Saffron Walden Judo Club

08 Dec 2006 - High Wycomb NHC Age Banded Tournament

Shannon Evans (EHOJC), Logan Hill (EHOJC), Theo Lawson (EHOJC), Turner Davis (EHOJC), Joe Moore (EHOJC), Jonathan Pettinger (EHOJC), Daniel Welch (SWJC), Catherine Freestone (SWJC), Charly Briscombe, Aston Davis (EHOJC), Rachael Daniels (SWJC), Zoe Camp (SWJC).

Shanon - Unfortunately for Shannon there were no other girls in her group, but she was given a contest with girl from another group. She didn't manage a win but was rewarded with the Gold Medal for her own group.

Logan - Logan started in fine style with a comprehensive Ippon win with a Tai Otoshi (Body Drop) throw. But two subsequent losses meant Logan didn't quite get to the medal stages.

Theo - Had two very good wins and one loss to continue his medal success and come home home with a very well deserved Bronze Medal.

Turner - Had one good win (coming in Golden Score - extra time!) and two losses, in a very strong group.

Joe - Had two losses, but put up a very spirited display and I'm sure will have learnt from the experience.

Jonathan - Had two losses, one of them being a very narrow defeat. Showed some good judo skills over the weekend.

Daniel - Had two defeats, one of them in the dieing seconds of Golden Score. A tough day but two strong performances.

Catherine - Had two losses, but maintained her determined style. It is only a matter of time before all the skills come together.

Charly - Had won win and two losses. With a little bit more judo experience Charly would have come away with a medal.

Aston - Two losses in a tough group. Put in some very promising attacks and with a little more experience at this level, will succeed.

Rachael - Two losses, one of them in the last few seconds of Golden Score. An awfull decision saw Rachael having to take the loss and "yours truly" get a telling off from the ref' for, shall we say - "not agreeing with him" (nothing new there then!!).

Zoe - Two very good wins and one loss meant Zoe was awarded with the Bronze Medal. This was probably one of Zoe's finest performances of the year and bodes extremely well for the new year.

This was a particularly tough competition, but there were positives for all our players to take from this. It is good to see our players being able to compete in open grade tournaments such as this. A good end to the year!

Don't forget - End of Year Friendly Team Competition is on Friday 22nd December at Bishops Stortford, 7:00 p.m start, £3:00 per player entry few. All players are welcome regardless of experience and everyone who enters will receive a medal.

Regards, Allen.

08 Dec 2006 - Bedford Grading

Jonathan Pettinger (EHOJC), Rachael Daniels (SWJC) & Daniel Welch (SWJC) all went to the grading.

Jonathan - 1 Win, 1 Draw & 1 Loss (full house!!), was a very strong performance from Jon and one which saw him rewarded with an Orange Belt (8th Mon).

Rachael - 3 Wins. A superb display of judo from Rachael with three straight wins meant she moved up to Blue Belt (13th Mon). I believe she got her Blue Belt at a younger age than her big sister (Sophie) - not that anyone is counting!!!!!!

Daniel - 3 Wins. Another excellent performance from Daniel also saw him have 3 straight wins and move up to Blue Belt (13th Mon).

Regards, Allen.

02/03 Dec 2006 - British Championships Sheffield

Junior (Under 19yrs) British Championships

With Sophie's recent string of successes and her current form we were expecting big things from this weekend, with the goal being to come away with a medal. Well you know what they say "the best laid plans" and all that!!!! Sophie woke up Saturday morning completely exhausted from the rigors of two weeks of mock exams and a punishing training schedule, and the last place I know she wanted to be at that time was at the toughest competition of the year. However if there's one thing Sophie isn't, that's a quitter!

Her first fight was against a well renowned left handed Welsh international player who proved to be very awkward. Sophie never looked comfortable and failed to dominate the fight in her usual style. She was eventually caught for Ippon in the dieing seconds of the contest. Fight two was against an opponent Sophie has met on a number of occassions, each of which have been extremely close contests. It was Sophie's opponent who got in the first score with a shoulder throw and maintained that lead throughout the contest. Sophie did put in an excellent attack in the last 30 seconds which saw her opponent up in the air, but unfortunately Sophie run out of mat area and couldn't finish off the throw.

That was the end of the days competition for Sophie, and one she went away from completely devastated. I never like to make excuses for any of my players because we all have bad days and outside distractions away from judo, but on this occasion the British Championships genuinely couldn't have come at a worse time for Sophie.

Senior British Championships

After we got back to the hotel on Saturday afternoon Sophie went straight to bed to try and recover enough to compete on the Sunday. She actually had in excess of 14 hours sleep! On Sunday morning I gave Sophie the opportunity to withdraw from the competition, as although she had had a considerable amount of sleep and looked better than the day before, she visibly wasn't fully recovered. After much deliberation Sophie decided she would stay and compete. As Sunday was the Senior British Championships, Sophie was only ever entered to try and gain some experience of this level of judo, and was never expected to come away with any kind of results. After all Sophie won't be a fully fledged Senior player for another 3 years.

As you would expect from this level of competition (the reigning European Champion is in Sophie's group!!) there were never going to be any easy contests for Sophie and her opening fight was against a very experienced 2nd Dan player. It was Sophie however who got in the first meaningful attacks, immediately putting her opponent under considerable pressure. Unfortunately though experience told and Sophie was cleverly turned on the ground into an armlock, which Sophie held off for what seemed like an age, but eventually had to submit. Contest two was against an extremely powerful woman, who Sophie found difficult to break down. It was Sophie though who started brighter of the two but was eventually caught for an ippon (which I would have given only a 5 point score to!!!!). Contest three was against the previous days under 19yr Silver medalist! Once again it was Sophie who looked the most dominant with a string of attacks with a wide variety of throws and pick ups. Eventually Sophie's continual pressure paid off with a superb Drop Seoi Nage to get a 7 point score (which by the way one of the corner judges gave an ippon for!!). This score came around 2 minutes into the fight, therefore Sophie needed to control things for a further 3 minutes, which she did in superb fashion. With a very mature display, which belies her years, Sophie took the win in fine style. Unfortunately the win wasn't quite enough to progress Sophie through to the knock put stages, but did underline what could/should have been the previous day.

I'm sorry if you think I have written a rather exhaustive report here, but to simply list wins and losses would have been a complete injustice to Sophie. I train with Sophie nearly every day and I am sometimes guilty of forgetting just how far she has come this year. But when I was sat in the Coaches chair on Sunday with Sophie standing by my side, I looked around and I was surrounded by the very best judo has to offer in Great Britain, it suddenly hit home just what an achievement it is for Sophie to be good enough, at just 15yrs old, to be able to compete at this level let alone win contests!!

Regards, Allen.

02 Dec 2006 - Bedford Senior Grading

On Saturday Rob Seabright went to Bedford for the Senior Grading, and had one very good win to move up to 6th Kyu Green belt. Sorry I don't have more details but I'm sure Rob will fill you all in on Thur/Fri. Well done mate!

Regards, Allen.

26 Nov 2006 - London Budokwai - Black Belt Grading

On Sunday Sophie Daniels went to the London Budokwai for her Black Belt grading.

There were 5 Senior Women attending the grading, so it was a simple case of the players all fighting each other and getting 4 contests each. Sophie needed 30 points (three ippon wins) to gain her black belt.

The first contest was over in a matter of seconds, with Sophie winning with a very convincing Drop Seoi Nage (Shoulder Throw). In the second contest Sophie was bludgened to the ground in the opening seconds by a much larger player, but these days Sophie is a very compitent player on the ground and she quickly turned her opponent and took the win by submission with a wicked Juji-Gatame (Cross Arm Lock). Contest three went the same way as the first, with another superb Drop Seoi Nage to take the win. Contest four lasted a little longer (nearly a minute!!) with Sophie first getting in a good scoring throw with an O-Goshi (Hip Throw), and then another brilliant Drop Seoi Nage to take her fourth Ippon win of the day and a well deserved BLACK BELT!

This was another magnificent display by Sophie as the first three contests were against players weighing a minimum of 20 kilos heavier than Sophie and all experienced Women Judo players. Sophie also makes a little bit more Saffron Walden Judo Club history, by becoming the youngest ever (by some margin) player to gain a black belt at just 15yrs & 5months, I very much doubt this will ever be brocken. To become a Judo Black Belt you must hold a Senior licence and it is rare for someone of this age to even be competing as a Senior player, let alone gaining her black belt. To make things just that little bit more special for Sophie she did all of this at the home of British judo "The Budokwai".

This should be the ideal preparation for this coming weekend, when Sophie will be competing at the British Junior Championships (U19yrs) on the Saturday, and the British Senior Championships on the Sunday.

Regards, Allen.

4th Nov 2006 - Dagenham Grading/Red Belt Rumble

Just a couple of results from the weekend. On Saturday Sophie Daniels went to the Dagenham Grading to gain a few more points towards her Black Belt and on Sunday Jos Goddard went to High Wycombe for the Red Belt Rumble.

Sophie: certainly got off to a flying start with an excellent Uchi-Mata (Inner Thigh Throw), which is a new contest technique to the Sophie repetoire, to take the Ippon win. The second contest saw Sophie take another comfortable Ippon win this time by a small knock down and then a very well worked use of groundwork to take the win by hold down. In the third contest Sophie quickly scored with a Drop Seoi Nage and followed into the ground to take another win. Unfortunately Sophie really wasn't on the top of her game, and ended up loosing her fourth contest by a leg grab. Overall a pretty good days judo, and another 30 points to add to her tally. Sophie just needs another 30 points to get her black belt now - I expect she will get this before the end of the year.

