Children's Championships, Nottingham, 2015
KSE8 Championships, 2015
Welsh Championships, 2015
Welsh League, Penarth 2014
On Sunday 23 March 15 of our students traveled to Penarth near Cardiff for what was the final of the welsh karate league 2013/14 season. Of the 15 students competing on the day 7 of them were making their competition debuts. Matt Sensei was extremely happy with everyone's attitude and performances throughout the day with some of our youngest competitors facing the eventual winners in the earlier rounds, and putting in great kumite rounds with every student going forward and taking the fight to mostly bigger opponents. We worked for every point and flag that was given to us and i have had great feedback from other coaches on the day. All the students can be proud of themselves and hold their heads high. We now want this group of students to carry on going forward and push more and more in training so the results that they all deserve will come. We are really looking forward to future competitions.
Here is a list of those who entered:-
Finley Harrison
Daisy Skinner - Debut
Ioan Rogers
Aimee Todd - Debut
Noah Thompson - Bronze in under 10 advanced boys kumite.
Newton Limbu - Debut
Liyoung Magar - Debut
Bernie Leaman - Debut
Rhydian Rogers
Pia Smith - Debut
Sofie Evans
Dylan Price - Debut
Caled Thomas
Robyn Thompson
Selena O Neil Smith - Gold in under 16 girls kumite.
Congratulations to them all.
Swedish Open, Malmo 2014
On March 21st Nikki Jayne travelled out to Malmo, Sweden with JKS England to compete in the -55kg Senior Female Kumite and Ladies Team Kumite with squad members Ashley Scott and Melissa Finley. After arriving and successfully weighing in, the squad was shown the impressive arena where the competition would take place the following day.
Although some senior categories were small, the talent and standard of fighting was incredibly high and impressive. This competition provided Nikki Jayne and Derek Sensei an insight to what could be achieved with the Juniors and Seniors in the club with regular and focused training.
Nikki Jayne fought hard throughout the day which ultimately resulted in two bronze medals in each category.
We would also like to thank JKS England, Matt Price Sensei and Nick Heald Sensei for providing Nikki Jayne with this amazing opportunity and making her feel so welcome.
Osu.
Children's Competition, Nottingham 2014
On February 8th 2014 Derek Sensei and Matt Sensei travelled up to Nottingham with seven students to compete in the first Children's Competition of the year. For two of our student's this was their competition debut.
Congratulations to Aaron Smith, Caled Thomas, Noah Thompson, Robyn Thompson, Ioan Rogers, Finley Harrison and Iolo Pierce.
Overall we all had a fantastic day in Nottingham with all students showing exceptional spirit and attitude throughout the day in all their categories.
A special congratulations to Ioan, Noah and Aaron who all gained gold medals in kata and kumite!
Pictures are available under the 'Gallery' tab.
Osu !
Congratulations to Aaron Smith, Caled Thomas, Noah Thompson, Robyn Thompson, Ioan Rogers, Finley Harrison and Iolo Pierce.
Overall we all had a fantastic day in Nottingham with all students showing exceptional spirit and attitude throughout the day in all their categories.
A special congratulations to Ioan, Noah and Aaron who all gained gold medals in kata and kumite!
Pictures are available under the 'Gallery' tab.
Osu !
English National Championships, Nottingham 2013
On November 24th 2013 a number of JKS Brecon Senshi seniors; Matthew, Nikki-Jayne, Mark, Geraint, Gary, Rhiannon and juniors; Ryan, Rhydian, Aaron, Sofie, Selena, Noah, Robyn and Ioan made their way up to Nottingham to compete for the first time as JKS Brecon in the English National Championships.
The day began with the kata events where students Ioan and Rhydian Rogers were first to represent. Both performed extremely well, taking out each of the opponents they faced who were either of higher grade or experience. The boys found themselves in the finals of the individual kata where Ioan executed a very strong Heian Nidan which resulted in a 2nd place medal and Rhydian, an impressive Jion which earned him 4th place. Congratulations both.
Next came Nikki-Jayne and Matthew’s opportunity to compete in the Senior Individual Kata categories. Matthew performed extremely well for his first competition back for over twelve months and made it through to the top eight of his category, eventually being beaten by a JKS England Kata International. Nikki-Jayne also made her way through the rounds to eventually make it to the final where she performed Gojoshiho-sho which gained her a 2nd place medal.
Then came the categories which the majority of our students look forward to; individual Kumite. Robyn Thompson was first to compete and was also fighting for the first time in competition, and despite these odds she went through three rounds scoring two jodan mawashi ippon attacks, surpassing all expectations. Ioan Rogers was next JKS Brecon Senshi student to fight; he fought exceptionally through the day making his way to the final of his pool which contained around eighty pee-wee’s, exceeding everyone’s expectations. Noah Thompson who was also fighting for the first time in competition, made it through to the second round by also scoring an ippon attack (sweep and punch combination).
The next age group to compete included juniors; Aaron Smith, Selena Smith, Sofie Evans and Ryan Winney. Aaron was the first to fight, throwing a wide range of techniques which landed some incredible ippon combinations, unfortunately he lost in the top eight of his mat, however, in a category of around fifty competitors Sensei Derek was very proud! Next Sofie Evans and Selena Smith were brought together to fight in the same category, both fought extremely well and ultimately came to fight each other for third place. Selena won one wazari to nill. Ryan Winney was the final fighter for the juniors where unfortunately drew a very experienced and sharp fighter in the first round, despite this however Ryan gave a very good fight and did JKS Brecon Senshi proud.
This was followed by the Senior Individual Kumite events; Alex Powell was first to fight in the Kyu Grade category, where he fought a very impressive fight against a very talented competitor, however, he was unsuccessful in proceeding past the first round. Next was Nikki-Jayne and Rhiannon's turn to represent in the Senior Female category where Rhiannon fought her way to the top eight, where she was eventually and narrowly beaten by Leeds Karate Academy's Ashely Scott. It was Nikki-Jayne who then met Ashley in the final of the category; both fought it out for the entirety of the match throwing a range of kicking and punching techniques, however, in the final moments of the match Nikki-Jayne lost 1-0, earning herself a silver medal.
Matt Stockham and Geraint Price followed in the Senior Men's Kumite. Geraint Price, who has only recently returned back to JKS Brecon Senshi and competing, gave an excellent show during the day, beating a number International fighters with some impressive punching techniques making his way to the top eight. This was Matthew's first competition in eighteen months due to a previous injury, therefore simply proceeding through the first round would have been impressive. However, it was soon apparent that Matthew was back on form, scoring numerous punching and kicking techniques which ultimately landed him in the final against a very impressive Scottish Karateka. The final was a tense and impressive fight with Matt gaining a wazari in the first thirty seconds, however, in the final remainder of the last minute Matt lost 2-1, gaining a silver medal. The final event of the individual Kumite was in the Veterans category where Mark Scott and Gary Wheeler were called to fight, both performed very well giving a fantastic effort, congratulations both! We would also like to thank Mark Scott for helping out on the day with the judging.
