The 35th Annual Kyu Grades Championship is on Sunday the 15th of March at Prestatyn Sports centre.

This is a great chance to experience the competition side of KUGB karate without the presence of black belts.

There are categories for all ages and coloured belts.

If anyone wishes to enter, or would like more information please let me know. If you don;t want to compete, you can still come along and watch the action. There will be a small charge for spectators.

KUGB Link

Categories

16 + yrs Snr Mens

1 – Ind. Kumite 1st Kyu – 3rd Kyu

2 – Ind. Kumite 4th Kyu – 7th Kyu

3 – Ippon Kumite 4th Kyu – 9tth Kyu

4 – Team Kumite 1st Kyu – 7th Kyu

5 – Snr Mens Ind. Kata All Kyu grades

16 + yrs Snr Ladies

6 – Ind. Kumite 1st Kyu – 7th Kyu

7 – Ippon Kumite 4th Kyu – 9tth Kyu

8 – Ind. Kata All Kyu grades

All Ages

9 – Team Kata All Kyu grades

12-15 yrs Girls

10 – Ind. Kumite 5’3” & above 1st – 7th Kyu

11 – Ind. Kumite Below 5’3” 1st – 7th Kyu

12-15 yrs Boys

12 – Ind. Kumite 5’ 3” & above 1st – 7th Kyu

13 – Ind. Kumite Below 5’ 3” 1st – 7th Kyu

12-15 yrs Boys & Girls

14 – Ind.Kata All Kyu grades

11 yrs & below Peewee

15 – Ippon Kumite All Kyu grades

16 – Ind. Kata All Kyu grades

7 yrs & below Sprite

17 – Ippon Kumite All kyu grades

18 – Ind. Kata All kyu grades

Additional Information

• All Kumite competitors (excluding Ippon Kumite) MUST wear a mouthguard and KUGB approved hand mitts.
• All competitors must be in possession of a current KUGB licence.
• Normal KUGB rules will apply.
• Team Kumite = 3 men plus 1 reserve.
• Team Kata = 3 persons.
• Ippon Kumite competitors will be required to attack and defend only to the level of their grade. (minimum oi zuki jodan & chudan) – mouthguard not essential.
• Team Kata competitors may choose the same Kata for eliminations and final.
• All individual Kata eliminations will use the flag system and include all Heian Katas (including Khion Kata) up to the grade of the participants.

Congratulations to William Swanton for gaining his bronze junior leaders award.

The junior leaders qualification is part of the KUGB Instructor qualification programme that allows students aged 12-17 to work towards three levels of the qualification: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Westminster Park

Christmas Training Sessions

Wednesday 16th December ✔

Saturday 21st December ✔

Wednesday 25th December

Saturday 28th December ✔

Wednesday 1st January

Saturday 4th January ✔

Note – using the voucher is optional, just come along for your free class.

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This is an extract from an article in the Independant:

We are all aware that exercise generally has many benefits, such as improving physical fitness and strength. But what do we know about the effects of specific types of exercise? Researchers have already shown that jogging can increase life expectancy, for example, while yoga makes us happy.

However, there is one activity that goes beyond enhancing physical and mental health – martial arts can boost your brain’s cognition too.

Researchers say that there are two ways to improve attention, through attention training (AT), and attention state training (AST). AT is based on practising a specific skill and getting better at that skill, but not others – using a brain training video game, for example.

​AST on the other hand is about getting into a specific state of mind that allows a stronger focus. This can be done by using exercise, meditation or yoga, among other things.

It has been suggested that martial arts is a form of AST, and supporting this, recent research has shown a link between practice and improved alertness. Backing this idea up further, another study showed that martial arts practice – specifically karate – is linked with better performance on a divided attention task.

Click here for the full article

Last week a group of us from the Handbridge and Westminster Park clubs went on our annual trip to the Lancaster summer camp.

These were : David Craggs, George Craggs, Thomas Land and his wife Monika, Kouke and Mia Hirakawa with their father Mitsu and Louise Coleman with her family, Lisa, Jonathon and Harvey.

I decided this year to do a write of the week. You can see them below.

Lancaster 2019 – Arrival Day

Lancaster 2019 – Day 1

Lancaster 2019 – Day 2

Lancaster 2019 – Day 3

Lancaster 2019 – Day 4

Lancaster 2019 – Day 5

A great time was had by all with a fantastic grading result on the last day with Louise Coleman getting her Shodan and and Thomas Lang getting Nidan.

Lets see if we can get a bigger group next year!