Jos: left his "contest head" on his pillow I think for his first fight, and was beaten by a hold down by an opponent he should have easily dispatched. Thankfully by the time contest two came around Jos had sorted himself out, and very much looked in the mood. He put in a fine Yoko Otoshi (Side Drop Throw) for a good score which he followed into the ground and produced some excellent ground work skills to take the win by hold down. Contest two was over in a flash with Jos putting in another superb Yoko Otoshi to take the win within 10 seconds. A win in contest 3 would see Jos progress to the Bronze Medal Final, and he certainly wasn't about to disappoint. Both boys appeared to be evenly matched to start, but Jos managed get in a huge (relatively speaking for an 8yr old under 29kg player!!!!) Te Guruma (Pick Up Throw) to take a spectacular victory. So after a disappointing start Jos had got himself back into a medal winning position, but would have to beat a very accomplished Pinewood player if he was to take the spoils. It was Jos who go in the first points scoring attack with an Osoto Gake (Outer Hook Throw). Once again it was Jos' ground work that was to prove fruitfull as he worked his opponent cleverly into a Tate Shiho Gatame (Trunk Hold) to take the victory and BRONZE MEDAL. It was great to see Jos back to his winnings ways, in which is a notoriuously tough Mini Mon tournament.

Also on Sunday Charlotte Wraith & Sophie Daniels attended a British Judo Squad training session where they both impressed greatly - well done girls. I understand the girls will be displaying their Team GB outfits on Thursday - and I'm glad to say not a drop of PINK in sight!!!!

Regards, Allen.

29th Oct 2006 - Thetford Area Grading

We had 8 players (6 Junior & 2 Senior) from EHOJC & SWJC attend the Area Grading at Thetford on Sunday. For Theo, Logan, Joe, Turner & Charly it was their first taste of area gradings. The players are assesed on competition wins and overall quality of judo.

Theo Lawson - had a win and a loss and was promoted to 8th Mon (Orange 2 stripes)

Logan Hill - had a loss and a win and was promoted to 8th Mon (Orange 2 stripes)

Joe Moore - had two losses and was promoted to 7th Mon (Orange 1 stripe)

Turner Davis - had two wins and was promoted to 8th Mon (Orange 2 stripes)

Charly Briscombe - had two wins and was promoted to 9th Mon (Orange 3 stripes)

Zoe Camp - had two wins and was promoted to 12th Mon (Green 3 stripes)

Jon Swift (Senior) - had two wins and was promoted to 3rd Kyu (High Blue)

Sophie Daniels (Senior) - had two wins and a draw and gained a further 20 points towards her black belt - just another 60 points to go now!!

Another successful day for the two Clubs, and it will be good to see a change of belt colour at this weeks line up.

Regards, Allen.

21/22nd Oct 2006 - Clacton

On Saturday & Sunday we sent a combined SWJC & EHOJC Team to Clacton. Saturday was a Novice to 9th Mon (Orange three stripes) Tournament, and on the Sunday it was the Junior & Youth International Open Grade Tournament.

On Saturday we had 5 players attend - Jos Goddard (SWJC), Theo Lawson (EHOJC), Logan Hill (EHOJC, Catherine Freestone (SWJC) & Sam White (SWJC). Sunday we had Logan Hill (again!!), Zoe Camp (SWJC), Daniel Welch (SWJC), Jonny Cooke (SWJC) & Sophie Daniels (SWJC).

SATURDAY

Jos: carried forward his improved form from the Thetford competition with two very hard contests against Orange belts. Unfortunately no wins came his way on the day, but he did manage to take the Gold Medalist to time putting him under a great deal of pressure with a wide variety of techniques including a particularly nice Yoko Kata Guruma (Side Shoulder Wheel).

Theo: put on another fantastic display. His frst contest was won with two Tani Otoshi (Rear throws) for two Wazari (7 point) scores. In the second contest Theo got in a small throw and followed into the ground, where he held his opponent to take the win. The third contest went the same way as the first, with a Tani Otoshi win. Theo's fourth contest was yet another win, this time by Tai Otoshi (Body Drop). So four wins on the day meant Theo took a well deserved Gold Medal to add to the Gold he took at Thetford - Excellent performance.

Logan: started rather slowly and was beaten unexpectedly in his first contest by a Tai Otoshi (Body Drop Throw). Logan certainly bounced back in his second contest, taking the win in just 10 secs with a Tai Otoshi. In the third contest Logan executed an excellent Foot Sweep which he followed into the ground to take the win by hold down. Unfortunately for Logan during this contest he managed to tweak his hamstring and limped off the mat. Logan did come out for his fourth contest (which was for the bronze medal), but was visibly in discomfort but remarkably got in the first attack with his favourite foot sweep to lead in the early stages. Sadly it wasn't to be Logan's day as he was eventually caught with a Tai Otoshi, but overall a fine performance from Logan.

Catherine: put in two very spirited performances, in what was a real step up in class for her, from local mini mon tournaments. Although no wins on the day, Catherine should take a lot of positives from the day and I'm sure has learned a lot from the experience. With a little more work on executing quality techinique, it won't be long before she is winning at this level and higher.

Sam: started confidently enough and easily stepped off his opponents early attempts at drop Seoi Nage (Shoulder Throw), and was indeed soon ahead with a Tai Otoshi throw for a Wazari score.Unfortunately though Sam was caught by one of his opponents Drop Seoi Nage attacks which his opponent followed into the ground and into a hold. Contest two went very much Sam's way with a little knock down which he followed into a good hold to take the win. Sam was caught in the third contest by a very nice Uchi Mata Throw after another very bright start. With a good win in a small group this was enough for Sam to take a well desrved Bronze Medal.

SUNDAY

Logan: came back again on the Sunday to compete in the Junior Open Grade Tournament. Having packed his hamstring in ice over night felt fit and well to compete. Logan certainly started bright enough, showing no signs of the injury, but got caught with a small knock down early on. This turned out to be a fantastic contest with both players giving there all (and many admiring looks from those at matside), but Logan got caught again in the dieing seconds whilst chasing the victory. In fight two Logan scored with a nice rear throw which he followed into the ground and took the win by hold down. Fight three went a smiliar way, with Logan once again taking the victory by hold down. It was in this contest that Logan picked up another injury - this time a suspected dislocated thumb. He bravely came out for the bronze medal contest but was simply unable to grip up and eventually lost by hold down. A real gutsy performance over two days from Logan and a real credit to his undoubted ability and fighting spirit.

Zoe: didn't start the day in the best possible way and lost her first contest getting thrown by a Drop Seoi Nage. In the second contest Zoe started better, but was eventually knocked down and lost by hold down. Fight three was much more like the old Zoe, taking the victory with a nicely executed Ko Soto Gari (Outer Sweeping Throw). Fight four also went Zoe's way, this time taking the win with a very nice Uchi Mata (Inner Thigh Throw) followed into the ground to take the win by hold down. After a disappointing start this was a good comeback by Zoe and she certainly deserved the Bronze Medal that she took home.

Daniel: decided to drop himself right in the deep end by not only competing in the Junior section, but also the Youth (under 20 yr olds). Daniel didn't get off to the greatest start and was caught by two fine drop Seoi Nage Throws in his first contest. Dan certainly turned things around in fight two, taking the victory with a fantastic Tomoe Nage (Stomach Throw). Fight three was a real war which went the full distance with Dan narrowly missing out by a small score, and therefore loosing the chance to go through to the bronze medal fight. After a quick drink Dan was back out for the Youth Open Grade section. This was a massive step up in level for Dan which he handled superbly well. Unfortunately no wins in his 4 contests in this section, but Dan should be very pleased, especially in taking a British Cadet player to full time and only narrowly loosing.

Jonny: started the day in perfect style with an Ippon win - unfortunately I, and everyone around me, could not tell who had thrown who or by what technique!!!! On another day these decisions go against you so "take em when they come"!!! Jonnys second contest was a much closer affair which went to full time, but unfortunately went against Jonny after his opponent got in a small scoring Uchi Mata (Inner Thigh Throw). Fight three was against one of the finest young players in the country and although Jonny put up a good fight just couldn't match his opponent. Fight four was another long drawn out affair, this time against a very gritty Dutch player. Both players put in good attacks but neither troubled the scorers. The contest came to an end with the fight even, so went into Golden Score. It was Jonny who eventually came out on top after his opponenet was penalised for an infringement of the rules. This was a really tough contest and one Jonny definately deserved to win. This win meant Jonny came home with the Bronze Medal after a tough days judo and a good display.

Sophie: had a completely disasterous start to the day, loosing her first contest in real un-Sophie like style, after her opponent scored a small knock down. Sophie managed to sort herself out in the break and came out for contest two much like her old self. But this contest was to be a real test against a very experienced Dutch player. Both players looked to be evenly matched, but in the last minute Sophie set up her opponent beatifully to execute her trade mark Drop Seoi Nage to take an excellent victory. Fight three looked on paper to be a real tough contest as it was against a highly rated British Squad player, thankfully judo contests aren't won on paper, and Sophie took the win in just 20 seconds with another superb Drop Seoi Nage. This win meant Sophie had worked her way back into the final and would meet the girl she lost to in the first round. This time though there was to be no repeat of the first round with Sophie totally dominating the contest with a wave of attacks. It was on the ground where Sophie showed her skills this time with a very well worked Ashi Gatame arm lock to take the victory by submission, and become the 2006 Clacton International Champion. Apart from the first round mishap this was a really top draw performance and is yet another example of why Sophie is one of the very best young judo players in the country at the moment.