The final categories of the day involved the Pee-Wee (Rhydian, Ioan and Noah), Junior (Sofie and Selena) and Senior (Nikki-Jayne, Rhiannon and Selena)(Geraint, Gary and Alex) Team Kumite events. In their first team Kumite event, the Pee-Wee team gave a great effort and supported each other throughout, however, they were unable to proceed through the first round. It was also Sofie and Selena's first attempt at competing in a team event, fighting very well against their opponents to gain 2nd place. The Senior Ladies Team followed, where they proceeded to the final where they met Leeds Karate Academy; the girls all fought well-especially team mate Selena Smith who was fighting a category above her age range-however, JKS Brecon Senshi unfortunately lost 2 fights to 1, but still earning themselves another silver medal. The day finally concluded with the Senior Male Team where they fought their way to the second round where they also met Leeds Karate Academy; all fought to their best of their abilities, however, they ultimately lost three fights to nill.
Congratulations to all who competed and represented JKS Brecon Senshi on the day, you all fought extremely well and made a fantastic impression on the referees, judges and spectators throughout the day. Sensei would also like to thank the parents who travelled up to Nottingham to provide support for their efforts during the day, it is greatly appreciated.
Osu.
The day began with the kata events where students Ioan and Rhydian Rogers were first to represent. Both performed extremely well, taking out each of the opponents they faced who were either of higher grade or experience. The boys found themselves in the finals of the individual kata where Ioan executed a very strong Heian Nidan which resulted in a 2nd place medal and Rhydian, an impressive Jion which earned him 4th place. Congratulations both.
Next came Nikki-Jayne and Matthew’s opportunity to compete in the Senior Individual Kata categories. Matthew performed extremely well for his first competition back for over twelve months and made it through to the top eight of his category, eventually being beaten by a JKS England Kata International. Nikki-Jayne also made her way through the rounds to eventually make it to the final where she performed Gojoshiho-sho which gained her a 2nd place medal.
Then came the categories which the majority of our students look forward to; individual Kumite. Robyn Thompson was first to compete and was also fighting for the first time in competition, and despite these odds she went through three rounds scoring two jodan mawashi ippon attacks, surpassing all expectations. Ioan Rogers was next JKS Brecon Senshi student to fight; he fought exceptionally through the day making his way to the final of his pool which contained around eighty pee-wee’s, exceeding everyone’s expectations. Noah Thompson who was also fighting for the first time in competition, made it through to the second round by also scoring an ippon attack (sweep and punch combination).
The next age group to compete included juniors; Aaron Smith, Selena Smith, Sofie Evans and Ryan Winney. Aaron was the first to fight, throwing a wide range of techniques which landed some incredible ippon combinations, unfortunately he lost in the top eight of his mat, however, in a category of around fifty competitors Sensei Derek was very proud! Next Sofie Evans and Selena Smith were brought together to fight in the same category, both fought extremely well and ultimately came to fight each other for third place. Selena won one wazari to nill. Ryan Winney was the final fighter for the juniors where unfortunately drew a very experienced and sharp fighter in the first round, despite this however Ryan gave a very good fight and did JKS Brecon Senshi proud.
This was followed by the Senior Individual Kumite events; Alex Powell was first to fight in the Kyu Grade category, where he fought a very impressive fight against a very talented competitor, however, he was unsuccessful in proceeding past the first round. Next was Nikki-Jayne and Rhiannon's turn to represent in the Senior Female category where Rhiannon fought her way to the top eight, where she was eventually and narrowly beaten by Leeds Karate Academy's Ashely Scott. It was Nikki-Jayne who then met Ashley in the final of the category; both fought it out for the entirety of the match throwing a range of kicking and punching techniques, however, in the final moments of the match Nikki-Jayne lost 1-0, earning herself a silver medal.
Matt Stockham and Geraint Price followed in the Senior Men's Kumite. Geraint Price, who has only recently returned back to JKS Brecon Senshi and competing, gave an excellent show during the day, beating a number International fighters with some impressive punching techniques making his way to the top eight. This was Matthew's first competition in eighteen months due to a previous injury, therefore simply proceeding through the first round would have been impressive. However, it was soon apparent that Matthew was back on form, scoring numerous punching and kicking techniques which ultimately landed him in the final against a very impressive Scottish Karateka. The final was a tense and impressive fight with Matt gaining a wazari in the first thirty seconds, however, in the final remainder of the last minute Matt lost 2-1, gaining a silver medal. The final event of the individual Kumite was in the Veterans category where Mark Scott and Gary Wheeler were called to fight, both performed very well giving a fantastic effort, congratulations both! We would also like to thank Mark Scott for helping out on the day with the judging.
The final categories of the day involved the Pee-Wee (Rhydian, Ioan and Noah), Junior (Sofie and Selena) and Senior (Nikki-Jayne, Rhiannon and Selena)(Geraint, Gary and Alex) Team Kumite events. In their first team Kumite event, the Pee-Wee team gave a great effort and supported each other throughout, however, they were unable to proceed through the first round. It was also Sofie and Selena's first attempt at competing in a team event, fighting very well against their opponents to gain 2nd place. The Senior Ladies Team followed, where they proceeded to the final where they met Leeds Karate Academy; the girls all fought well-especially team mate Selena Smith who was fighting a category above her age range-however, JKS Brecon Senshi unfortunately lost 2 fights to 1, but still earning themselves another silver medal. The day finally concluded with the Senior Male Team where they fought their way to the second round where they also met Leeds Karate Academy; all fought to their best of their abilities, however, they ultimately lost three fights to nill.
Congratulations to all who competed and represented JKS Brecon Senshi on the day, you all fought extremely well and made a fantastic impression on the referees, judges and spectators throughout the day. Sensei would also like to thank the parents who travelled up to Nottingham to provide support for their efforts during the day, it is greatly appreciated.
Osu.
Scottish National Championships, October 2013
Well done to Nikki Jayne Stockham and Rhiannon Rogers who after a very long drive to Grangemouth in Scotland, competed in the Scottish National Championships for the first time in October.
The day began with Nikki Jayne competing in the Senior Female Kata category, where she was knocked out by the eventual winner. Next was the Senior Female Kumite where Rhiannon was up against a particuarly difficult and challenging opponent; throwing a variety of impressive punching techniques Rhiannon had drawn level with her competitor, unfortunately in the last remaining seconds of the fight Rhiannon lost the deciding point. Following Rhiannon, Nikki Jayne had fought her way through to the semi-finals to meet JKS England's Ashley Scott, where after a very close match, Ashley scored two guakasuki punches to move through to the finals, resulting in Nikki Jayne gaining 3rd place.
Congratulations both for competing to the best of your abilities on the day.
