EKF National Championships
Posted on Tuesday, April 8 2008

Hanko-Ryu Karate-Do Association sent their biggest squad to date to the EKF National Championships at Ponds Forge Sheffield and came home with 5 new national champions and three bronze medals.

MICHAEL HOLMES (7) won a Bronze in the boys 9 years & under kata category. Sisters SIAN BARTON (9) & ELLIE BARTON (10) both won Gold and a national title in their girls kata categories, an excellent achievement at their first national champsionship. MARJAN JEDDI (13) took Bronze in the girls 12/13 years kata category.

LUCY PALMER (15), MINAL PATEL (14) and MARJAN JEDDI (13) claimed a fantastic team Gold to become Girls 15 years & under team kata national champions.

Reece Taylor (18) won Gold in the Male Kata category without dropping a flag. CLARE BONELLO (24) made it a clean sweep for our senior competitors, winning herself Gold and a national title in the Female Senior Kata category only dropping 1 flag in the first round.

RYAN BEAVINGTON (11) won the only and well deserved kumite medal, claiming a Bronze in the boys 10/11 years boys kumite category.

There were over 585 competitors from 43 associations at the nationals and the Hanko-Ryu squad did the association proud. All competitors showed excellent discipline on and off the mats, Chief Instructor Nariman Jeddi said "I am ever so proud of everyone who competed for Hanko-Ryu. Some of the students have only been training with us since January and the results speak for themselves."

Squad Members:

Hanko-Ryu Harlow
Harry Hudspeth (10)
James Davies (11)
Sean Perry (12)
Marjan Jeddi (13)
Jack Perry (13)
Minal Patel (14)
Alex Williams (14)
Lucy Palmer (15)
Reece Taylor (18)

Hanko-Ryu London
Kitty Shafto (12)
Duncan Moore (14)
Christian Thomas (14)
Christina Floe (18)

Shinjiru Karate
Abbie Lockhart (12)
Lewis Golding (14)
Gary Reedman (14)
Matthew Tubey (14)

Shitoryu Karate Academy
Michael Holmes (7)
Sian Barton (9)
Ellie Barton (10)
Ryan Beavington (11)
Sensei Clare Bonello