It was another very successful outing for our young players, all of whom should take away some positives regardless of whether medals were won. At practically every event I have been to this year I have seen continued improvement in our players which bodes extremely well for the long term future of both Clubs. It may be as a result of turning 40 last week (thank you to all those who signed my card, bought gifts and WELL & TRULY EMBARRASSED ME!!!), but I have set myself the target of getting 10 players to a high enough standard to be able to compete at the National Junior Championships next year - it could be I'm having my first "senior moment" we shall see!!!!
Regards, Allen.

9th Oct 2006 - Junior National Championships - Sheffield Arena

Over the weekend we had four players attending the Junior National Championships at the Sheffield Arena. It should have been five but Rachael Daniels hasn't yet fully recovered from her broken collar bone so couldn't compete. So we had Zoe Camp, Jonny Cooke, Sophie Daniels, & Charlotte Wraith competing.

Zoe: unfortunately didn't do her self justice, loosing two contests by very uncharacteristc mistakes. This was a big disppointment for Zoe as she has been performing really well over the past couple of months. I have no doubt though when Zoe does get over the disappointment she will bounce back and continue the progress she has already made.

Jonny: did well to take his first contest to full time against a very skillful player, but did loose out to two big scoring pick ups. In his second contest Jonny once again fell behind in the early stages of the contest, being thrown by a Tai-Otoshi (body drop throw), but to his credit Jonny never gave up and continued to pressurise his opponent. He was eventually rewarded by throwing his ooponent with a superb Te-Guruma (pick up technique) to take the Ippon win. Due to the small numbers in Jonny's group the one win meant his next fight would be for the Bronze medal. Unfortunately after the exersion of his second fight Jonny was not feeling his best for this contest and was caught firstly by a Kata Guruma (Shoulder Wheel Throw) and then by a Drop Seoi Nage (shoulder throw). Overall this was a very fine display by Jonny, who has shown considerable improvement over the past two tournaments.

Sophie: knowing the huge amount of hard work Sophie has put in this year to get ready for this tournament, I was expecting great things from her. So it was a massive surprise when Sophie lost her first contest to a player she had beaten easily in her last outing! A loss in the first round is obviously the worst possible start and meant it would take a gigantic effort for Sophie to work her way back threw the Repercharge Rounds to get back to a medal winning position. After Sophie and I had had a very frank discussion she went out for her second contest determined to put things right, and boy did she do that!! The poor girl felt the full force of Sophies' first round frustrations when Sophie firstly threw her with a nice Maki Komi (outer Winding Throw) to get a 7 point score and then a massive Harai Maki Komi (Sweeping Outer Winding Throw) to take the Ippon win (the poor girl went up so high that the ref' actually had signalled the win before Sophie's opponent had touched the ground!!). Sophie then won her third contest by getting a small knock down to the ground and then holding her opponent to take the win. In the fourth contest Sophie was up against a player she has never beaten. We have been working on a specific game plan to beat this girl so it was going to be a test of weather this had paid off. It was apparent at the outset that the new tactics were paying off with Sophie on top from the start. Sophie then skipped cleverly off her opponents attack and followed her into the ground where Sophie immediately applied a wicked strangle which saw her opponent submit and pass out from the furosity of its application!! After these three straight wins Sophie was back into a Bronze Medal winning position. Her bronze medal contest was against the girl she had lost to in the first round. There was no way Sophie was going to make the same mistake twice, and was soon ahead with a Drop Seoi Nage (Shoulder Throw). Sophie then took her opponent to the ground where she applied a superb arm lock to take the BRONZE MEDAL by submission. After such a bad start this was an immense achievment to come back to take the Bronze, and is an absoulute credit to Sophies never ending determination and hard work.

Charlotte: went into this tournament as the current Herat of England Champion and current Number 1 ranked player in Britain, so was definately favourite to take the title. Charlotte certainly didn't disappoint in her first contest, taking the win with her favourite left handed O-Goshi (Hip Throw). The second contest was a much sterner test, as her opponent held Chatlotte out contunously. So it was a change of tactic that saw Charlote get the score with a very nice Morote Gari (Double leg Grab), and then add to this with a further O Goshi throw in to a hold to take another very impressive win by hold down. Contest three was to go very much the same way as Charlotte's first contest with another massive left handed O-Goshi to end the contest in the first minute. Three straight wins meant Charlotte just needed one more win to take the Gold Medal. Charlotte's Gold medal contest turned out to be a real battle, both girls being equally matched and Charlottes opponent taking a particulalry awkward grip in order to prevent Charlotte from doing her favourite left handed O-Goshi. As the contest wore on both players began to tire and it was then that Charlotte eventually managed a small score by a leg grab. This attack was to prove decisive and Charlotte took the win by the narrowist of margins, making her the the Gold Medalist and **2006 National Junior Champion**. A trully magnificent achievement by a wonderfully skillful young judo player. I know I can't really take much credit for Charlotte's coaching as she only joined SWJC around 7 months ago, and was already a multiple champion. I would just like to say though that Charlotte represented SWJC as if she had been with us all her life and was an absolute credit to the Club.

Without actually witnessing a Junior National Championship, it is hard for me to explain exactly what a magnificent achievement this weekend was for all our players. For SWJC to have 5 players at a high enough standard to compete at the very pinnacle of Junior judo is an astounding achievment and is testament to the hard work all the players have put in over the year. This event obviously attracts the very best Clubs & players across the whole of Great Britain, so the fact that a small rural club such as SWJC can take on the might of the massive London and Midlands Clubs and come out on top is truly incredible. There were huge inner city Clubs, with massive resources, attending over this weekend and came away with nothing - we on the other hand can boast TWO NATIONAL JUNIOR MEDALLISTS!

On a personal note, I would just like to say THANK YOU to Zoe, Jonny, Sophie & Charlotte for making this one of the proudest days of my coaching life, and may there be many more!!! Don't think I will be letting you rest on Thursday and Friday though!!!!!!!!!
Regards, Allen.

1st Oct 2006 - Eastern Area Championship

On Sunday we sent a combined Saffron Walden Judo Club (SWJC) and East Herts Olympic Judo Club (EHOJC - Bishops Stortford) to the Eastern Area Championship in Thetford. We had 17 players competing on the day, which was a fantastic turn out. Due to the high number of entries, and the fact that I don't particularly want to write a summary that could be classed as a Novel , I have kept my player reports to the bear minimum HOOORAY!!! I hear you say.

Jos Goddard (SWJC) 5th Place: 1 Win 2 Losses. Started to re-capture some of the great form he showed at the beginning of the year, and had an excellent win over a Green belt.

Jenny Green (SWJC) Bronze Medal: 0 Wins 2 Losses. Only Jenny's second competition, and showed considerable improvement from her last outing.

Theo Lawson (EHOJC) Gold Medal: 4 Wins 0 Losses. A fabulous performance by Theo, and never looked in any danger at any point during the day. 4 straight ippons was proof enough that Theo dominated this group.

Ben Green (SWJC) Silver Medal: 2 Wins 2 Losses. A great performance from Ben, the best of his career so far. 2 good wins against bigger lads. A well deserved Silver Medal should be a real boost for his next tournament.

Charlotte Wraith (SWJC) Gold Medal: 3 Wins 0 Losses.The fact that Charlotte moved up a weight group (as there were no players in her group) just added to a superb performance. A judo display of the highest order, and one that attracted many admiring comments.

Sam Barker (EHOJC) Bronze Medal: 1 Win 2 Losses. 1 very good win and two hard fought contests, earned Sam a good Bronze Medal in a tuff group of players.

Jake Barker (EHOJC) 0 Wins 2 Losses. Fought well on the day and was unlucky not to get a win.

Logan Hill (EHOJC) Gold Medal: 4 Wins 0 Losses. An excellent display of judo from Logan with four straight Ippon wins. Looked in a class of his own in this particular group, and bodes very well for future tournaments.

Catherine Freestone (SWJC) Bronze Medal: 0 Wins 3 Losses. Although no wins, a very gusty performance from Cat against much higher graded opposition and one she should be proud of.

Charley Briscombe (SWJC) Bronze Medal: 0 Wins 2 Losses. Typical high tempo Charley contests, fought very well and unlucky not to get a win.

Joe Moore (EHOJC) Bronze Medal: 1 Win 3 Losses. Another good performance from Joe, and well deserved Bronze Medal. Had some tuff contests and came through well.

Zoe Camp (SWJC) Gold Medal: 2 Wins 0 Losses. Zoe was never troubled during the day, and carried over her great form from the Heart of England Tournament to good effect with two classey wins to take the Gold Medal.

Jonathan Pettinger (EHOJC): 0 Wins 3 Losses. Very unlucky not to get a win, taking one of his contests in to extra time only to loose in the dying seconds. Fought well all day.

Sam White (SWJC) Bronze Medal: 2 Wins 1 Loss. A much improved performance from Sam, and was unlucky not to get more than a Bronze. Additional training has obviously paid off.

Daniel Welch (SWJC) Bronze Medal: 1 Win 2 Losses. Fought well and is steadily improving with each outing. A good Bronze Medal.

Sophie Daniels (SWJC) Gold Medal x 2: 3 Wins 0 Losses. Sophie took Gold in her own weight category, then fought in the Open Weight and took Gold there too, one of the wins coming in just 4 seconds another against a much much heavier player. Another superb Soph performance.

Jonny Cooke (SWJC) Bronze Medal: 1 Win 2 Losses. Jonny went up to Bradford to fight in the Northern Age Banded Tournament, and did well to pick a win and a Bronze medal.

With 7 Golds 1 Silver & 7 Bronzes we ended up the seconded highest scoring Club on the day, just missing out on the overall Club Sheild by just 7 points.