JKS Brecon Senshi would also like to say congratulations to Ashley Scott for going on to win the Senior Female Kumite category.
The day began with Nikki Jayne competing in the Senior Female Kata category, where she was knocked out by the eventual winner. Next was the Senior Female Kumite where Rhiannon was up against a particuarly difficult and challenging opponent; throwing a variety of impressive punching techniques Rhiannon had drawn level with her competitor, unfortunately in the last remaining seconds of the fight Rhiannon lost the deciding point. Following Rhiannon, Nikki Jayne had fought her way through to the semi-finals to meet JKS England's Ashley Scott, where after a very close match, Ashley scored two guakasuki punches to move through to the finals, resulting in Nikki Jayne gaining 3rd place.
Congratulations both for competing to the best of your abilities on the day.
JKS Brecon Senshi would also like to say congratulations to Ashley Scott for going on to win the Senior Female Kumite category.
South Yorkshire Open
Very well done to Ryan Winney, Gary Wheeler, Nikki Jayne Stockham and Rhiannon Rogers in the South Yorkshire Open today.
Congratulations to Gary Wheeler on achieving a silver medal in the Veterans Kumite against the defending champion, Nikki Jayne Stockham and Rhiannon Rogers in gaining a silver medal alongside Polly Swindal (competing as JKS England in the Senior Ladies Team Kumite against Alexandra Simon, Ashley Scott and Melissa Finnley (JKS England A).
Congratulations to Gary Wheeler on achieving a silver medal in the Veterans Kumite against the defending champion, Nikki Jayne Stockham and Rhiannon Rogers in gaining a silver medal alongside Polly Swindal (competing as JKS England in the Senior Ladies Team Kumite against Alexandra Simon, Ashley Scott and Melissa Finnley (JKS England A).
Central England Championships, Walsall
Congratulations to all JKS Brecon Senshi competitors today. Many good first performances on the huge WKF circuit (over 900 competitors entered) including Ioan Rogers, Caled Thomas, Rhydian Rogers, Aaron Smith, Selena Smith and Ryan Winney. Special congratulations to Mark Scott and Gary Wheeler for placing 3rd in the Veterans Kumite in their first WKF circuit performance and Nikki Jayne Stockham on gaining a bronze in the Senior Women's under 61kg Kumite. Huge thank you to Sensei Matt Price, Sensei Nick Heald and Leeds Karate Academy for welcoming us all once again !
Cumbria Open, 2013
JKS Brecon Senshi would like to congratulations Nikki Jayne Stockham and Rhiannon Rogers on both gaining bronze medals in the Individual Kumite and Nikki gaining a silver medal in the Team Kumite for Leeds Karate Acadamy in Cumbria on the 16th June.
JKS Brecon Senshi would like to thank Leeds Karate Academy, Matt Price, Nick Heald and JKS England for making our team feel so welcomed.
JKS Brecon Senshi would like to thank Leeds Karate Academy, Matt Price, Nick Heald and JKS England for making our team feel so welcomed.
Welsh Regional Squad Selections
On the 27th January 2013 five members of Brecon SKC travelled to Merthyr Tydfil's Rhyd Y Car Leisure Centre to train and compete for a place in the National Welsh Kata and Kumite Squad's.
Kata selection took place first; where Nikki Stockham, Elin Howells and Ryan Winney lined up with around thirty other hopefulls to start their training session at 10am.
The selection process began with Sensei Paul James explaining the squad would be divided into three groups; 'A' Squad, 'B' Squad and 'C' Squad ('A' Squad being the highest). A light training session followed, where Sensei Paul James focused on hip rotation and sharpness of techniques. This lead to a competition styled process where four to five students at one time would perform a heian kata chosen by Sensei James; he explained, however, that if some students were on a borderline between two groups of the Squad they would be called up again to perform a brown belt Kata of their choice.
Nikki and Ryan were called up in the first group to perform Heian Godan against two current Kata squad members (one of which is currently 3rd place European Champion); Mark Leggitt and Lloyd Birt. Nikki and Ryan performed a good, strong Kata and did their club proud against the established squad members Mark and Lloyd. Elin Howells was next to perform for Sensei along with three other hopefulls. Even though Elin had expressed her nerves to Nikki and Sensei Derek prior to the selection process, Elin also performed very well for Brecon SKC and Sensei Paul James.
Nikki was called up a second time where she performed the Kata Empi. Even though she felt her Kata was a bit shaky and not her best, Sensei Derek assured her she had done enough to impress Sensei Paul.
The selection process finished with Sensei Paul announcing who had achieved getting into 'A', 'B' and 'C' squad, and who should try again next year. Nikki Stockham attained 'A' Squad selection, Ryan Winney was chosen for 'B' Squad and Elin Howells was selected for 'C' Squad.
Congratulations!!
Kumite followed; Nikki Stockham, Phillip Nicholl and Rhiannon Rogers lined up to begin the selection process. Sensei Kevin O'Neil began with an hour of drill work, focusing on 'take and go' and kicking techniques. The session moved onto the selection process, where students where called up in pairs to fight in front of Sensei Kevin O'Neil for one minute. Rhiannon Rogers was first to fight against a Kyoshin club member; Rhiannon fought impressively against her opponent throwing some exceptional punching techniques and putting her opponent under pressure. The fight ended in a draw. Phillip Nicholl was next to fight, against a karateka he had lost to in the Students' Championships last year. Phillip fought exceptionally, giving Brecon SKC an impressive name as he performed a sweep and punching technique after just a few seconds of facing his opponent, earning him the only ippon of the day. Nikki Stockham was last to fight against a Tekki club member a couple of years her junior. Nikki scored her first point with a clean block and counter technique. She then proceeded to throw a double punch and kick technique which had it not narrowly missed her opponent would have definitely scored another ippon for the Brecon cohort. The final result was two wazari to nil having scored two jodan punches.
All three members of Brecon SKC proceeded to be picked for 'A' squad in Kumite, congratulations!
Each member of Brecon SKC performed to their utmost ability, making Sensei Derek and Matt who watched their progress through the entire day very proud, as their members once again showed their competitors and Welsh Squad team mates that Brecon SKC is a very hard working and impressive club.
Congratulations to all that made it into the Welsh Squad. Pictures will be available soon.
Kata selection took place first; where Nikki Stockham, Elin Howells and Ryan Winney lined up with around thirty other hopefulls to start their training session at 10am.
The selection process began with Sensei Paul James explaining the squad would be divided into three groups; 'A' Squad, 'B' Squad and 'C' Squad ('A' Squad being the highest). A light training session followed, where Sensei Paul James focused on hip rotation and sharpness of techniques. This lead to a competition styled process where four to five students at one time would perform a heian kata chosen by Sensei James; he explained, however, that if some students were on a borderline between two groups of the Squad they would be called up again to perform a brown belt Kata of their choice.
