WIKF England Excel at Wado Kai

National Championships

Once again WIKF England had a successful outing at the Wado Kai National Championships held in Reading.  With only a handful of experienced competitors and many new participants this year, the squad still came away with an impressive 15 medals in total, 4 Golds, 2 Silvers and 9 Bronze.  The team consisting of eleven competitors each from Ken-Bu-Kan and Su-Ha-Ri and four from UKKW, demonstrated the strengths of traditional training and Wado techniques against various other styles of Karate to winning effect.

Ken-Bu-Kan’s new member Nikkisha Bailey showed true Karate spirit and put in a great performance to win her first Bronze medal.  A great result considering it was Nikkisha’s first open competition and that she was at the bottom scale of the age category.  Su-Ha-Ri’s Chloe Walsh took to the mat in the girl’s over 4’3 event and once again showed great potential taking the Silver medal.

James Phillips from Ken-Bu-Kan, who was defending yet another title, showed a new degree of maturity and discipline on the tatami.  James fought well and successfully retained his title, taking the Gold medal.  Brothers Jay Kirton and Jerome Brown from Ken-Bu-Kan were competing in the same category.  Jerome Brown, who won his category last year was one of the youngest and smallest but still managed to get through the rounds.  Jerome reached the semi-finals but was beaten by his opponent from Vale Karate Club in Wales and settled for the Bronze medal.  Jay was also getting through the rounds, and scored two spinning kicks and a take down technique on his was to the final.  Unfortunately, he did not meet his brother Jerome in the final, but faced the opponent who beat his brother.  The score was all level in normal time and the bout went to encho-sen (extra time).   Jay was unfortunate to miss his attacking technique, but his opponent scored and Jay had to settle for the Silver medal.

Ken-Bu-Kan’s Gavin Bailey was next on the mats and was also defending his title.  Gavin performed well and successfully defended his title and took the Gold medal, scoring 21 points and conceding just 1.  James Townsend from Ken-Bu-Kan showed a continuation in progress and improvement in the heavy weight division, scoring his first Sanbon (3 point) technique.  Although James lost in quarterfinals, he came through and won Bronze in repocharge. 

In the girl’s categories, Hannah Lewis and Amy Budd from Su-Ha-Ri, competing for their first time at this event, did exceptionally well and both picked up the Bronze medal.  Ken-Bu-Kan’s Michelle Little was as ever quiet but effectively defeating all opponents in her path and winning her first Gold medal at the Wado Kai Championships.

Finally in cadets section, Ken-Bu-Kan’s Alex Little and Luke Cannon were competing in opposite weight divisions in the boys 15-17 years.  Alex was in the lightweight event and was giving away weight and height to his opponents.  Alex managed to mix up his techniques and did well to reach the semi-final before losing to the eventual winner, but took the Bronze medal.  Luke Cannon was in the heavy-weight division and made light work dispensing of all his opponents to take his Gold medal, the forth for Ken-Bu-Kan and WIKF England.

Finally, the female and male categories.  Su-Ha-Ri’s Paula Hogsden did well to come through repocharge and pick up her first Bronze in the female lightweight category.  Gareth Waters, competing in his first senior event, also did well to pick up Bronze in the male middleweight category.  In the ladies team event, Donna Bramley and Vicky Melling from UKKW and Paula Hogsden from Su-Ha-Ri, joined up for the first time and fought well, but lost in the semi-finals to take WIKF’s 9th Bronze medal and 15^th medal in total.

Another successful day for the WIKF England squad, who are proving to be very successful on the open circuit and strong competition for the non-traditional associations.