Comment of the Day: Having watched the medal ceremony with a senior member of the Eastern Area and watched our team of girls collect their medals, I was asked "hey Al' are you running a judo modelling agency or what" ??? . So I guess its official - SWJC girls (or Team Pink as they prefer to be known) are the most beautiful female players in the East!!!! Sorry guys I had no such comments about yourselves!!!! Not quite sure where that leaves me Judo Coach or Modelling Agency Scout - you decide.

Regards, Allen.

10th Sep 2006 - Ipswich Under 20's Competition

On Sunday we had 3 players competing at the Ipswich Under 20yrs Competition. Unfortunately Charlotte Wraith couldn't make it as there was a family illness, and Rachael Daniels is still on the "injured list" recovering from her brocken shoulder. So it was down to Zoe Camp, Sophie Daniels and Jonny Cooke to carry the SWJC torch!

Zoe: started where she left off last week (at the Heart of England Tournament), with a nice Tai Otoshi (body drop) throw which she followed into the ground to take the Ippon win. Fight two was a very even affair, which went to full time, but it was Zoe's opponent who managed to get in the winning Tai Otoshi (body drop) throw. Fight three saw Zoe start the better of the two fighters, but her opponent managed to get in a small throw which she followed into the ground to take the win. Fight four saw some ferocious grip fighting between the two girls, but unfortunately it was Zoe's opponent who eventually dominated the battle and got in a drop Seoi Nage (shoulder throw) to take the win. But on the day, her first fight win was enough for Zoe to take a well deserved Bronze medal.

Sophie: Sophie's first fight was against a senior and former national champion so was never going to be easy!! After a bruising fight the scores were level so the contest went to extra time (Golden Score), unfortunately it was Sophie's opponent that got the first score and took the win. Sophie's second fight was even more off war. It was Sophie who got the initial score and looked to be heading for the victory, when in the last 5 seconds Sophie's opponent managed to level the scores. So once again it was into Golden Score and it was Sophie who got in the first meaningful attack which everyone at matside thought was the winning throw, except the REF!!! The contest eventually ended still even which in judo means the ref and two corner judges make a majority decision on who they believe to be the winner. Unfortunately they gave the decision to Sophie's opponenet - it just wasn't Sophie's day!! Sophie and I were always aware that the step up to Senior Judo was going to be very tough but results like these are difficult to accept. But I know this will just spur Sophie on even more - and to take two very experienced senior players to Golden Score should be seen as a massive positive.

Jonny: whilst Jonny's group was small it certainly wasn't lacking in tallent, with two British Cadet players in it!! Jonny appeared to be settling in niceley in his first contest, when his opponent caught him with a very nice Kata - Guruma (shoulder wheel) throw to take the victory. Fight two unfortunately ended all too quickly for Jonny (up against the eventual Gold Medalist), as he was caught again with a magnificent Kata - Guruma. Fight three though saw Jonny put in a much better performance and eventually picked up the winning score by countering his opponent with a rear throw. This win meant Jonny took a hard earned Bronze Medal, no mean feat in a field of this quality.

This competition increses in tallent every year, and is now a "must" for any aspiring young judo player, so it is great to see SWJC players making their mark at events like this.

Regards, Allen.

10th Sep 2006 - Birmingham Heart of England Championships

Sunday we had 5 players make the trip to Birmingham for the Heart of England Championships - Zoe Camp, Charlotte Wraith, Rachael Daniels, Sophie Daniels, Jonny Cooke.

Zoe: started in great style by quickly getting in a scoring attack with her favourite sleeve grip O Uchi Gari (inner leg sweep). The middle part of the fight drifted away from Zoe though as her opponent put in several scoring throws, and getting a hold down which Zoe just managed to get out of before time was called. Zoe re-grouped though and came back with a a series of attacks and eventually took the Ippon win with another O Uchi Gari throw. Zoe's second fight started very much as the first with Zoe getting the initial lead with a good counter throw to the rear. Her opponent though came back strongly this time to eventually take a points win over Zoe. After two very hard fights Zoe looked a little jaded for her third fight, but nonetheless put up a very good display but was beaten by Tai Otoshi (body drop throw) and a hold down.

Charlotte: came out very strongly in her first fight, and quickly put in a drop Seoi Nage (shoulder throw) attack, which she followed smartly into a ground hold to take the win. Fight two was a bit more of a test, but once again Charlotte put in some excellent O Goshi (hip Throw) and Seoi Nage attacks and eventually took the win with a beautifully executed drop Seoi Nage. Fight three was over pretty quickly when Charlotte put in an O Soto Gari (outer sweeping throw) attack which she quickly changed to Tai Otoshi (body drop throw) as her opponent started to resist and took a very smart Ippon (10 Points) win. These three straight wins meant Charlotte was in the final and would have to beat a very cagey fighter if she was to take the Gold Medal. The fight went as I expected with Charlotte putting in the attacks and her opponent looking for arm locking opportunities on the ground, but it was Charlotte who got in the scores and eventually took a very hard fought points victory to take the GOLD MEDAL. A truly awesome performance in which Charlotte totally dominated the group.

Rachael: first fight was against one of the best players in the country at this weight, so was never going to be an easy start! It was Rachael though who was looking the most dominant fighter putting in relentless attacks and riding her opponents attacks with great agility. The fight was looking like it was going to go to full time when unfortunately Rachael was caught by a very skillfully executed strangle. Fight two saw Rachael continue where she had left off with a string of attacks which eventually paid off as she threw her opponent with her favourite Tai Otoshi (body drop throw) and continued into the ground to take an Ippon win by hold down. If Rachael were to win fight three this would put her in a bronze medal position, so once again it was Rachael who put on the initial pressure and looked the most dominant player. This fight though was to end in dramatic fashion as Rachael's opponent went for a pick up technique and drove Rachael into the edge of the mat onto her shoulder. The incident happened right in front of me and I could immediately tell Rachael was in an awful lot of pain. The paramedics were called and Rachael was taken by ambulance to the nearby Princess Diana Hospital, with a suspected broken collar bone. Sadly I have to report that Rachael has indeed broken her collar bone and is going to be out of action for quite a few weeks. This is an awful blow, with Rachael in such great form leading up to the National Championships next month. We all wish you a speedy recovery Rach'!!!!

Sophie: was hung over from her successes of the previous day I think in her first fight, and lost on points to an extremely awkward fighter, even though it was Sophie how did most of the attacking during the fight. This loss meant Sophie was really on the back foot if she was to come back and win a medal. Because of the large amount of players in the group, she would have to win another four fights just to get back to a Bronze Medal play off position! Fight 2 saw Sophie back to her very best (after a "frank" discussion with her coach!!!) and took the Ippon win with an excellent Harai Maki Komi (outer sweeping winding throw). Fight 3 was once again a Sophie "master class" with first a huge Te Guruma (pick up technique) to get in a big score, and then another Harai Maki Komi to take the ippon win. Fight 4 was won by Sophie in no time at all with this time a straight Maki Komi (outer winding throw) for another Ippon win. Fight 5 was always going to be a really hard contest against a girl who had shown superb grip fighting skills all day. As expected both girls put in some very good attacks, each time playing a "chess game" to see who could get the most dominant grip. As the contest wore on though it was Sophie who started to look the more dominant player and eventually caught her opponent with a magnificent drop Seoi Nage (shoulder throw) to take yet another ippon win. So now after 4 straight ippon wins (and having witnessed her sister being carted off to hospital), Sophie had worked her way back to the Bronze Medal final. Sophie was up against a girl who she has fought on several occasions before, each time being a very close contest. As you would expect it was Sophie who did all the attacking and looked very much like she was going to take the win when she made one small mistake on the ground which her opponent seized upon and took the victory by hold down. So all that hard work eventually meant no medal on the day, but nonetheless a superb performance.

Jonny: started as the brightest player in his first contest, and it was him who put in all the initial attacks. But sadly Jonny lost out to a clever piece of gamesmanship by his opponent which saw him push Jonny right to the edge of the mat, and as soon as Jonny started to push back towards the contest area his opponent put in a very nice drop Seoi Nage to take the victory (something to watch out for in the future ehh Jonny!!!). Contest two saw Jonny bounce back in fine style taking an excellent victory with a Harai Goshi (sweeping hip throw). Fight 3 saw Jonny up against a very talented player from France. It was Jonny though who once again started the brighter with a very good attempt at a pick up, which didn't quite pay off. It was the Frenchman though who took the win after he countered Jonny with a very fine rear throw. A very creditable performance from Jonny against some real top flight opposition.
A fantastic day's judo by the SWJC players and a magnificent Gold Medal by Charlotte Wraith, in which is arguably one of the toughest competitions held in the UK. The event was littered with National, European & World medalists so to come home with as many victories as we did is a superb achievement.

Regards, Allen.

9th Sep 2006 - Birmingham Grading

We decided that Sophie Daniels should convert to a Senior License so that she would have access to the very best competitions, such as the British Open Championships in January, and also give her the opportunity to get her black belt (which you cannot get as a Junior). Sophie was given two senior players to fight, which she dispatched in around 10 seconds each with a brilliant display of judo. The examiners immediately converted her to a a senior brown belt (1st Kyu) and then asked her to go forward to fight other 1st Kyu players to see if she could get her black belt. Unfortunately for Sophie no other 1st Kyu players turned up for the grading so she couldn't go on to get her black belt on the day, but she will be looking to do this in the next couple of months. Nevertheless, to even hold a grade of senior brown belt at just 15 years old is a fantastic achievement and is unlikely to equaled for many years to come.

Regards, Allen.