Nikki and Ryan were called up in the first group to perform Heian Godan against two current Kata squad members (one of which is currently 3rd place European Champion); Mark Leggitt and Lloyd Birt. Nikki and Ryan performed a good, strong Kata and did their club proud against the established squad members Mark and Lloyd. Elin Howells was next to perform for Sensei along with three other hopefulls. Even though Elin had expressed her nerves to Nikki and Sensei Derek prior to the selection process, Elin also performed very well for Brecon SKC and Sensei Paul James.
Nikki was called up a second time where she performed the Kata Empi. Even though she felt her Kata was a bit shaky and not her best, Sensei Derek assured her she had done enough to impress Sensei Paul.
The selection process finished with Sensei Paul announcing who had achieved getting into 'A', 'B' and 'C' squad, and who should try again next year. Nikki Stockham attained 'A' Squad selection, Ryan Winney was chosen for 'B' Squad and Elin Howells was selected for 'C' Squad.
Congratulations!!
Kumite followed; Nikki Stockham, Phillip Nicholl and Rhiannon Rogers lined up to begin the selection process. Sensei Kevin O'Neil began with an hour of drill work, focusing on 'take and go' and kicking techniques. The session moved onto the selection process, where students where called up in pairs to fight in front of Sensei Kevin O'Neil for one minute. Rhiannon Rogers was first to fight against a Kyoshin club member; Rhiannon fought impressively against her opponent throwing some exceptional punching techniques and putting her opponent under pressure. The fight ended in a draw. Phillip Nicholl was next to fight, against a karateka he had lost to in the Students' Championships last year. Phillip fought exceptionally, giving Brecon SKC an impressive name as he performed a sweep and punching technique after just a few seconds of facing his opponent, earning him the only ippon of the day. Nikki Stockham was last to fight against a Tekki club member a couple of years her junior. Nikki scored her first point with a clean block and counter technique. She then proceeded to throw a double punch and kick technique which had it not narrowly missed her opponent would have definitely scored another ippon for the Brecon cohort. The final result was two wazari to nil having scored two jodan punches.
All three members of Brecon SKC proceeded to be picked for 'A' squad in Kumite, congratulations!
Each member of Brecon SKC performed to their utmost ability, making Sensei Derek and Matt who watched their progress through the entire day very proud, as their members once again showed their competitors and Welsh Squad team mates that Brecon SKC is a very hard working and impressive club.
Congratulations to all that made it into the Welsh Squad. Pictures will be available soon.
Brecon Shotokan Karate Club Awards Night, 15th December 2012
Congratulations to our winners for 2012.
Most promising beginner -
Pia Smith.
Most promising pee wee girl -
Robyn Thompson.
Most promising pee wee boy -
Newton Limbu.
Most promising junior girl -
Sofie Evans.
Most promising junior boy -
Jack Jones.
Most improved girl -
Chloe Evans
Most improved boys -
Liyoung Roku Magar
Jacob Henman.
Best attitude award -
Bryn Nicholl
Caled Thomas.
Instructors award -
Rhydian Rogers.
Most outstanding -
Ryan Winney.
Oss.
Most promising beginner -
Pia Smith.
Most promising pee wee girl -
Robyn Thompson.
Most promising pee wee boy -
Newton Limbu.
Most promising junior girl -
Sofie Evans.
Most promising junior boy -
Jack Jones.
Most improved girl -
Chloe Evans
Most improved boys -
Liyoung Roku Magar
Jacob Henman.
Best attitude award -
Bryn Nicholl
Caled Thomas.
Instructors award -
Rhydian Rogers.
Most outstanding -
Ryan Winney.
Oss.
European Shotokan Karate Championships, Serbia 2012
On the 6th December 2012, Matt Stockham, Kirstie James, Nikki Stockham, Phillip Nicholl and Rhiannon Rogers from Brecon SKC boarded a flight with the Welsh Squad from Heathrow airport and headed for Belgrade, Serbia for the European Shotokan Karate Championships. The squad landed in Serbia late Thursday evening where they settled into their hotel and relaxed ready for the training session early the next morning.
The squad met at 6:30am Friday morning for the arranged training session which took place at the sports centre where the competition was taking place later that day. Training was going well for the whole squad and everyone looked sharp and relaxed, however, thirty minutes into the session Matt Stockham unfortunately injured his ankle (back in the UK it was found that Matt had pulled his ligament and cracked a bone). This was a very freak accident which not only was devastating to Matt who had worked incredibly hard in the build up to ESKA but also to the whole squad, as Matt is the lead fighter and one of the strongest characters in the entire Welsh time.
Saturday saw Brecon SKC students Nikki and Phillip up first to compete for their country in the Junior events. Nikki was entered in Junior Team Kata, Junior Individual Kumite and Junior Team Kumite and Phillip was entered in Junior Individual Kumite and Junior Team Kumite. Nikki fought first against an aggressive competitor representing Czech Republic; she fought well against her opponent reading her attacks and winning the fight two wazari to nill. Her next fight was against another extremely aggressive fighter from Denmark which proved to be a difficult and painful fight. Her competitor landed some aggressive blows and as a result Nikki had to have her nose plugged to finish the fight. Unfortunately Nikki lost the fight two wazari's to nill, but gained a little satisfaction knowing that her competitor went on to become the overall winner of the category.
Phillip was next to fight in the Individual Kumite and performed very well, having received some intense training sessions at Brecon SKC before hand in preparation for the event. Phillip had an amazing fight against a very good opponent, however, he unfortunatley failed to progress through to the later rounds.
Next was the Junior Team events, with the Team Kata being called first where Nikki was joined by Lauren Raggett and Meleri Pryse. The team performed well considering that they had been put together last minute as a late entry and had only practiced a handful of times together. Indeed, their kata performance showed a lot of promise for future competitions.
Team Kumite followed where Nikki, Lauren and Meleri were called up to meet the host nation Serbia in the second round. Nikki fought first and performed extremely well and took her opponent apart, scoring two wazaris within the alloted two mintues. Lauren fought second, and performed bravely against her much bigger opponent, however, after the Serbian scored a wazari close to the end of the two minutes Lauren failed to equalise before the bell rang and lost the fight one wazari to nill. The final fighter for Wales was Meleri whose speciality is Kata (on being told she would be fighting third said "but I don't like to fight!"), however, she stepped up and filled the last spot in the Team. Meleri fought very well against her opponent and took the fight to the Serb. Neither opponent had scored up until the last twelve seconds when unfortunately the Serbian fighter scored the one wazari needed to proceed through to the semi finals and the medal stages. All three girls showed an amazing performance for Wales.
The Junior Team Kumite was next where Phillip fought alongside team mates Jordan Cleaver and Mike Brand. Phillip was second man up and fought a very good and exciting fight with both competitors scoring one wazari each. Unfortunatley the team's final score was two draws and one loss meaning they did not proceed through to the later rounds.
