again next year now!

Kata tournament on Thursday went well….

Brown Belts

1st Brant Wells
2nd Timothy Hudson
3rd David Hazlewood
4th Kerry Thomas

Novice – 4th Kyu

1st Katrina Hoene
2nd Jonathan Hall
3rd Mathew Hall
4th Karen Owen

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Congratulations to everyone who competed at the North West Open! Well done to Steven Bailey, Anya Edwardes, Rosie Reading, Meleri Pryse and Colin Ferguson who, along with 9 of our University Club members, all competed at the North West Open in Atherton. A special congratulations to:
Meleri Pryse who won Gold in Five Step Kumite, Gold in Ippon Kumite and Bronze in Ladies Kumite;
Anya Edwardes who won Silver in Five Step Kumite and Silver in Ippon Kumite; and
Our University Team Kata made up of Tyrone Robinson, Timothy Hudson and Kerry Thomas, who won 4th place in the Mixed Team Kata event.