5th Aug 2006 - Dagenham Grading

In his first contest Rob was leading by a small score and looked the most dominant player, but unfortunately he got arm locked in a ground work exchange by a player who was very skilled on the ground (this player went on to win four further fights, all by submission). The second contest Rob won by a hold down after he had escaped from his opponents hold (very nimble for a big fella!!!). The third contest Rob looked very much more relaxed, and this showed in his judo, with two very nice throws and a good hold down to take the win.

The result of Rob's hard work was that he was awarded with his 7th Kyu (Upper Orange Belt). Considering this was Rob's first ever experience of competitive judo, he fought very well (we've just got to get him to relax those huge arms a little!!!) and he is now looking to build on this by entering a few competitions in the coming months. Well done!!

Regards, Allen.

2nd July 2006 - Littleport Grade Banded

On Sunday we had 6 players go to the Littleport Grade Banded Tournament - Chloe Payne, Anya Lewin, Zoe Camp, Rachael Daniels, Sam White, Daniel Welch.

Chloe - was her usual agressive self, and put up another fine performance. One good win was enough on the day to gain a Bronze medal.

Anya - showed continued improvement in her judo, with some real stylish attacks. It's only a matter of time before Anya has some big wins. A Bonze medal was Anya's reward on the day.

Zoe - had her weight group combined with the one below due to low numbers. This meant she came up against Rachael, which resulted in a fantastic contest between the two, each player taking the lead at different times during the contest. But it was Rachael who eventually ran out the winner with two very nice Wazari (7 points) scores. Zoe did go one to score a well deserved victory in her next contest, and due to the way the groups were organise came away with a Gold medal.

Rachael - as above, was fighting in a combined weight group. With her victory over Zoe and another excellent ippon(10 points) win, Rachael took a very well deserved Gold medal. Rachael has now recorded 9 straight wins on the trop - she really has got that "winning feeling"!!!!

Sam - was in the same weight category as Daniel, and once gain the Clubs mates produced a superb contest. This time Sam lead the contest right up to the last few seconds, but Daniel took the victory with a very fine ippon win. Sam won his other contest in great style after only just a few seconds. This meant Sam went home with the Silver medal.

Daniel - as above, won an excellent contest against Sam. He then went on to win his next contest with a fantastic throw to get the ippon win. Another very good day for Daniel and a Gold medal to add to his increasing collection.

6 players and 6 medals - it doesn't get much better than this. Well done all.

Regards, Allen.

17/18th June 2006 - Bedford Grading Berkhamsted British Schools

Another busy weekend for SWJC.

Saturday, Rachael and Sophie Daniels went to Bedford for a grading. Both girls absolutely annihilated the opposition with some fantastic judo. Rachael had three fights, with 2 Ippon (10 point)?wins and 1 Wazari (7 point),?two by her favourite Tai Otoshi (body drop throw) and one by Tani Otoshi (Rear Throw). Since her win in Holland Rachael has been absolutely buzzing, and her form from that event has brought continued success. These three wins meant Rachael jumped 3 grades, and is now an 11th mon (Green belt 2 stripes).

Sophie had 4 wins,3 by Ippon and 1 by?Wazari. Sophie was using a new technique that she has been working on for the past few weeks, Osoto Maki Komi (outer winding throw), to fantastic effect. She scored?3 Ippons with this and?1 Wazari came from a very nice Ko Soto Gari (outer sweeping throw). It was great to see Sophie still able to win in great style without using her trade mark Drop Seoi Nage (shoulder throw). These 4 wins meant Sophie went up to 17th mon (Brown belt two stripes). Sophie now easily holds the record for becoming the youngest Brown Belt at SWJC (previously held by Jonny Cooke), at the tender age of just 14yrs (a day before her 15th birthday!!!). A truly outstanding performance.

Sunday, was a trip to Berkhamsted for the British Schools Judo Association championships. We had 8 players attend this event, Eleanor Bass, Jos Goddard, Shannon Evans, Zoe Camp, Charley Briscombe, Jonny Cooke, Rachael Daniels & Sophie Daniels.

Eleanor - had three excellent wins to get to the final, where she came across a much more experienced player. Eleanor put up a fantastic performance against a girl 6 grades higher than herself, but eventually got held down. Nevertheless a superb effort to get a Silver Medal at such a big tournament.

Jos - struggled having to fight at the next weight group up. He did show some good attacking skills, but in both fights was overcome on the ground and held down.

Shannon - had a very good day, picking up two good wins against higher graded opposition. The two wins meant Shannon picked up a well deserved Bronze Medal.

Zoe - had two very good wins, and two narrow losses right at the end of the contests. This was a very strong performance, and Zoe was rewarded with a Bronze Medal.

Charley - also had two very strong wins in her usual "determined" fashion. The two wins meant Charley picked up a hard earned Bronze Medal.

Jonny - unfortunately only had one other player in his category, who he dispatched in around 10 seconds! Not much of a work out but you can only beat who is front of you, and Jonny surely did that, to take the Gold Medal.

Rachael - continued her impressive performances of the previous day. 3 straight Ippon wins meant Rachael cruised to a place in the Final. The Final went the same way as all the previous contests, with (you guessed it!!!) another fantastic Ippon win,?with a left handed Tai Otoshi (body drop throw). A truly well deserved Gold Medal.

Sophie - also continued her winning ways of the previous day, with 3 straight Ippon wins with her (new favourite) Osoto Maki Komi (outer winding throw). Another wonderful performance to take the Gold Medal on her birthday. Could a birthday weekend have gone any better!!!!

A fantastic days judo by the SWJC players, with 3 Bronze, 1 Silver & 3 Gold Medals. This medal tally meant SWJC was the most successful club on the day. A special mention must go to the "Daniels Sisters", what a truly magnificent weekend for them.

Regards, Allen.

3rd June 2006 - Holland (Heide)

Over the weekend we had four players - Sophie Daniels, Rachael Daniels, Zoe Camp & Jos Goddard make the trip to Holland to represent SWJC at Heide International Judo Tournament.

Unfortunately we did not win any medals, and if I'm brutally honest the players didn't fulfil their own potential - the players themselves will I know admit to this. There were a number of factors that contributed to this, but ultimately they suffered from severe tiredness. Sophie (fighting in the under 17yr open grade category) did have two very good wins against a black belt and a senior brown belt, but simply lacked the energy to maintain these performances to be able to get to the medal stages. Sophie totally dominated her fight against the black belt, eventually tacking the victory with a Juji Gatame (cross arm lock), after numerous knock downs. Sophie's second win, came after she had gone behind in the contest against an excellent left handed fighter who gave her no end of trouble. But in true Sophie style she gritted her teeth and pulled off a huge Ura Nage (rear throw) to win the contest by ippon. Rachael too had a very good win, managing to come back from a score down to win with a very nice Tai Otoshi (body drop) into a good hold down. Zoe too put up some very creditable performances, and never looked over-awed by the occasion. Both Rachael and Zoe were fighting in their first tournament which allowed both arm-locks and strangles, and they both dealt with this superbly well. Unfortunately for Jos his was the last group to fight (3:00pm), and so he was completely shattered by the time he got on the mat. When Jos actually fell asleep between contests then I guess you could say he was tired!!!

This was a magnificent experience for all those concerned, and a real boost for the Club to be represented at such a great European Competition. It was learning curve not only for the players, but also Michelle and myself as coaches. The biggest lesson for the players was how to deal with the length of the trip (time wise) and the severe lack of sleep over three days. We were accompanying on this trip Colin Oates (amongst several others), who is the current British Champion. I had a long conversation with Colin, who has fought in numerous World and European competitions, and he said that to be able to compete in these events you have to be disciplined enough to make yourself sleep and relax at every opportunity, so that you are fit and ready for competition time.

Obviously this was the first time our players have experienced overseas competition, and therefore the whole thing was exciting. Next time I think the players will have to focus more on the judo competition, and then enjoy the experiences after the tournament has finished. To be fair though we did have two consecutive 4:30 a.m starts, and had to enjoy the hospitality of an Antwerpe Formule 1 Motel!!! Now anyone who has experienced a Formule 1 Motel will know I'm joking when I use the word "enjoy", the rooms are very similar to "concrete rabbit hutches" stacked one on top of the other!!. We were kept awake until the early hours of the morning by a branch of the Russian Mafia, who were celebrating a major arms deal by consuming copious amounts of super strength larger - either that or they were a bunch of migrant workers "investing" their end of week pay packets!!!!!!!!!!!

In summary: a brilliant trip and one which we will definitely be repeating in the future. A BIG well done to all the players, who did fantastically well in their first competition of this type.

Regards, Allen.

11th June 2006 - Norwich Mini Mon

On Sunday we had 7 players go to the Norwich Mini Mon - Sam White, Wayne Freestone, Catherine Freestone, Chloe Payne, Anya Lewin, Jennifer Green & Jos Goddard. Jonny Cooke was also competing in an under 17yrs competition in Crawley.

Sam, had two very strong performances and two good wins to take the Gold medal.

Wayne, also showed some excellent form to get two wins and take a Gold medal.

Catherine, (not to be outdone by her brother!!!) had three very good wins and also took the Gold medal.

Chloe, fought very well and had two wins to take the Bronze medal.

Anya, also had a very good day and had a good win to take the Bronze medal.

Jennifer, was competing in her first ever competition, and did very well to get a Bronze medal.

Jos, had a good day, and took the Gold (on a count back).

Jonny - I didn't actually see Jonny compete (unfortunately my private jet couldn't get from Norwich to Crawley in time!!), but I understand he fought very well against some top line competition, and came away with a Bronze medal.

