The Spring Karate Course, 15-19 April 2019

Each year, for the past 34 years, Torbay has been the setting for The Spring Karate Course,  also known as 'Train with the Champions', a course hosted by the top Senior Instructors in the KUGB all of whom have been successful International Competitors.

Class is about to start

The Senseis are: Andy Sherry (9th Dan), Terry O'Neill (8th Dan), Bob Poynton (8th Dan), Bob Rhodes (8th Dan), Billy Higgins (8th Dan) and Frank Brennan (8th Dan).

 

Line Up

The course is a firm favourite with Karateka all around the Country and continues to grow each year as the opportunity to train with Instructors of this calibre is not to be missed. This year more than 200 Karateka from all over the UK and abroad trained each day.

Sensei Sherry

The week is designed to allow those attending to immerse themselves into the world of top class Karate. Classes are divided into groups in accordance with grades (from Novice to Black Belt) and there is the opportunity to train with each of these inspirational Instructors.

Sensei O'Neill

Each lesson is structured to ensure equal emphasis was placed on the correct learning and development of the fundamentals of Kihon, Kata and Kumite. As the Senior Instructors rotated they brought to each class their individual style, strengths and experiences to maximize the benefit to their students (whether novice or seasoned Black Belt).

Sensei Poynton

On top of the nine classes during the week, there are also two additional classes with Sensei Sherry and Sensei Brennan for those students preparing to take Dan gradings in the near future.

Sensei Rhodes

Students can also take advantage of the Bo classes (Japanese Fighting Staff) taught by Sensei Ian MacLaren, as well as lectures from Sensei MacLaren and Sensei Ivan Birch and a Social Evening.

Sensei Higgins

Sensei Brennan

A Kata competition was held on the Thursday afternoon for three different grade categories - Novice to 4th Kyu, Brown Belts and Black Belts. For some, this was their first taste of competition and many commented that the support given by both other course participants and the Senseis helped in calming their nerves. 

The results were as follows :

Kata Competition

Dan Grade Winners

1. Alex Lockett - Chelmsford 
2. James Eva - Somerset Ryu
3. Charlotte Dale - Ichiban 
4. Nick Nelson - Chelmsford

Brown Belt Winners

1. Aya Miao - Red Lion
2. Melissa Bennett - Williams
3. Naomi Case - Somerset Ryu
4. James Rowland - Willand

Kyu Grade Winners

1. Miya Rose Curtis - Somerset Ryu
2. Jimmy Feng - Senshi
3. Molly Glynn - Taunton
4. Mason Perkins - Ikkyo

A grading was held on the Friday and congratulations go to all those students who were successful in achieving their Grades.

Nidan

Isabelle Bate - Sei do Kan
Alexander Boyce - Chesterfield 
Edwin Dinn - Makenki
Shannon Hardman - Senshuken 
Emily Keith- Ikkyo Aberystwyth

Shodan

David Brown - Tsutahashi
Maddie Deakin - Senshuken
Chris Hallam - South Notts
Nasreen Khathun - Newcastle University 
Luke Needham - Regashi Karate Academy 
Joel Oliver - Tsutahashi
Zoe Perry - Seishin
Dominic Prentis - Pegasus Wingfoot
Matthew Ravenscroft - South Notts
Annabelle Watson - South Notts
Joshua Wells – Barnstaple

As always it was a fantastic week and everyone who attended thoroughly enjoyed the training.  Sensei Andy Sherry, on behalf of the other Senior Instructors, said "We would like to thank everyone who attended the course, we were all very pleased with the dedication and enthusiasm of all those who trained. Furthermore, we would also like to congratulate those who competed in the Competition on Thursday and those who Graded on Friday. There has already been a lot of positive feedback and people are asking for the dates of next year’s course".

Thank you also to all of the volunteers who helped during the week and the many friends and families who came with those that trained, making up our#KUGBFamily.

Sensei Sherry, Sensei O'Neill, Sensei Poynton, Sensei Rhodes, Sensei Higgins and Sensei Brennan are all #proudtobeKUGB and they are looking forward to this year's Summer Course in Lancaster.

Ben Taylor

This was my first time at the Spring course in Paignton, having previously attended the Summer course in Lancaster, and it didn’t disappoint! The opportunity to train under the Senior KUGB Instructors and alongside European and World championship-level competitors is unique and was an absolute privilege. Despite training for over twenty years now, the standard and diversity of training that is delivered during the week means that I came away from each session with something new to focus on and improve to take my karate to the next level. I also attended with my Daughter for the first time and she thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and now can’t wait to go to the Lancaster course! A great week away as a family in a lovely location! Looking forward to the Summer course.

Stephen Borlace

Thank you for a fantastic weeks karate, hard to believe how fast this week has gone, i loved every minute of it, brilliant karate spring camp, and I made some new friends along the way, “thank you” just doesn't seem to cover it, looking forward to next years. All the best to everyone at the KUGB

Marianne Jones

We are sad that another amazing week in Torbay is over. It went far too fast. This was the fifth year we have been going and the children get so much out of the opportunity to train with such amazing instructors. They all came away inspired.

The two eldest thoroughly enjoyed the Bo classes and learned a lot from these sessions. This year we also had a newly graded five year old orange belt. He totally embraced the opportunity and trained every opportunity there was.

Ian Harman

Train with the champions Easter camp has always been one of the highlights of my year. Not only is it a great part of the Country for a holiday but also never fails to deliver on exceptional training sessions with true masters of the art. I have been attending this training week for over 30 years and always come away with a renewed enthusiasm for my karate as well as a huge list of things to work on. The last 3 years at Torbay have been especially significant for me as I have been able to attend with daughter, Erin. She began her first camp as an orange belt and was very new to karate (having just turned 6 years in February). My lasting memory from this course was her reaction to training with Sensei Sherry, she couldn’t wait to tell me everything she had done and made me practise with her in the caravan as soon as we got (she didn’t seem to notice how tired I was from training and just wanted a drink and a rest). From this moment on she has trained with a passion, enthusiasm and intensity that leaves me in awe (and full of pride), I only wish it was me that had inspired this but it honesty came from being at the Torbay training camp. I was surprised by how many members of her club noticed the change and commented upon how much better her karate was both attitude and technique. Now as a brown belt and aged 8 she is still loving training in Torbay (even when in the bigger group) and looks forward to training with her favourite sensei. When asked what her best bits this year were she struggled to pick but managed to give three examples:

1 – the clapping of others during Sensei Poynton’s session

2 – Sensei Brennan ‘playing’ with her pig tales

3 – EVERYTHING about Sensei Sherry’s session

We can’t wait for next years course.