Benchmark and grow!

Back in December of 2024 the four Directors of the AKA met and amongst other developments it was agreed that the time had come to rebuild our competition team.

I was installed as Team Manager and Lead Coach supported by Sensei Keith Williams.

We hosted our first team training at the Taro leisure centre in February and have been meeting every 8 weeks or so since.

The initial plan was that the first six months would be an opportunity to consolidate and fulfil existing commitments and then opportunities would be created for our AKA athletes to compete as a team.

The first competition we confirmed was the HDKI Nationals in Solihull, an event we have attended before and is organised beautifully by Paul Uren Sensei and his colleagues.

So back in the summer we asked for those who wished to be considered for the event to complete our sign-up form and then myself and Sensei Williams reviewed those for selection.

Initially we had a team of 25 confirmed, but due to the inevitabilities of life such as work, injuries and finances, we finalised our team at 19 competitors and 32 entries.

We had decided to travel up the day of the event, so it was with a slight sense of disbelief that I rose to my alarm at 3.30am and jumped in the shower. Once ready I headed over to Denmead to collect Jess Cheong Sensei who has stepped up to support us in our team efforts. Jess is a passionate karateka and thrives on organisation and projects, so it is great to have her with us on this journey.

I was soon parked outside Jess’s house and on the arrival of Dave Galloway Sensei and his daughter Orlaith we were on the road. Soon I was talking everyone’s ears off in true karate-geek fashion.

The drive was smooth and hassle free and after a brief breakfast stop-off at Starbucks we arrived at the North Solihull Sports Centre.

Having attended this event in 2023 we missed it last year as it clashed with the Petersfield Dojo’s anniversary event. It was clear that the new venue was a significant upgrade and a decent venue for a karate competition of this size.

The primary goal of this event was for our team to gel as a group rather than representatives from different dojos. So, it was heartwarming to see groups and families arriving together and sharing fist bumps, hugs and high-fives.

After catching up with our former SEKU team-mate and great friend Paul Uren, Jess and I checked that all athletes were entered into the correct categories before gathering in the corner of the arena for a team talk.

Our goals were simple:

1.      Bond as an Association Team

2.      Enjoy the mat time and dust off the summer cobwebs

3.      Relish the experience

4.      Enhance performances in advance of our AKA tournament later this year.

After the inclusive and team kata events we were soon in the mix of the action with young Caleb sporting his fresh corn rows up first in kata.

It was a small category but nonetheless an impressive start for Caleb in his first venture outside of our inhouse competitions. Caleb secured a solid 2^nd place with a score of 24.0 for his Heian Nidan.

Next up was Jenna from our Kensho dojo in East Sussex flying the flag for Sensei Anthony and his passionate team.

Jenna was nervous before the event but was supported beautifully by her lovely parents. I explained to Jenna that ‘Leaders go first’ and regardless of her results she would always be the first Kensho member to step on these mats.

Jenna performed a confident Heian Sandan but lost by split decision on the flags.

Next up was young Lightening Duff who is a solid and confident young athlete. Never one to give away too many emotions Noah keeps it cool! Noah had a tough drawer and unfortunately lost in the first round to the eventual winner of the event.

Soon enough all three areas were in full flow, so Myself and Sensei’s Williams and Galloway split coaching responsibilities while Jess did an incredible job of informing the competitors of where they needed to be and when. Communication and the efficient passing of information in the moment can be the difference between good and great performances. Jess was wonderful at managing everyone and keeping them informed and thus calm. Thanks Jess 😊!

Our biggest event for entries in kata was event 6 and the first up was Jasper.

Jasper has a strong build and a kind smile. He is a great human, and he has been working incredibly hard this year. We were thrilled to see him put in a sharp performance of Heian Sandan and win by three flags against a Black Belt opponent. Tommy turned to me and said, ‘Wow Sensei, he has got tonnes better!’

Spot on Jasper, everyone would agree your progress this year has been brilliant.

Ben R was the next to step on the mats to perform a powerful Heian Yondan which unfortunately did not sway the judges this time. Ben has a great attitude and is an attentive listener so we know he will make some tweaks and come back stronger next time.