Another excellent weekend's judo for SWJC players. We had 8 players competing, and took 4 Golds and 4 Bronzes. I really am pleased to see are younger more inexperienced players taking such an active part in our local events - and having good success. I have noticed a significant improvement in the judo of these young players, which bodes very well for the long term future of the Club. Are we seeing SWJC Boys on the ascendancy - 3 Golds and 1 Bronze!!!!! I guess Team Pink may have something to say about that!!! Well done to all, and keep up the good work.

Regards, Allen.

21st May 2006 - Ipswich Mini Mon

We had 10 players from SWJC make the trip over to Ipswich on Sunday for the Mini Mon Tournament (open to players up to 6th mon). And for some it was their first ever real tournament.

As most of you know I am also now the Head Coach of East Herts Olympic Judo Club (Bishops Stortford), and so I was looking after 8 players from that club too - busy day!!! I would just like to send my THANKS to Michelle who does a huge amount of work dealing with the entries and administration (not to mention coaching on the day) to get all the players to these events. Thanks also goes to Sophie Daniels who was on hand Sunday to offer some of her wealth of competition knowledge and do some coaching and looking after the newer players -?Thanks Soph!?

Anyway enough of the "back patting" and on to the judo. The 10 SWJC players who entered were: Chloe Payne - Anya Lewin - Eleanor Bass - Jos Goddard - Catherine Freestone - Wayne Freestone - Robert Cieslicki - Ben Welch - Charlotte Briscombe - Sam White.

Chloe: had two good contests but unfortunately no wins on the day. This shouldn't detract from the performance though, which was very good. In fact in her first contest she was leading, until she was caught by a Tai Otoshi (body drop). In her second contest she was held down, but never gave up the fight.

Anya: had a much improved competition to her last, and really did compete very well. Anya was thrown in her first contest. The second contest she took the full distance and only lost out by a score, and showed great determination and desire to get back into the fight.

Eleanor: has only been doing judo a matter of months, and so this was her first competition. What a great way to start with a superb Osto Gari (outer reaping throw) to win the contest within 5 seconds. The second contest was a much harder affair, and went the full distance with Eleanor once again tacking the victory. Unfortunately though for Eleanor she lost her next two contest, but not without a fight, and so narrowly missed out on the medals. On another day two wins would have been good enough for a medal. With an opening performance such as this I think we can expect great things from Eleanor.

Jos: started in superb fashion winning his first contest with a fantastic Tomoe Nage (stomach throw) for an Ippon win. His second contest was a "real war" and ended even, so it was into Golden Score (first score wins) with both boys looking very tired. Jos just couldn't sustain the pressure and was eventually caught with a drop Seoi Nage (shoulder throw). Jos then won his third contest with his favourite Te Guruma (hand wheel throw) to take a well deserved BRONZE medal.

Catherine: had a fantastic day, winning her first contest with two Wazari scores ending in hold downs. In her second contest Catherine pulled off an excellent Tai Otoshi (body drop throw) to get a Wazari score, and she then went on and held her opponent to end the contest. These two great wins meant Catherine went home with the GOLD medal and a big smile!

Wayne: not to be outdone by his sister, Wayne too won his first contest with a superb Ko Soto Gari (outer reaping throw) for an Ippon win. His second contest was a much tougher affair, with the fight ending all square after time, so it was into Golden Score. Wayne never let his opponent settle for one minute, and his relentless pressure paid off when he caught his opponent with a Ko Uchi Gari (inner reaping throw). Unfortunately Wayne didn't manage to win his third contest, but nevertheless ended up with a brilliant SILVER medal.

Robert: fought in a combined weight group. Robert's day didn't start too well when he was caught with a drop Seoi Nage (shoulder throw). His second contest was much more impressive with a lovely Tani Otoshi (rear drop throw) to gain the Ippon win. In his third contest Robert managed to knock his opponent down, and quickly got a hold on which the other guy never looked like getting out of, and didn't! This all meant Robert took the GOLD medal in his own weight group.

Ben: I'm not sure what the Welch's have been feeding young Ben on (can I have some please!), but this was the best I have ever seen Ben fight. His first contest didn't really end that well as he was eventually thrown by a Tai Othoshi (body drop throw). In his second contest he was awarded an Ippon win after an excellent Osoto Gari. Ben came out in equally determined fashion for his third contest but unfortunately eventually lost after being held down.

Charlotte: unfortunately hasn't been able to train that much of late due to other commitments, and it showed in her first contest as she was caught with a big drop Seoi Nage (shoulder throw). The second contest was much more like the old Charly, with a knock down into the ground and an excellent display of Ne Waza (ground fighting) to get the hold down and win. The third contest was another battling performance which Charly took to the full distance but lost out by a small score.

Sam: didn't start his day in great style when he was countered with a nice Osoto Gari (outer reaping throw). In his second contest Sam looked much the better player taking an excellent Ippon win with an Osoto Gari. This win was enough to give Sam the SILVER medal, and another to add to his ever increasing tally.

So it was 5 medals for SWJC, and with another 6 medals from the Bishops Stortford guys it was a fantastic days judo for all concerned. With so much young tallent being displayed the future is looking very bright. The more senior players had better start looking over their shoulders as a huge wave of new players is on its way!!!!!!!!!!!

The next tournament for the New Young Warriors is the Norwich Mini Mon on 11th June. Please see Michelle as soon as possible to book in. On the 18th June we have been invited to the Hertfordshire Schools tournament which is open to all.

Regards, Allen.

30th April 2006 - Peterborough U20

We had 6 players attend the Peterborough Under 20yrs Competition on Sunday: Jos Goddard, Rachael Daniels, Zoe Camp, Daniel Welch, Sophie Daniels & Jonny Cooke.

Jos: Although this competition was divided into the usual weight categories, it was an Open Grade Tournament, so was always going to be hard for some of our players. To make matters even tougher for Jos the lightest weight category was U30kg rather than Jos' usual U27kg. Not phased by being the youngest, lightest and lowest grade, Jos managed to put on an excellent display of judo against all the odds. Although no wins on the day, Jos fought a Yellow Belt, an Orange Belt and a Green Belt and although he got thrown in his first contest, his next two he only lost by being held down. His fight against the Green belt almost went to time, with Jos showing great skill to "Arab Spring" off of several Tomoe Nage throws (sacrifice technique).

Rachael: Rachael too came up against some very tough opposition, but in usual "full on attacking" style that is typical of Rachael, none of her opponents got an easy contest. In her first fight it was relentless pressure from Rachael right from the start, but unfortunately Rachael was caught by counter throw to the rear. The second contest started in the same fashion as the first, with Rachael doing all the work, but this time Rachael's lack of experience in ground fighting told, and she was held down.

Zoe: Zoe has made some real progress over the past few tournaments, and although there were to be no wins on the day, the performances were promising. The new sleeve grip that Zoe is now adopting proved successful, and it was Zoe who was doing all the attacking in the first fight but lost out in a ground work exchange and was eventually held. The second contest was similar to the first with Zoe attacking, but again lost out in the ground work exchanges. Due to the number of players in this group Zoe did end up with a Bronze medal, and was a good reward for two hard contests.

Daniel: Daniel's judo continues to improve with the more competitions he does, and Sunday was no exception. Daniel approached his first contest in a much more measured fashion than in his previous competition, and this proved successful. After a few good attacks Daniel then pulled off a superb Harai Goshi (sweeping hip throw) against a much higher graded opponent, to get the win. The next two contests saw Daniel putting his opponents under pressure, but unfortunately got caught by two Drop Seoi Nage throws. A much improved display from Daniel which was rewarded by a Bronze medal.

Sophie: Sophie was in for a busy day, as she had entered both the Junior and Youth (up to age 20yrs) categories. Sophie got off to rather a slow start, in a contest which saw Sophie doing all the attacking, but actually ended up loosing on a penalty for stepping out of the area. The second contest went more to plan, with a beautiful Drop Seoi Nage followed into the ground and a win by hold down. The second contest was won in a similar fashion, with Sophie scoring using the "new" Ko Uchi (inner leg) throw that she has been working on, and holding her opponent down for the win. The results were decided on a count back, as no one player had won all their contests, and it was Sophie who came home with the Gold medal due to her two maximum scores. With little time to celebrate, Sophie was on again this time in the Youth Tournament. The first contest Sophie won, again holding her opponent after a series of attacks and varying techniques. The second contest appeared to be going as the first, but during a ground work exchange Sophie's opponent managed to put on an arm lock, which Sophie eventually submitted to. So it was to be Silver this time for Sophie, and another awesome performance.?

Jonny: Jonny too had a very busy day, fighting in his usual under 81kg category and in the open weight. Jonny's first contest was against a black belt so he new it was going to be tough, and it certainly proved to be. Both players putting in attack after attack, but it was Jonny who eventually got the upper hand and won the contest by a hold down. Next up was another black belt, but after a spirited start Jonny was thrown and held. A very fine performance by Jonny which was rewarded with a Silver Medal. The same group of lads met for the Open Weight category together with another very large player! Unfortunately this time around Jonny couldn't gain the same results, and the more experienced players told. Nevertheless a great performance by Jonny against higher graded opponents, and an Open Weight Bronze Medal.

A fantastic display by all of the SWJC players, and most pleasing of all we can see continued development by all those competing.

Further good news on the day - following discussions with Eastern Area officials - Sophie is in line to receive a Grant to help with her judo costs. The award is for the four most promising young judo players in the Eastern Area, and is a real reflection of Sophie's continuous hard work and undoubted talent - I think there is a clause in there that the Coach gets 25% commission!!!!!?

Regards, Allen.

23rd April 2006 - Ford Split Grade Tournament

It was a trip down to Dagenham for SWJC players on Sunday, for the Ford Judo Competition. Representing SWJC was Jos Goddard, Zoe Camp, Sam White, Daniel Welch, Rachael Daniles & Sophie Daniels.

