The 43rd KUGB National Championships took place at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on Sunday 17th of May.
The event attracts hundreds of Karateka from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to compete in the twenty various events for adults, juniors and children.

The finals opened with the introduction of the KUGB’s Technical Committee - Senseis Andy Sherry, Terry O’Neill, Bob Poynton, Bob Rhodes, Billy Higgins and Frank Brennan. This was followed by the awarding of long-standing member (LSM) certificates to those who have shown their dedication to the organisation over periods of twenty, thirty and forty years; in all, the KUGB now has 282 LSMs.

Members of the KUGB’s National England Senior and Junior Squads were then introduced following their tremendous success in the last European championships.

A special award of an antique Japanese pure silver art deco bowl was then presented to Sensei Sherry by founder member of the KUGB, Dot Naylor, to commemorate his 50th year as a practising Karateka.

Many exciting and spirited performances were seen throughout the finals and congratulations to all the successful contestants.

Thanks to all our referees, judges, table officials, doctors, NIA staff and supporters for making the championship run so smoothly and to all the competitors for producing such a high standard of Karate.

Senior Instructors
R – L Andy Sherry, Terry O’Neill, Bob Poynton, Bob Rhodes, Billy Higgins, and Frank Brennan

Senior and Junior European Team Champions
L – R Dean Field, Michael Davison, Antony Duffy, John Bruce, Christopher Cray, Liam O’Grady, Jonathon McGorian, Ryan Tucker and Craig Reynolds.

Sensei Sherry presented with 50th year anniversary award of antique Japanese Pure Silver Bowl by Dot Naylor

Junior Squad Members Demonstration
L - R. Hisham Saif, Alex Poole and Alex Hutton.

RESULTS

Male Team Kumite
1 Sendai Kushiro
2 Malvern A
3 Red Triangle
3 Halewood B

Male Senior Kumite
1 John Bruce (Sendai Kushiro)
2 Michael Davison (Sendai Kushiro)
3 Liam O’Grady (York)
3 Stephen Olver (Sendai Kushiro)

Male Kata
1 Dean Field (Manchester University)
2 Anthony Duffy (Red Triangle)
3 John Bruce (Sendai Kushiro)
4 David Wright (Leeds Karate Academy)

Female Team Kumite
1 Halewood
2 Leeds Karate Academy
3 Ronin
3 Zanshin N I

Female Senior Kumite
1 Kelly Perry (Ronin)
2 Ashley Scott (Leeds Karate Academy)
3 Holly Sterling (Sendai Kushiro)
3 Vicky Phillips (Manchester University)

Female Kata
1 Holly Sterling (Sendai Kushiro)
2 Vicky Phillips (Manchester University)
3 Tracey Bruce (Sendai Kushiro)
4 Ashley Scott (Leeds Karate Academy)

Senior Demonstration John Bruce (airborne) Stephen Olver, Michael Davison, Mark Henderson.

Male Junior Kumite 16 -17
1 Joseph Rawcliffe (Halewood)
2 James McGorrian (Halewood)
3 Max Bell (Halewood)
3 Jason Plumb (Makenki)

Male Junior Kumite 18 – 20
1 Ryan Tucker (Leeds Karate Academy)
2 David Wright (Leeds Karate Academy)
3 Craig Reynolds (Croxteth)
3 Kevin Hayes (Croxteth)

Female Junior Kumite
1 Rianne Blundell (Halewood)
2 Amanda Evans (Halewood)
3 Mel Finlay (Leeds Karate Academy)
3 Emma Finlay (Leeds Karate Academy)

Adult Team Kata
1 Manchester University
2 Leeds Karate Academy
3 Tekki RS
4 Hutton

Boys Kumite 10 – 11
1 Ethan Parsons (Leeds Shotokan)
2 Connor Wilson (St Johns)
3 Kyle Watkins (Bargoed)
3 Liam Gill (Malvern)

Boys Kumite Under 5’
1 Eric Austin-Coskry (Chelmsford)
2 Jordan Harrigan (Strabane)
3 Josh Smith (Halewood)
3 Jamie Matthews (Bargoed)

Boys Kumite 5ft to 5’ 5”
1 James Brown (Leeds Karate Academy)
2 Matthew Humphries (Leeds Shotokan)
3 Lloyd Birt (Bargoed)
3 Jack Somers (Chelmsford)

Boys Kumite Over 5’ 5”
1 Michael Jeffery (Chelmsford)
2 Elliott Parsons (Leeds)
3 Jordan Cleaver (Merthyr Tydfil)
3 Jordan Probst (Leeds Karate Academy)

Girls Kumite 10 – 11
1 Sammi King (York)
2 Alice Atkinson (York)
3 Tessa Campbell (Zanshin NI)
3 Jess Palmer (Tekki RS)

Girls Kumite Under 5’ 3”
1 Alexandra Poole (Halewood)
2 Hanna Peel (St Helens)
3 Nicole Garton (St Helens)
3 Georgia Irwin (Low Fell)

Girls Kumite 5’ 3” and over
1 Megan Dent (Sendai Kushiro)
2 Rebecca Rawcliffe (Kirkby)
3 Afsana Pavez (Makenki)
3 Beth Nicholas (Sendai Kushiro)

Children’s Ippon Kumite
1 Lauren James (Can Do Martial Arts)
2 Ilyas Ahmed (Al Ghazali)
3 Bethany Reld (Dunfermline)
3 Austin Endo (Makenki)

Children’s Kata (4th kyu and below)
1 Caitlin Tam (St Johns)
2 Scott Murphy (Malvern)
3 Alex Lewis-Evans (Tekki)
4 Melissa Makin (St Johns)

Children’s Kata (3rd kyu and above)
1 Jack Somers (Chelmsford)
2 Chris Hamilton (Sendai Kushiro)
3 Michael Gale (Leeds Shotokan)
4 Jason Crowther (York)

Children’s Team Kata
1 Chelmsford A
2 Ashington
3 Chelmsford B
4 Dumfermline A

Sensei Enoeda Memorial Trophy for the most outstanding senior competitor
John Bruce (Sendai Kushiro)

Derek Langham Memorial Trophy for the most outstanding junior competitor (16 – 20)
Joseph Rawcliffe (Halewood)

Charles Naylor Memorial Trophy for the most outstanding junior competitor (Under 16)
Jack Somers (Chelmsford

John Bruce and Holly Sterling

Many thanks to Mike O’Connor for the excellent Photographs