Sunday saw the start of the Senior events where Kirstie, Nikki, Phillip and Rhiannon (who was making her International debut) lined up for their individual categories. Nikki's tatami started first and she faced a Spanish fighter in the first round of the individual kumite. Nikki beat her older and more experienced fighter, two wazaris to nill within the alloted two minutes. Nikki's next opponent was one of the most experienced and successful Polish fighters of recent years. Thankfully the Polish fighter did not completely control the fight, but unfortunately experience paid off and Nikki was beaten two wazari to nill. Kirstie was called to fight next against another very experienced Swedish fighter. Kirstie fought a very hard and determined fight, however, she was proven unsuccessful and lost two wazaris to nill. Rhiannon was last to fight out of the Brecon's girls and was called up against the captain of the Serbian team. After a tentative start Rhiannon calmed down and her movements relaxed as the fight progressed. After a hard battle the Serbian had to use all of her experience to defeat our fighter. After the Individual rounds our fighters had mixed emotions about their performances, however, they all still had their Team fight ahead of them in which they could lay any of their demons to rest.
The Welsh Ladies Team made up of Kirstie, Nikki and Rhiannon were up against one of the toughest teams in the world; Russia. Up first was Kirstie who controlled the area throughout the fight, however, both fighters found it difficult to land a decisive point. Unfortunately in the last remaining seconds of the fight, Kirstie's opponent landed a jodan punch which was awarded ippon. Next to fight was Nikki who was up against a strong, aggressive fighter who tried to bully her smaller opponent. It was a hard fight throughout the two minutes and Nikki gave everything on the mat; however, it wasn't to be and Wales were down 2-0. Last up to fight was Rhiannon who was now fighting for pride. The first minute showed the two fighters to be equally matched as Rhiannon pressured her opponent. In the final thirty seconds the Russian fighter ran in for an attack but was met with a jodan gyakusuki from Rhiannon which was awarded ippon by the judges. On reflection everyone in the team gave everything and were narrowly beaten by a strong Russian team, who eventually went on to win the Championships.
In the Senior Male Team Kumite, Phillip Nicholl was brought in to fight in place of his injured team mate Matt and once again, mirroring the Female Team kumite, the Male Team were drawn to fight Russia. Phillip was up to fight first against a very strong and much bigger opponent. This physical advantage proved to have no effect on Phillip at all, as he immediately took the fight to his opponent, not giving him any time to set up his attacks. He timed his punches perfectly and looked at ease on the mat. It ended with Phillip scoring a winning point with only a few seconds of time left. Unfortunately, Phillip had the only win out of the five man Welsh team, and as a result they did not proceed past the first round.
Reflecting on the Championships, it was a huge personal dissapoint for Matt and the squad that he was unable to compete in the Championships, however, with this dissapointment came an opportunity for Phillip to step into Matthew's shoes and gain the only win for the Senior Male Team. Kirstie's impressive pressure on her opponent in the Senior Female Team Kumite, Nikki's attitude when she fought the Polish captain as she continues to build on her competition experience and Rhiannon's ippon in her International debut. Brecon proved we play a huge part and have some of the most successful and determined fighters in the Welsh squad. Congratulations to all of you! You have made Brecon SKC and Wales proud.
The squad met at 6:30am Friday morning for the arranged training session which took place at the sports centre where the competition was taking place later that day. Training was going well for the whole squad and everyone looked sharp and relaxed, however, thirty minutes into the session Matt Stockham unfortunately injured his ankle (back in the UK it was found that Matt had pulled his ligament and cracked a bone). This was a very freak accident which not only was devastating to Matt who had worked incredibly hard in the build up to ESKA but also to the whole squad, as Matt is the lead fighter and one of the strongest characters in the entire Welsh time.
Saturday saw Brecon SKC students Nikki and Phillip up first to compete for their country in the Junior events. Nikki was entered in Junior Team Kata, Junior Individual Kumite and Junior Team Kumite and Phillip was entered in Junior Individual Kumite and Junior Team Kumite. Nikki fought first against an aggressive competitor representing Czech Republic; she fought well against her opponent reading her attacks and winning the fight two wazari to nill. Her next fight was against another extremely aggressive fighter from Denmark which proved to be a difficult and painful fight. Her competitor landed some aggressive blows and as a result Nikki had to have her nose plugged to finish the fight. Unfortunately Nikki lost the fight two wazari's to nill, but gained a little satisfaction knowing that her competitor went on to become the overall winner of the category.
Phillip was next to fight in the Individual Kumite and performed very well, having received some intense training sessions at Brecon SKC before hand in preparation for the event. Phillip had an amazing fight against a very good opponent, however, he unfortunatley failed to progress through to the later rounds.
Next was the Junior Team events, with the Team Kata being called first where Nikki was joined by Lauren Raggett and Meleri Pryse. The team performed well considering that they had been put together last minute as a late entry and had only practiced a handful of times together. Indeed, their kata performance showed a lot of promise for future competitions.
Team Kumite followed where Nikki, Lauren and Meleri were called up to meet the host nation Serbia in the second round. Nikki fought first and performed extremely well and took her opponent apart, scoring two wazaris within the alloted two mintues. Lauren fought second, and performed bravely against her much bigger opponent, however, after the Serbian scored a wazari close to the end of the two minutes Lauren failed to equalise before the bell rang and lost the fight one wazari to nill. The final fighter for Wales was Meleri whose speciality is Kata (on being told she would be fighting third said "but I don't like to fight!"), however, she stepped up and filled the last spot in the Team. Meleri fought very well against her opponent and took the fight to the Serb. Neither opponent had scored up until the last twelve seconds when unfortunately the Serbian fighter scored the one wazari needed to proceed through to the semi finals and the medal stages. All three girls showed an amazing performance for Wales.
The Junior Team Kumite was next where Phillip fought alongside team mates Jordan Cleaver and Mike Brand. Phillip was second man up and fought a very good and exciting fight with both competitors scoring one wazari each. Unfortunatley the team's final score was two draws and one loss meaning they did not proceed through to the later rounds.
Sunday saw the start of the Senior events where Kirstie, Nikki, Phillip and Rhiannon (who was making her International debut) lined up for their individual categories. Nikki's tatami started first and she faced a Spanish fighter in the first round of the individual kumite. Nikki beat her older and more experienced fighter, two wazaris to nill within the alloted two minutes. Nikki's next opponent was one of the most experienced and successful Polish fighters of recent years. Thankfully the Polish fighter did not completely control the fight, but unfortunately experience paid off and Nikki was beaten two wazari to nill. Kirstie was called to fight next against another very experienced Swedish fighter. Kirstie fought a very hard and determined fight, however, she was proven unsuccessful and lost two wazaris to nill. Rhiannon was last to fight out of the Brecon's girls and was called up against the captain of the Serbian team. After a tentative start Rhiannon calmed down and her movements relaxed as the fight progressed. After a hard battle the Serbian had to use all of her experience to defeat our fighter. After the Individual rounds our fighters had mixed emotions about their performances, however, they all still had their Team fight ahead of them in which they could lay any of their demons to rest.