Day 5 and knee is still sore, but I’m going to train! This is the big day, only one training session but following that is both a Kyu and Dan grading. Thomas Lang will be going for 2nd Dan and Louise Coleman 1st Dan. Pouring down with rain, so we drive over. We have been so lucky with the weather this week, I guess we can’t complain.

Senior class is taken by Sensei Higgins. Today is review day so we go through all the kata we have practised during the week interspersed with kumite. Again we are joined by Sensei O’Connor.

Great session as usual, final bow and the training is over.

Sensei Poynton gathers everyone round for the final chat of the week. The KUGB are raffling a signed t-shirt for charity. The draw was made and the winner was – Kouki Hirakawa. As the shirt is XXXL it will be a while before it fits him!

Now back to the room for a quick shower and it’s back over for the grading.

There are a lot of very nervous people waiting in the sports hall for the grading to start. Everyone lines up, bows to Sensei Sherry and Sensei Brennan and the grading starts. First on are the brown belts going for Shodan. They all come out in groups and do their stuff. First the kihon, then Bassai Dai followed by the kumite. Kumite is first the prearranged sparring followed by freestyle. Louise Coleman comes up and performs her grading really well. After the brown belts grade, it’s the turn of the black belts going for Nidan. Thomas Lang comers up and performs a really strong Jitte. Then the first part of the grading is over.

Now is the time where you see if you have done enough to be called up to do a final kata. Brown belts start being called up and each are given a different Heian kata to perform. Make a mistake here and you will fail your grading with kata only. Group after group get called out and no Louise. Nerves are tense, but, yes, she gets called up. A really good performance of Heian Godan and now to wait for Thomas.

Thomas gets called up pretty quick and again performs a strong kata, this time Jion. And the grading is over.

Then everyone gathers in front of the table for the announcements. Louise Coleman Shodan! Thomas Lang Nidan!

Great result and there will be celebrations to come.

Lancaster 2019 is now over. Time to finish packing and return home. Looking forward to Lancaster 2020!

Day 4. Sore knee and general aches and pains. Thomas Lang is planning to take the day off to rest before the Dan grading session on Friday. I was planning to train 2nd class, but decided to also have a rest day. So I went over to the sports centre to take photos of the first class.

This time the senior class is taken by Sensei Poynton. Usual technical session with kata of the day being Tekki Sandan.

Back to the room and we can plan a day out.  The location of Lancaster is great for days out as you have the coastline nearby and of course the Lake District. This alongside the available sports facilities is one of the reasons this is such a great holiday and not just for those doing karate.

George decides to stay and train with Sensei Rhodes as he really enjoys the bunkai sessions.

So that leaves Thomas and Monika and myself to plan our trip.

We pick on Levens Hall near Kendal. This is a really nice Elizabethan house with spectacular gardens.

After a nice cup of tea with cake with then moved on to SilverDale on the coast, this is National Trust and has wonderful views.

Quick pint in the local pub before heading back for a homemade chicken and pasta bake. The again onto the Herdwig for a few pints before bed.

Day 5 – Grading Day!

Day 3 and my knee is not too bad, so another training session looms. Decided to drive over so we could get back quick to eat breakfast before the 11am lecture.

First session is Sensei Frank Brennan. Class starts with an number of combinations going forwards and back. Going quite well or so I thought. Then comes the booming voice of Sensei from the other side of the room MR CRAGGS! Snap your punch! First one of the week. But thankfully that was the only one .

Then onto kumite. Three different block and counters for jodan and three for chudan. I was grateful there were no kicks involved!

Today’s kata is Gojushiho Dai – nice the get a refresher on that.

Class then finished off with the same kumite but speedo. Another class over and apart from sore knees, feeling good.

A quick drive over to the room for breakfast then it is onto the annual KUGB lecture. The lecture is normally shared between Ivan Birch and Ian MacLaren. As Ivan is away working in the USA, his part was prerecorded. The theme was preparation for gradings which was insightful. Ian talked about kata and it’s importance in karate.

After the lecture we know rush over to the sports hall for the 2nd class. Back to taking photos. Senior class is taken by Sensei Sherry and was VERY well attended.

Sensei Michael O’Connor joined us for the day training in both classes.

After the 2nd class there was another Dan Grading class. Training in this class in addition to yesterdays class were Louise Coleman and Thomas Lang who flew over from Germany especially to attend this course. This is an annual event for him. Thomas has trained in every class so far this week!

After class it’s again time for a well earned steam and shower and then back to our accommodation.

Evening meal was at the Waggon and Horses in Lancaster for a very nice meal. We were joined by Michael O’Connor, so there was a lot of conversations about karate over the years.

And then time for bed.

Day 4.