Welsh Bushi Kai Invitational Championships 2008
10 members of the SKA squad, plus 1 from Hanko-Ryu Harlow, competed on Sunday 5th October 2008 in Port Talbot, Wales. Unfortunately Louise Hicks had to pull out at the last minute due to illness so we wish her well and Rod Barton and Ryan Beavington had other commitments, but they were all missed. The squad were all attending the Welsh Bushi Kai Invitational Championships for the first time but they certainly made an impact. Even though luck did not seem to be going their way, they still brought home 11 medals and reassuringly half of the wins came from kata and half from kumite. Both the kumite team and kata team also medalled.
The day got off to a fantastic start when the SKA team kata girls, CHLOE PHARO, ELLIE BARTON and SIAN BARTON won 2 rounds to make it to the open grade, open age, team kata final. They used the opportunity to practise their Bunkai, although it was not compulsory, and they captivated the whole crowd with their admirable display. All of the spectators went quiet whilst watching the girls and they cheered very loudly for them afterwards! Their bunkai was far from perfect but they deserved the applause and recognition they received, as for girls of 10 and 11yrs old they were excellent! It was a great experience and a confidence boost for the young team who did not drop a flag throughout.
In the individual kata the judging was not the same as at National / International level competitions as they often look for different criteria at club level tournaments like this one. However, it’s all worthwhile experience and in the 12yrs and under, 4th kyu and below category, KATIE PHARO, TONI SHERING, LEWIS HOLMES, EDWARD VAN MEERKERK and BETHANY SCOULDING all did well. 4th kyu Edward went the furthest but lost his edge in the final to take silver. 7th kyu Katie was her strongest yet and lost in a close semi-final but took bronze. 7th kyu Toni was unlucky to come out in the first round but she performed well and that is the most important thing. 4th kyu Bethany won 3 rounds before loosing to Edward in a split decision in the quarter final and 5yr old Lewis who is only 9th kyu, lost only to Katie in the quarter final after winning 2 rounds. They all did well in a big group and they should be proud of themselves. This group is designed for competitors who have less experience than the 3rd kyu+ group, but this system can be taken advantage of by coaches who hold students back from grading purely to keep them competing amongst less experienced competitors and they present their competitors as 4th kyu’s for an awfully long time. It is a sad fact that the SKA do not agree with but we will not dwell on it and still give credit to those who win. This is one of the reasons why we attend competitions like this purely for experience and well done to Lewis, Toni and Bethany for their fantastic effort and to Katie and Edward for winning bronze and silver respectively.
In the 3rd kyu and above, under 12yrs group, SIAN BARTON, ELLIE BARTON, CHLOE PHARO, MICHAEL HOLMES and JAMES DAVIES (Hanko-Ryu Harlow) all showed precision and strength in their katas. Chloe was the soul competitor out of the 5 contestants to emerge with a medal and it was a well earned bronze. Well done to all of them for producing some outstanding performances and improving at a fast pace. SIMON BONELLO was the only senior SKA competitor and he took a bronze in the mens kata. Most of the decisions were taken with a pinch of salt but all of the competitors were given positive feedback on their katas and will continue to make the most of every experience they have competing.
In the kumite, TONI SHERING and MICHAEL HOLMES showed how advanced they are for their age as they both stormed through to take golds in the 7yrs and under fighting groups. LEWIS HOLMES took a bronze in the boys 7yrs and under section after winning 2 rounds and although he was disappointed about not meeting Michael in the final, lots of people commented on how talented he is for a 5yr old.
KATIE PHARO, who is only a 7th kyu, fought with determination and took a bronze after a close semi-final match in the 9yrs and under group. EDWARD VAN MEERKERK fought well and started catching up with his opponent but then lost in the 1st round of the boys, 9yrs and under kumite. As the reigning champions of this group, Bleu and Cuba Parris were not there due to celebrating their birthday, it seemed Edward had a good chance of medalling, but it was not to be! The SKA would like to wish the Parris twins a Happy 10th Birthday and congratulate them for the many titles they won in the 9yrs and under groups.
All of the other competitors were in the girls, 10-11yrs open weight kumite group. Although SIAN BARTON has only just turned 10yrs old and has a small chance of winning an open weight group, she still enters for the experience and this strong way of thinking will pay off in future. BETHANY SCOULDING fought well but did not get points awarded from the head judge and missed out by 1 point in her second round. ELLIE BARTON lost to a much bigger girl but she is still in the early stages of competing in kumite and she is improving every time. She always comes off the matt smiling which is very important! CHLOE PHARO is showing huge improvement in her fighting and after a very tough semi final, she went on to win the final by a large point margin to take a well earned gold.
The SKA started the day with a team and finished with a team. MICHAEL HOLMES, age 7, TONI SHERING, age 7, EDWARD VAN MEERKERK, age 9 and KATIE PHARO, age 9, represented the SKA in the 9yrs and under mixed team kumite. They went through one round after Toni and Katie both won their bouts by a clear margin. In the semi’s they faced the eventual winners, Vale, who are a very talented bunch of competitors. Edward lost his fight, but then after Michael skilfully beat a very tough opponent their fate was in Toni’s hands! She did well considering her size, age and grade but it wasn’t enough to earn them a place in the final. They won bronze and ended the day on a high note.
The coaches were proud of everybody on the day and this year the squad have been extremely consistent with improving and performing to their best ability. There were some outstanding performances from the youngsters and they are all working hard to keep meeting their individual goals.
Overall 4 golds, 1 silver and 6 bronze medals were won by the SKA and congratulations goes to all who competed! It was yet another successful day and every competitor is showing to have the right attitude on and off the mats.
Ooosshhaaaaaa!!
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