The Welsh Ladies Team made up of Kirstie, Nikki and Rhiannon were up against one of the toughest teams in the world; Russia. Up first was Kirstie who controlled the area throughout the fight, however, both fighters found it difficult to land a decisive point. Unfortunately in the last remaining seconds of the fight, Kirstie's opponent landed a jodan punch which was awarded ippon. Next to fight was Nikki who was up against a strong, aggressive fighter who tried to bully her smaller opponent. It was a hard fight throughout the two minutes and Nikki gave everything on the mat; however, it wasn't to be and Wales were down 2-0. Last up to fight was Rhiannon who was now fighting for pride. The first minute showed the two fighters to be equally matched as Rhiannon pressured her opponent. In the final thirty seconds the Russian fighter ran in for an attack but was met with a jodan gyakusuki from Rhiannon which was awarded ippon by the judges. On reflection everyone in the team gave everything and were narrowly beaten by a strong Russian team, who eventually went on to win the Championships.
In the Senior Male Team Kumite, Phillip Nicholl was brought in to fight in place of his injured team mate Matt and once again, mirroring the Female Team kumite, the Male Team were drawn to fight Russia. Phillip was up to fight first against a very strong and much bigger opponent. This physical advantage proved to have no effect on Phillip at all, as he immediately took the fight to his opponent, not giving him any time to set up his attacks. He timed his punches perfectly and looked at ease on the mat. It ended with Phillip scoring a winning point with only a few seconds of time left. Unfortunately, Phillip had the only win out of the five man Welsh team, and as a result they did not proceed past the first round.
Reflecting on the Championships, it was a huge personal dissapoint for Matt and the squad that he was unable to compete in the Championships, however, with this dissapointment came an opportunity for Phillip to step into Matthew's shoes and gain the only win for the Senior Male Team. Kirstie's impressive pressure on her opponent in the Senior Female Team Kumite, Nikki's attitude when she fought the Polish captain as she continues to build on her competition experience and Rhiannon's ippon in her International debut. Brecon proved we play a huge part and have some of the most successful and determined fighters in the Welsh squad. Congratulations to all of you! You have made Brecon SKC and Wales proud.
KUGB Student Championships, November 2012
In November 2012 Brecon skc sent two of the students up to Chesterfield. Rhiannon Rogers who is studying nursing in Cardiff and Phillip Nicholl who is studying law at Swansea. The students, who had both been selected for Eska in
Serbia the following month were using this competition as a 'run out' because they had not competed for a while due to injuries. On the day Phillip had good performances through the elimination rounds and he found himself in the semi
finals against a very european fighter from Aberystwyth university. It was good preparation for Serbia and phillip took the fight to his opponent narrowly losing out on getting a place in the final. Next up was Rhiannon who was
recovering from a serious knee problem. The was no expectation for Rhiannon because of the injury and the competion was mainly for confidence and fight time. It was good to see her proceed through the elimination rounds against some very awkward opponents rounds and finding herself in the semi finals against an international from England. Unfortunately it wasnt a win for Rhiannon in the fight but she put up very good performances throughout the day. Well done to both and good luck in Serbia.
Senior Ladies Kumite - 3rd, Rhiannon Rogers
Senior Mens Kumite - 3rd, Phillip Nicholl
Serbia the following month were using this competition as a 'run out' because they had not competed for a while due to injuries. On the day Phillip had good performances through the elimination rounds and he found himself in the semi
finals against a very european fighter from Aberystwyth university. It was good preparation for Serbia and phillip took the fight to his opponent narrowly losing out on getting a place in the final. Next up was Rhiannon who was
recovering from a serious knee problem. The was no expectation for Rhiannon because of the injury and the competion was mainly for confidence and fight time. It was good to see her proceed through the elimination rounds against some very awkward opponents rounds and finding herself in the semi finals against an international from England. Unfortunately it wasnt a win for Rhiannon in the fight but she put up very good performances throughout the day. Well done to both and good luck in Serbia.
Senior Ladies Kumite - 3rd, Rhiannon Rogers
Senior Mens Kumite - 3rd, Phillip Nicholl
KUGB Shotokan Cup, September 2012
A select few members from Brecon Shotokan Karate Club joined karateka from all over Britain to compete in the 2012 Shotokan Cup at Queenspark Leisure Centre in Chesterfield on the 15th September.
Brecon SKC's day began extremely well when Jack Jones began the eliminations of the Boys 10-11 Kumite category. The first round proved to be a difficult start for Jack, fighting an awkward student from Merthyr Tydfil Karate Academy. At the end of the fight, the pair had one point each, forcing a minute extension. Jack went on to win his first round three points to one.
In the next two rounds, Jack found himself competing against two very talented fighters,;however, with Sensei Derek Stockham and the other Brecon black belts advising him from the corner, he made his way to the final.
The next category of the day saw Lucy Nicholl competing in the Girls 12-15 Under 5"3 Kumite and Girls Kata. Lucy competed well and showed great perserverance, however, she did not make it past the first round of either category, losing to two very formidable opponents.
This was followed by Nikki Stockham in the Junior Girls Kata performing Gojoshiho-sho; her routine's score found her ranked joint second in the category, qualifying for the final.
Phillip Nicholl and Nikki Stockham followed with their Kumite categories. Phillip Nicholl's first round was successful after winning 1-0 with and impressive "take and go" technique. In the next round fought well against a English Squad member, however, he did not proceed through.
Nikki Stockham sucessfully made her way through three rounds of Kumite before narrowly losing to the current Junior World Champion.
Kirstie James and Simon Pengelly were last to compete for Brecon Shotokan Karate Club.
Kirstie James narrowly missed out proceeding to the final of the Senior Ladies Kata with her performance of Gojoshiho-sho, and despite fighting tremendously well against one of Englands top female fighters, she failed to progress to the second round.
Simon Pengelly was the last to compete in the Senior Male Kumite, and was unlucky to be awarded a controversial ippon against him.
In the finals, Jack Jones continued fighting with his impressive style and with two "take and go" techniques he succeeded in winning the Boys 10-11 Kumite.
Nikki Stockham was the last Brecon karate to compete in the Girls Kata final, and after performing Gojoshiho-dai she was awarded fourth place.
Apologies for the lack of photographs available from the championships. Every picture that was taken of one of our students is now available to view under the 'Gallery' tab.
Congratulations to all that competed and represented Brecon Shotokan Karate Club !