Betty-Rose has matured a great deal this year but still puts herself under a lot of pressure. We know that is because she simply cares so much about her karate. Her hunger and passion for the wins can only mean that one day they will come. Betty put in a strong performance but did not medal this time.

Then soon enough Jasper was back on for his second round where unfortunately his Heian Shodan was not quite good enough to better his black belt opponent.

Beau was soon in full flow with a sharp Heian Godan but neither he nor Tommy’s Heian Sandan took them through to the next round. Orlaith never seems fazed, but despite her calm attitude was unfortunate not to progress past the first round in kata.

Alongside Orlaith was Anna who has trained like an absolute demon all summer. Her kata is maturing, and her time will come. But today was sadly not her day.

Another smaller entry faced Rafael in kata who had to reboot and quickly prepare himself for a straight final. Rafael has incredible spring and a wonderful explosive power. He is a humble individual but worthy of his 3^rd place with incredible power and potential.

Pandora was with us for the final time this year before she heads off travelling. Our resident ‘surf-dude’, nothing phases P! Her first kata was Heian Nidan and she prevailed with 4 flags to one. Unfortunately, this result was reversed in the next round where her opponents Heian Yondan was preferred. Regardless, it was a strong start for Pandora who displayed her normal swagger.

Despite being a veteran Ionuts can hold his own in any kata environment, so we had entered him in the male black belt event as well as the over 40’s category. He had a really tough draw against an eventual finalist, but it served him well to get on the mats and release the adrenalin.

In the ladies’ event we had both Amber and Ciani competing. Amber opted for Jiin while Ciani chose Ninjushiho. Both lost out to a solid Gojushihosho from a spirited opponent with Ciani and Amber placing just outside the medals in joint 4^th.

Ciani returned to karate last year after a break of over 25 years and is showing wonderful improvement as she re-establishes herself in a gi. Amber has clearly been working hard this year and was looking sharp. It is hard to compete against teammates when on the road.

Well done ladies!

Suddenly it was the male veterans turn and Ionuts won his first round with a good Heian Yondan then repeating the win with a Heian Nidan against a strong opponent. In the final Ionut opted for Sochin and secured a well-earned silver medal.

Once the kata events were finished the buzz in the hall began to increase as everyone anticipated the kumite events.

It was great to see our members mixing and warming up with each other, smiling and exchanging techniques and advice/support.

Jenna stepped up a little nervous but began to move well. Soon enough she scored with a sharp reverse punch and began to settle in. She then scored the second point to confidently win her match. After another spirited display Jenna secured second place and the widest smile in the room. It was great to see :-)

Every week Caleb turns up at the dojo full of enthusiasm and smiles. He simply loves karate!

He set out in this his first Kumite event on the road without any visible nerves. Coached by Sensei Keith Williams he progressed smoothly through the rounds with sharp point scoring from range. Securing a 1^st place in his first kumite event outside our association. Caleb has great promise and should prove one to watch.

First up for the ladies was young Scarlett whose steely glare is only bettered by her lightening fast gyaku-tsuki. There were only three competitors in Scarletts event so Paul Uren Sensei explained that it would be a ‘round-robin’. In her first fight Scarlet scored first with a Gizami and then secured a confident win with a reverse punch.

Her opponent in the next round was a classy black belt who demonstrated her experience to win while Scarlet still had the confidence to throw some big legs. Scarlet secured an impressive second place and had a wide smile for the rest of the day that was only bettered by the proud grin on her Dad Gary’s face. 😊

Anna J stepped up next and began moving extremely well. After getting caught with a chudan mawashi she stepped up and found her lightning speed levelling the match with a fast punch. Anna then appeared to score first with a perfectly controlled Jodan punch but sadly the referees scored the opponent’s counter.

Anna was clearly disappointed, but she is classy. She kept it together and buried the emotions. I really felt for her as she has been working so hard. Sometimes these things just don’t go our way.

Betty-Rose being marginally taller than Scarlet was in the same division as Anna which was a tough challenge. But Betty is full of spirit and equipped herself well. Despite losing this round she moved well and threw some diverse techniques. It’s only a matter of time till one of those round house kicks lands. Keep up the great work B!