Jos: Unfortunately for Jos he seems to be in a very popular category at the moment, with over 20 players in his group, all of whom showed a very high standard of judo. Jos got caught rather cold in his first contest and was taken by a fine Tomoe Nage (sacrifice throw). Jos came out in much more determined style in his second contest, looking for his now familiar Te Guruma (pick up technique). All was going well until he got caught on the ground and was then held. Jos third contest was once again a very tight affair, with each player putting in good attacks, but Jos eventually got countered with a rear thrown, and his day was done. Although no wins on the day for Jos, it was still a good performance to be fighting at this level at just 8 years old.

Zoe: As you would expect from a tournament of this type, there were to be no easy contests for Zoe on the day. Zoe came out for her first contest in her usual confident style, and immediately put her opponent under pressure, but was caught by a Maki Komi style (winding technique), and was then held. In her second contest Zoe started using the new gripping style that she has been working on to great effect, and?got several knock downs. Unfortunately the contest went against Zoe when she was caught by a very nice Drop Seoi Nage (shoulder throw). Contest three was another close fight, with Zoe eventually getting taken to the ground and held. Although no wins on the day for Zoe she did fight very well, and due to the number of players in the group did get rewarded with a Bronze Medal.

Sam: Sam is definitely growing into this category, and his recent increase in training is starting to show some rewards. In his first fight Sam came running out at his opponent like his life depended on it!!!! After he had calmed down a bit Sam put up a battling display and eventually had a points win with a nicely executed Tai Otoshi (body drop). Sam looked a lot more settled in his second contest and easily dispatched his opponent with another nice Tai Otoshi throw. This meant Sam was now in the final, and would face a lad that had shown good skills in his contests. The final was to be a very hard fought affair, with both players really going at it. At the end of full time the contest was still even, so a "Golden Score" (this is where the first score wins) would settle the fight. Both players were now tiring after putting in such an effort, and eventually Sam succumbed to a small throw which effectively won the contest for his opponent. A truly magnificent effort by Sam, which was rewarded by a Silver Medal.

Daniel: This was Daniel's first tournament after his recent grading, which meant he was now fighting in a much higher category. This was always going to be a very tough day for Daniel, as most of the players in this group are very experienced. In his first contest Daniel came out in his usual very determined style and put the pressure on his opponent, but sadly experience told and Daniel was caught with a clever counter to the rear. In his second contest Daniels' opponent put in numerous Drop Seoi Nage attacks which Daniel managed to avoid, but eventually did get caught. Contest three was a much closer fight, with both players putting in scoring attacks, but sadly for Daniel he got caught with a fine Seoi Nage (shoulder throw). This was a very spirited display from Daniel, and due to the number of players in the group, he was rewarded with a Bronze Medal.

Rachael: Rachael was looking to build on the great performance of Clacton, and have another good day. Her first contest didn't go Rachael's way, as she was countered with a rear thrown and lost the contest. Fight two was a real battle with Rachael using her trade mark Tai Otoshi attacks to good success, however she got caught by a drop Seoi Nage and even though the contest went to full time she did loose on points. It seems that Rachael always ends up having some real "wars" and fight three was no exception. Rachael put her opponent under relentless pressure, with continuous attacks, but did get caught with a small points scoring throw. Rachael never gave in the fight and continued to attack right until the final bell, but it wasn't to be. As with Zoe and Daniel, due to the number of entrants, Rachael was rewarded with a Bronze Medal.

Sophie Daniel: This was Sophie's first competition back since recovering from a nasty knee injury. Sophie's first contest didn't really go to plan. She was up against a girl she had beaten on several occasions in the past, but even though she put in numerous attacks none were points scoring and she eventually lost on a penalty. Sophie's second contest went similarly to the first - Sophie doing all the attacking - but this time she was taken by a clever counter to the rear. Contest three looked like Sophie had started to regain some of her timing, and the throws were all points scoring, with particularly nice dropping O Uchi & Ko Uchi Maki Komi's (inner winding throws) - which pleased the coach as this is what we have been working on over the past few weeks!!!!. Sophie ended this contest with an excellent display of Ne Waza (ground work) to hold her opponent down to take the win. No medals on the day, but after her lay off this was a pretty good return to competitive judo for Sophie.

This was a mixed day of fortunes for SWJC players, but all must take some positives from their performances, and were a credit to themselves and the Club.?If our players are to compete at a descent level then gaining experience at tournaments like this is essential.

Also accompanying SWJC were three players from Bishops Stortford Judo Club - Turner & Aston Davis and Jonathan Pettinger. All three fought brilliantly, with Aston getting a bronze and Turner and Jonathan getting Silvers - well done guys!!.

Regards, Allen.

26th March 2006 - High Wycombe Red Belt Rumble

This tournament was billed as a novice competition (up to 3rd Mon), but the level of judo on display was truly astounding, and in many cases would have looked at home in a orange/green belt tournament!!!! We had three players booked in - Wayne & Catherine Freestone and Jos Goddard, but unfortunately Wayne & catherine were unwell so didn't attend. Also accompanying us on this trip was Megan Maskell from the The East Herts Olympic Judo Club (Bishops Stortford).

Jos Goddard - This was Jos' first official BJA Junior tournament as he only turned 8 last week (minimum age for BJA tournaments is 8yrs). Jos got caught a bit cold in his first contest, succumbing to a rather clever rear pick up technique, by the eventual Gold Medalist. Jos certainly made up for his slow start in his second contest with a magnificent Te-Guruma (Hand wheel pick up technique) to win in just 15 seconds! Next contest Jos was up agaist a young lad who had shown some very skillful judo in his first fight, so this looked like it might be a much tougher contest. Jos was having none of it and never let the other boy settle, putting in several good attacks. Jos eventually got his reward, and pulled off another superb Te-Gurama, this time wiith an Ashi-Waza (ankle technique) finish just to get some extra rotation. These two wins meant Jos was now in a position to fight for the Bronze medal. Once again Jos put in some good attacks, but unfortunatley he got caught with a counter throw to the rear to end a very hard fought contest. So no medal for Jos on the day but a superb performance for someone so young, considering this competition was in grade and weight categories, but NOT age banded. Jos' judo skills certainly raised a few eyebrows around the arena, in particluar a certain nationaly recognised coach paying particular attention!!!!!

Megan Maskell - Many of the kids who go to Bishops Stortford will know Megan, and she is also a visitor to SWJC. This was only Megans second ever judo competition, but one which she really excelled in. Megan came out in real determined fasion for her first contest and gave her opponent a really hard time, but unfortunately got spun around and taken down with a leg technique, which I thought shouldn't have scored as Megan had landed on her front - but (not for the first time!!!) the judges didn't agree with me and the other girl was awarded the victory. Megan came out in equally determined fasion for her second contest, and got in an early knock down from a Tai-Otoshi (Body Drop), and then held her opponent down for the win. Megan won her third contest in great style, with another Tai-Otoshi throw. This victory meant Megan went home with the Silver medal (and a big smile on her face!!). I know some of the other girls at SWJC are keen to adopt Megan into their already successful girls squad "Team Pink", and with performances like these I can see why!!!!!!! As the Boys Squad is showing some good signs of success does that mean the Girls have to resort to poaching other Clubs players in there desire to maintain supremacy???????!!!!!!!!!!

A great days judo by two very exciting young pospects, which all bodes well for the future. I have to say though, that if this is to be the future standard of "Novice" competition in this part of the country then we will have raise the standards of judo within in the Club and also carefullly select which competitions our players enter. There are of course many more entry level competitions throughout the country that can be used. If you would like to enter competitions please speak with either Michelle or myself and we can pick out an appropriate tournament for you to enter.

Regards, Allen.

19th March 2006 - Ipswich Senior Open

Jonathan Best, Michelle Camp, Jonathan Swift, Jonny Cooke, Patrick Munns, Sophie Daniels.

Jon Best fighting in his first tournament after a years lay off decided he was fit enough to compete in both the Seniors and Veterans (35yrs and over) competitions! Jon certainly lived up to expectations with some magnificent judo being displayed. Jon showed that not only could he win with brilliant technique (a wonderfull pick-up Te-Guruma proving that), but also could grind out hard fought battles. With a couple of great wins in the Senior section of the event Jon picked up the Bronze medal. With only a 10 minute break he was back up for the Veterans tournament, and I have to say he was looking rather "second hand" by this stage - with numerous cuts, bruises, scrapes and grazes. Fortunately I was able to utilise my expert medical skills to keep him taped up and in the battle!!! Here too Jon showed his brilliant contest knowledge and experience, again picking up two good wins to take the Bronze medal.

Michelle Camp, not to be outdone by Jon Best, decided to enter both the Senior tournament and the Veterans. This after a 3 year lay off!!!!! Unfortunately for Michelle the way the weights were configured meant she had to fight in the Open Weight category - not easy when you saw the size of some of these young ladies!!! After some very tough contests Michelle was awarded a Bronze medal in this section. Next up the Veterans, where she looked to have regained her second wind with two good solid wins to pick up the Silver medal - a great result after such a long time out of competition.

Jon Swift, fighting in his first ever Judo tournament put on an excellent display despite suffering from a heavy head cold. After being caught out in his first fight Jon bounced back with three straight wins to pick up the Silver Medal. Jon showed some brilliant judo skills, both throwing and ground techniques, for someone who has only been in the sport for less than a year. His ferocious ground work (Ne Waza) fighting I think probably put the fear of God into most of the other competitors, who all went away holding their arms and/or necks where Jon had tried (and suceeded in several cases) to either arm lock or strangle them!!!!!