Jack Jones, Boys 10-11 Kumite 1st place
Nikki Stockham, Girls Kata 4th place
Girls Kumite 3rd place
Brecon SKC's day began extremely well when Jack Jones began the eliminations of the Boys 10-11 Kumite category. The first round proved to be a difficult start for Jack, fighting an awkward student from Merthyr Tydfil Karate Academy. At the end of the fight, the pair had one point each, forcing a minute extension. Jack went on to win his first round three points to one.
In the next two rounds, Jack found himself competing against two very talented fighters,;however, with Sensei Derek Stockham and the other Brecon black belts advising him from the corner, he made his way to the final.
The next category of the day saw Lucy Nicholl competing in the Girls 12-15 Under 5"3 Kumite and Girls Kata. Lucy competed well and showed great perserverance, however, she did not make it past the first round of either category, losing to two very formidable opponents.
This was followed by Nikki Stockham in the Junior Girls Kata performing Gojoshiho-sho; her routine's score found her ranked joint second in the category, qualifying for the final.
Phillip Nicholl and Nikki Stockham followed with their Kumite categories. Phillip Nicholl's first round was successful after winning 1-0 with and impressive "take and go" technique. In the next round fought well against a English Squad member, however, he did not proceed through.
Nikki Stockham sucessfully made her way through three rounds of Kumite before narrowly losing to the current Junior World Champion.
Kirstie James and Simon Pengelly were last to compete for Brecon Shotokan Karate Club.
Kirstie James narrowly missed out proceeding to the final of the Senior Ladies Kata with her performance of Gojoshiho-sho, and despite fighting tremendously well against one of Englands top female fighters, she failed to progress to the second round.
Simon Pengelly was the last to compete in the Senior Male Kumite, and was unlucky to be awarded a controversial ippon against him.
In the finals, Jack Jones continued fighting with his impressive style and with two "take and go" techniques he succeeded in winning the Boys 10-11 Kumite.
Nikki Stockham was the last Brecon karate to compete in the Girls Kata final, and after performing Gojoshiho-dai she was awarded fourth place.
Apologies for the lack of photographs available from the championships. Every picture that was taken of one of our students is now available to view under the 'Gallery' tab.
Congratulations to all that competed and represented Brecon Shotokan Karate Club !
Jack Jones, Boys 10-11 Kumite 1st place
Nikki Stockham, Girls Kata 4th place
Girls Kumite 3rd place
Grand Slam Championships, August 2012
Four members of Brecon Shotokan Karate Club travelled to Chesterfield on the 18th August 2012 to compete against the English, Scottish and Irish Karate Squads.
Unfortunately due to illness Matt Stockham could not compete, however, he was there to mentor and support the students that were.
The day's competition began at 2 o'clock with Rhiannon Rogers in the Senior Female Kumite. In the first round she met an English squad competitor and fought a difficult fight, with both karateka trading a range of punching techniques. However, Rhiannon was unsuccessful in the first round, losing the fight two wasaris to one.
Kirstie James was next to fight and was drawn against Caroline McGrath, one of the most successful Female English fighters. Kirstie fought an amazing fight taking her competitor to a one minute extension after each scoring one wasari. The extension confirmed that both fighters were equally matched as they drew scores again, both scoring one wasari. One final extension was fought as the referees could not decide between the two fighters, however, although Kirstie gave an amazing performance for both Brecon SKC and Wales, she unfortunately lost.
Phillip Nicholl and Nikki Jayne Stockham followed competing in the Junior events. Nikki Jayne's first competitor was a member of the English squad, and after thirty seconds she performed a double punch and front foot jodan mawashi kick completing an ippon technique. Nikki Jayne's second competitor was a fellow Welsh Squad team mate and although this fight proved to be more difficult for Nikki Jayne, before the end of the two minute fight Nikki threw another double punch and front foot mawashi technique, earning her a second ippon. Nikki's third round was to proceed through to the final, where she met another English Squad member. Nikki threw a number of punching and kicking techniques and eventually winning the fight 2 wasaris to nil.
Phillip Nicholl, was next to represent Brecon SKC and Wales. Phillip was drawn to meet a talented fighter from the English Kumite Squad in the first round and although he fought an exciting fight, throwing a variety of punching and sweeping techniques, showing his diversity as a fighter, he lost this first round match.
With the eliminations complete, Nikki Jayne was called to fight against a new but very talented member of the English Squad in the final. The fight lasted the full two minutes, with both fighters showing impressive punching techniques. It was Nikki Jayne, however, who proceeded to win with two wasari punches to one, giving her the title of Junior Female Kumite Champion.
The next categories were the team events; Phillip Nicholl was chosen to fight for Wales against England as part of the Senior Male Team Kumite, and for the first time, the Welsh Senior Female Kumite team all orginiated from the same club, Kirstie James, Nikki Jayne Stockham and Rhiannon Rogers from Brecon SKC.
With a huge responsibility on his shoulders, Phillip showed true grit and determination to perform well for his club and Wales fighting extremely well against his fellow opponent. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts Phillip was unsuccessful.
Kirstie James, Nikki Jayne Stockham and Rhiannon Rogers were next to compete against the English Senior Female Team Kumite squad. Kirstie was first to compete, fighting the same opponent that she met in the indivual Kumite round. Kirstie again fought a very good fight, relying on what took her competitor to the wire in the indiviuals; 'jamming' her competitors chudan punch and following with swift countering techniques. However, she was unsuccessful losing one wasari to nil.
Rhiannon Rogers was Wales' second fighter to compete, drawing the current World Senior Team Kumite silver medalist. Rhiannon put a considerable amount of pressure onto her opponent showing great determination and effort against her more experienced competitor, however, unfortunately Rhiannon lost two wasaris to nil. Nikki Jayne was last to fight, drawing a new member to the Senior Female Kumite Team. Determined not make it a 3-0 win for England, Nikki Jayne produced an onslaught of attacks, punching, kicking and sweeping her opponent to win the last fight one wasari and one ippon punch.
Unfortunately due to illness Matt Stockham could not compete, however, he was there to mentor and support the students that were.
The day's competition began at 2 o'clock with Rhiannon Rogers in the Senior Female Kumite. In the first round she met an English squad competitor and fought a difficult fight, with both karateka trading a range of punching techniques. However, Rhiannon was unsuccessful in the first round, losing the fight two wasaris to one.
Kirstie James was next to fight and was drawn against Caroline McGrath, one of the most successful Female English fighters. Kirstie fought an amazing fight taking her competitor to a one minute extension after each scoring one wasari. The extension confirmed that both fighters were equally matched as they drew scores again, both scoring one wasari. One final extension was fought as the referees could not decide between the two fighters, however, although Kirstie gave an amazing performance for both Brecon SKC and Wales, she unfortunately lost.