Orlaith has a superpower and that is her relaxed nature. Nothing seems to phase her. Initially I thought about naming her the ‘Ice-Maiden’ but she has more of a lovely, relaxed nature than an emotionless machine. So perhaps Dorey like the wonderfully good natured and always happy character in Finding Nemo would be more apt?

Regardless Orlaith was on top form. Starting with an impressive Punch combination to win round one, then winning round two with a Jodan Ippon head kick in around 6 seconds. In the final she faced the young lady who Anna had fought.

Orlaith was unlucky as her head kick glanced off, and she only scored wazari. However, the other young lady was skilled and composed and prevailed by two wazari’s to one. As always Orlaith was smiley and thrilled. I hope she always keeps the lovely, relaxed way.

In their first rounds both Tommy and Bremner kept it simple and clean winning convincingly while maintaining range.

Beau won his first round in style with an explosive Gizami from distance that caught his opponent cold.

Jasper and Ben R equipped themselves well but will benefit from more exposure on the road to gain experience. They had excellent spirit and good presence, so the future is bright for these young men.

In the second round Bremner fought the most aggressive competitor in the division. I was impressed to see him deliver a chudan kikomi that put his opponent on his backside. Whilst I felt the technique was worthy of Ippon the referees gave Brem a warning for control which I felt was harsh.

It was hard for Brem to come back from that, and his opponent won the match. Brem will inevitably keep getting better and I love the fact that he found the confidence to deploy the kick under pressure.

Beau then found himself against a deceptive fighter with incredible timing. Having put himself under a lot of pressure to win his opponent picked him off with skill. Fair play! A harsh lesson, but one we have all had to learn at some time.

In his next round Tommy began to find his flow and linked techniques together with skill winning with an ippon head kick.

Tommy then stepped up for the final against Beau’s opponent. Tommy skilfully put him on the back foot with a lead arm feint and filled the gap with a jodan mawashi to win by ippon as I leapt from the coaching chair.

Tommy caught the eye of a number of the referees for not just his skill but also his manners and sportsmanship. A few of them came over and spoke to me about these attributes and I was proud they had recognised this in Big T. 😊

Pandora was moving extremely well on the day but sadly was not in the medals this time. P has matured a lot since taking her Shodan and will continue to grow. With diverse experience beckoning in her gap year, we are looking forward to seeing her karate evolve.

In the over 16’s Ben S who has shot up this year and now towers over most of the coaches. He has great range and is keen to learn. He suffered the heavy legs we have all felt when they have been adrenalin filled all day, but he was composed on the mat and not rushed by his opponent. He is very receptive to feedback and will benefit from increased mat time. Ben fought well but was pipped to the points.

Jacob C (aka Cookie) had a frustrating day. Like Beau he can be very hard on himself. He has had success in the past and it will happen again. Just trust the process and keep up the great work in the dojo. It still amazes me that he can see anything from under his epic fringe!

Rafael has all the tools and simply needs experience to mature his performances in kumite. On this occasion he stepped up beautifully and was much more relaxed on the mats. His confidence and his control are constantly improving, and he secured a well-earned second place.

Next up was our final event, the lady’s veteran kumite where frustratingly Ciani had been drawn against Amber. Ciani put in a convincing performance on this occasion but was then stifled by her opponent in the final. Regardless we were happy with a Silver and bronze, Well-done Team.

Throughout the day we had been supported wonderfully by our travelling contingent in the bleachers. Even the Storey clan were in attendance cheering everyone on. Massive thank you guys. 😊

Jess continued to support, organise people and rustle back-up our kit and was a vital link in the chain throughout the whole day.

A few injuries in kumite (thankfully not to our team) slowed down what had been a very efficient day, but we managed to stay to watch the much-anticipated Male kumite events before we had to leave.

It was great to see so much spirit and controlled edge on display.

As we said our goodbyes it was great to see everyone sharing hugs, smiles and fist bumps before we headed for our cars for the drive back south. Several of us then accidentally reconvened at Warwick services where a KFC was the order of the day.

Was the day a success?

Well, some individuals may have been frustrated with their own performances. However, from the coach’s perspective we witnessed everyone working as one team.

Our AKA team. And that was the reason we were there!

Well done TEAM!

#goteamAKA