Jonny Cooke had a very tuff day. After the first round of contests all the players in Jonny's pool ended up with the same amount of wins, so the whole pool had to be re-fought. Jonny ended up with two wins, one by a spectacular Uchi - Mata (inner thigh throw), which put him in the Semi - Final up against his team mate Patrick Munns. I think the amount of contests told on Jonny, and he was caught by Pat with a clever rear throw. Jonny's reward however was a well deserved Bronze medal.

Patrick Munns seemed to breeze through his pool in his very laid back and relaxed style to gain four straight wins. Pat showed considerable skill on his way to a place in the Final, winning with a wide variety of techniques, both standing and on the ground. Pat made a great attack in the final but unfortunately was thrown by a very clever counter, and so picked up the Silver medal. A brilliant performance by Pat considering just how little competition experience he has had.

Sophie Daniels, like Jonny had to re-fight her first round pool, after all the players ended up with the same amount of wins. Sophie was suffering from a rather swollen knee after she picked up an injury on Thursday, which was further agrivated by her contests the previous day. A change of tactics was required and it was decided that Sophie should concentrate her efforts on mostly ground techniques, this she did to great effect picking up two wins to gain a Bronze medal. This was Sophie's first attempt at a Senior Open tournament, and to pick up a Bronze medal at the age of just 14yrs was very impressive.

As if Jonny, Jon Swift, Pat and Michelle (together with Stuart from another Club) hadn't had enough for one day they decided to enter the Team Competition - Hardy Warriors or Damn Fools. you decide? Stuart unfortunately got beaten in his cntest, so next up it was Jonny who put up a stirling performance but was caught out, so SWJC was loosing 2 - 0 at this stage. Up stepped the next Walden Warrior, Jon Swift who ground out another great victory to bring the score to 2 - 1. Pat Munns was then partnered against a huge man, who was over 30 kilos heavier than himself (and with the Coaches advise of "use your weight Pat" fresh in his ears!!!) went out and pulled off a superb victory by turning the big fella and throwing him backwards fro an ippon win. The score now stood at 2 - 2 and so Michelle had to win against the female version of Pat's opponent (a very big lady indeed!!!). After a very gutsy performance Michelle's opponent eventually got a throw in an burried Michelle's head into the mat (I think they are still filling the hole now!!!), and so Walden Warriors bowed out of the Team Competition with a 3 - 2 loss.

A truly fantastic days judo, and the team spirit amongst SWJC players, friends and family made for a memorable occasion. The total medal count came to 8, with 21 vistories by SWJC players!

Coaches Awards

"Most War Wounds" - Jon Best. I hope your wife recognised you when you got home????

"Most Scarey Face" - Jon Swift. When he was trying to rip some poor chaps arm off!!!!

"Best Judo Suit Design" - Jonny Cooke. For trying to tie die his suit with his opponents blood!

"Best Crash Landing" - Michelle Camp. For having her head used as a crash mat!!

"Win of the Day" - Pat Munns. For throwing the "Man Montain" and still looking cool & relaxed!

"Celebration of the Day" - Sophie Daniels. After winning her second contest, running across the mat to hug the coach so hard it ruptured his third and fourth vertabrae!!!

Regards, Allen.

18th March 2006 - Beford Area Grading

Sophie Daniels was the only member of SWJC who attended the grading on Saturday, but boy did she set the place alight!!! Her first fight only lasted around a minute. After some brief ground work (Ne Waza) exchanges, the two girls were stood back up and within seconds Sophie had thrown the girl with perfectly executed Drop Seoi Nage and put an end to the contest. Sophie's second fight lasted around 30 seconds, with once agin a win with her trade mark throw (Drop Seeoi - Nage). After despatching two Green belts with such ease, Sophie was then asked to fight a Blue belt. This was probably the best win of the day with a magnificent Drop Seoi - Nage win, and was without doubt the best throw seen all day by any competitor. The judges then decided to put Sophie up against a 17th Mon (Brown belt two stripes). This was a much tighter contest which Sophie completely dominated, but unfortunately got caught by one of the few throws that her opponent attempted, and so she was narrowly beaten, with the contest going to full time. All this meant that Sophie was awarded her 15th Mon (Blue belt 3 stripes) - well done!!!

Regards, Allen.

12th March 2006 - Tendering Mon Championships

We had 5 players go to the Tendering Mon Championships on Sunday - Chloe, Anya, Rachael, Zoe, Lorena. Yes 5 girls, come on boys where are you hiding!!!!

Both Chloe and Anya were competing in their first proper competition, and aquitted themselves magnificently well. Anya received a "spirit of judo" award for her great determination, and Chloe won a Bronze medal, after gaining two victories. One of which went to extra time (Golden Score) where Chloe eventually came out on top through sheer determination. It's great to see two new stars being added to the long list of female competitors at SWJC, and I hope they both go on to greater success in the coming year.

Rachael had two extremely tuff fights, and unfortunately just lost out in both. Although there were no victories for Rachael on Sunday this doesn't really tell the whole story. In her first fight Rachael was up against the reigning National Junior Champion, who she put under extreme pressure, and at one point was leading the contest. Rachael did eventually loose out but it was a superb performance. The second fight Rachael met the eventual Gold medalist, and once again she put her opponent under massive pressure with several scoring throws. With performances like that, on another day Rachael would have surely have been in the medals!

Due to a smaller than expected number of enties Zoe and Lorena's groups were amalgamated to form an "Open Weight" category. Unfortunately for Zoe this meant her having to fight girls up to 30kg heavier than herself. Not daunted by the task in hand Zoe put up some superb performances, and was rewarded with a Bronze medal - and a couple of lumps and bumps!!!! Due to the small entry Lorena wasn't really able to show her true abilities, but nevertheless did receive the Silver medal on the day.

The standard of judo was far higher than I expected from this tournament, and probably just goes to show the huge improvements that have been made in junior judo over the past few years. Although the number of contest wins wasn't really a true reflection of our players performances, I was however very happy with all the SWJC players. So once again it's a BIG WELL DONE to Team Pink!!!

Regards, Allen.

21st February 2006 - NHC Senior Open

Jonny fought in the NHC Senior Open last Sunday, and put up a creditable performance considering he has only just turned 16. The step up from junior to senior judo can be a difficult one. The standard of judo on display was truly stunning. I think Jonny will have learned a lot from just being part of this, and seeing just what it takes to be able to win at this level.

Regards, Allen.

January 2006 - London International/Norwich Grading

It was a hectic start to the new judo season for SWJC & Yours Truly!!! Saturday it was a trip to the Excel Centre for the London Judo International, and on Sunday up to Norwich for the area grading.

What a fantastic venue the Excel Centre is - this is where the Olympic Judo will be held in 2012. There was over 1600 competitors entered for this tournament from numerous different countries, so it really was a huge tournament. We had 6 players entered: Jos Goddard, Rachael Daniels, Zoe Camp, Sophie Daniels, Lorena Gomez & Jonny Cooke.

Jos started magnificently, winning his first two contests in fine style with two big ippon throws. Unfortunately Jos had not been feeling well all morning, and just couldn't sustain his great start, so didn't get to the medal stages. As it turned out Jos had to be taken to the emergency Doctor Sunday morning and was diagnosed with a chronic chest infection and is now on anti-biotics - so get well soon SON!!

Rachael too had a fantastic start, winning her first two contests in real determined fasion. Unfortunately after a magnificent battle Rachael just lost out in the Bronze medal fight. This was probably one of Rachael's finest performances to date, as she was competing in an open grade tournament and never for one second looked out of her depth.

Zoe also fought in very determined style, in what turned out to be a really tough group. Her first contest being agaist a Dutch Blue belt competitor! Once again this was an open grade section so Zoe put on a fine performance, and took a heavy blow to the side of the head for her touble!!! You keep getting them Zoe you'll become as mad as your coach!!!!

Sophie put on another superb display of judo winning with, not only her trade mark drop seoi-nage, but also with an equally accomplished display of ne waza (ground work). Sophie eventually got beaten by a very cagey fighter who managed to hold off Sophie's relentless attacks, which meant she took the BRONZE medal. Sophie's performance was made all the more impressive due to the fact she was unable to compete in her normal age/weight category (which was being held on the Sunday) due to other commitments. This meant Sophie was competing against girls 4 years older, up to 7 kilos heavier and open grade. Be warned - black belts no longer hold any fear for Sophie (if indeed they ever did!!!!).

Lorena re-captured her performances of last year with a totally dominating performance, in once again an open grade category. Lorena dispatched her first two opponents in no time at all, which meant she gained a place in the final to determine Gold & Silver. The final was a real hard fought contest, with no quarter given by either player. Eventually Lorena was caught by a clever counter technique by her opponent, and as such won the SILVER medal. A fantastic result in such a high class competition. This bodes extremely well for Lorena for the coming years competition.

Jonny unfortunatley had to accept probably one of the worst refereeing decisions I have witnessed in recent times (and I have seen a few!!!), which meant he lost his opening contest, even after my very voiciferous protestations!!!!! All credit to Jonny though, he picked himself up and went out very focused for his next contest, but sadly lost out to a very skillful opponent.

We had two competitors taking part in the Norwich Area Grading: Daniel Welch (juniors) and Jon Swift (seniors). Daniel really confirmed his recent improvement by winning his three contests in great style, each by ippon. Daniel impressed the judges to such an extent that they awarded him his green belt (10th mon), which means he jumped the orange belt stage all tobether. Jon had an equally successful day, winning his first contest by a hold down and then his second by a massive rear throw, which I'm suprised his opponent ever got up from!! Unfortunately Jon was paired against a guy that was at least 20+ kilos heavier than h