Phillip Nicholl and Nikki Jayne Stockham followed competing in the Junior events. Nikki Jayne's first competitor was a member of the English squad, and after thirty seconds she performed a double punch and front foot jodan mawashi kick completing an ippon technique. Nikki Jayne's second competitor was a fellow Welsh Squad team mate and although this fight proved to be more difficult for Nikki Jayne, before the end of the two minute fight Nikki threw another double punch and front foot mawashi technique, earning her a second ippon. Nikki's third round was to proceed through to the final, where she met another English Squad member. Nikki threw a number of punching and kicking techniques and eventually winning the fight 2 wasaris to nil.
Phillip Nicholl, was next to represent Brecon SKC and Wales. Phillip was drawn to meet a talented fighter from the English Kumite Squad in the first round and although he fought an exciting fight, throwing a variety of punching and sweeping techniques, showing his diversity as a fighter, he lost this first round match.
With the eliminations complete, Nikki Jayne was called to fight against a new but very talented member of the English Squad in the final. The fight lasted the full two minutes, with both fighters showing impressive punching techniques. It was Nikki Jayne, however, who proceeded to win with two wasari punches to one, giving her the title of Junior Female Kumite Champion.
The next categories were the team events; Phillip Nicholl was chosen to fight for Wales against England as part of the Senior Male Team Kumite, and for the first time, the Welsh Senior Female Kumite team all orginiated from the same club, Kirstie James, Nikki Jayne Stockham and Rhiannon Rogers from Brecon SKC.
With a huge responsibility on his shoulders, Phillip showed true grit and determination to perform well for his club and Wales fighting extremely well against his fellow opponent. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts Phillip was unsuccessful.
Kirstie James, Nikki Jayne Stockham and Rhiannon Rogers were next to compete against the English Senior Female Team Kumite squad. Kirstie was first to compete, fighting the same opponent that she met in the indivual Kumite round. Kirstie again fought a very good fight, relying on what took her competitor to the wire in the indiviuals; 'jamming' her competitors chudan punch and following with swift countering techniques. However, she was unsuccessful losing one wasari to nil.
Rhiannon Rogers was Wales' second fighter to compete, drawing the current World Senior Team Kumite silver medalist. Rhiannon put a considerable amount of pressure onto her opponent showing great determination and effort against her more experienced competitor, however, unfortunately Rhiannon lost two wasaris to nil. Nikki Jayne was last to fight, drawing a new member to the Senior Female Kumite Team. Determined not make it a 3-0 win for England, Nikki Jayne produced an onslaught of attacks, punching, kicking and sweeping her opponent to win the last fight one wasari and one ippon punch.
Welsh Karate Championships, June 2012
Brecon Shotokan Karate Club has been recognised as the best club in Wales at the National Shotokan Karate Championships last month.
Karateka from all over Wales travelled to the Rhydycar Leisure Centre in Merthyr Tydfil to compete in a range of disciplines that included ippon kumite (pre-arranged fighting), shobo ippon kumite (free fighting) and kata (sequential movements). The disciplines took place both as individual and team events; the categories ranged from age 11 and under (pee-wee), 12 to 15 years (boys/girls), 16 to 18 years (cadet), 18 to 21 years (junior) and over 21 (senior).
Over the last decade, Brecon SKC has earned the reputation of being one of the most successful fighting clubs on the national circuit; however, this year training was intensified to challenge the
kata division.
Brecon saw its first success in the pee-wee kata when Liyong Mager was awarded a bronze medal; this was closely followed by Ryan Winney who won silver in the boys’kata division. The kata medal tally soon increased when the senior members of the club competed, resulting in Matthew Stockham collecting a bronze medal, Kirstie James winning a silver medal and Nikki Jayne Stockham achieving a gold medal in the individual events. However, the biggest roar from the spectators came later that day when Matthew, Kirstie and Nikki Jayne joined forces to compete in the Senior Team Kata event. The eliminations saw them perform the brown belt kata, Enpi, but it was on the finals mat that they surprised everyone by executing a near flawless routine of the rarely seen 4th dan black belt kata, Tekki Sandan.
Brecon also attained medal success in almost every kumite category they entered. Bronze medals were achieved by Elin Howells, Lucy Nicholl and Rhiannon Rogers in their respective categories. Kirstie James added to her success in the kata by gaining another silver medal in the Senior Female Kumite; and Matthew Stockham, Simon Pengelly and Philip Nicoll also won silver in the Senior Team Kumite event. Gold medals were won by Newton Limbu in the Pee-wee Ippon category, Jack Jones in the 10-11 years Shobo Ippon event, Philip Nicholl in the Junior Male Kumite and Nikki Jayne Stockham in the Senior Female Kumite.
Nikki’s two individual gold medals won her the title of Female Grand Champion but the additional third gold medal attained in the Team Kata saw Nikki achieve something that has never been seen before in the history of the Championships, a Triple Crown.
The combined successes saw Brecon Shotokan Karate Club awarded the title of Best Club in Wales!
Karateka from all over Wales travelled to the Rhydycar Leisure Centre in Merthyr Tydfil to compete in a range of disciplines that included ippon kumite (pre-arranged fighting), shobo ippon kumite (free fighting) and kata (sequential movements). The disciplines took place both as individual and team events; the categories ranged from age 11 and under (pee-wee), 12 to 15 years (boys/girls), 16 to 18 years (cadet), 18 to 21 years (junior) and over 21 (senior).
Over the last decade, Brecon SKC has earned the reputation of being one of the most successful fighting clubs on the national circuit; however, this year training was intensified to challenge the
kata division.
Brecon saw its first success in the pee-wee kata when Liyong Mager was awarded a bronze medal; this was closely followed by Ryan Winney who won silver in the boys’kata division. The kata medal tally soon increased when the senior members of the club competed, resulting in Matthew Stockham collecting a bronze medal, Kirstie James winning a silver medal and Nikki Jayne Stockham achieving a gold medal in the individual events. However, the biggest roar from the spectators came later that day when Matthew, Kirstie and Nikki Jayne joined forces to compete in the Senior Team Kata event. The eliminations saw them perform the brown belt kata, Enpi, but it was on the finals mat that they surprised everyone by executing a near flawless routine of the rarely seen 4th dan black belt kata, Tekki Sandan.
Brecon also attained medal success in almost every kumite category they entered. Bronze medals were achieved by Elin Howells, Lucy Nicholl and Rhiannon Rogers in their respective categories. Kirstie James added to her success in the kata by gaining another silver medal in the Senior Female Kumite; and Matthew Stockham, Simon Pengelly and Philip Nicoll also won silver in the Senior Team Kumite event. Gold medals were won by Newton Limbu in the Pee-wee Ippon category, Jack Jones in the 10-11 years Shobo Ippon event, Philip Nicholl in the Junior Male Kumite and Nikki Jayne Stockham in the Senior Female Kumite.
Nikki’s two individual gold medals won her the title of Female Grand Champion but the additional third gold medal attained in the Team Kata saw Nikki achieve something that has never been seen before in the history of the Championships, a Triple Crown.
The combined successes saw Brecon Shotokan Karate Club awarded the title of Best Club in Wales!