Saffron Walden Judo Club

24 June 2007 - Kent International

This weekend we had 9 players go to the Kent International - Noah Lawson, Megan Maskell, Aston Davis, Shanon Evans, Zoe Camp, Jon Pettinger Rachael Daniels, Sophie Daniels & Jonny Cooke. This is one of the biggest tournaments of the year and attracts some very good players from the UK and Europe.

Noah - 1 Win 2 Losses. Noah started the day in fine style in his usual laid back style! Noah managed to knock his opponent to the ground where he quickly turned him into a hold to win by hold down. Contest two was really even, with Noah eventually loosing on the smallest of scores wright at the end of the contest. Unfortunately Noah was up against a much more experienced player in his third contest and was thrown early on by Tani-Otoshi (Valley Drop Throw). Considering Noah is still very new to competition, he fought extremely well and with a little more competition experience will soon be winning medals.

Megan - 0 Wins 3 Losses. Megan was thrown early on in her first contest by Osoto-Gari, but she did battle back and take the contest to full time but couldn't get the win. Megn lost her second contest when she was thrown by very nice Tai-Otoshi (Body Drop Throw). After two losses Megan was very down for her third contest, eventually loosing by a penalty score for inactivity. Megan simply wasn't at her best for this tournament.

Aston - 1 Win 2 Losses BRONZE. Aston didn't start the competition in great style, getting thrown by Tai-Otoshi into a hold. Contest two was much better, as Aston won comfortably, taking the victory with Tani-Otoshi (valley Drop Throw). Aston did the early attacking in contest three but one of her efforts was smartly countered by Ko-Soto-Gake (Outer Hook Throw) for her opponent to take the win. A much improved performance from Aston and due to this being a small group one win was enough to take a well deserved Bronze medal.

Shanon - 1 Win 2 Losses BRONZE. Shanon had a great start to the day, winning in fine style with a O-Soto-Gari (Outer Sweeping Throw). Shanon didn't have such a good time in the second contest as she was thrown and held down. Contest three was also a pretty tough affair for Shanon loosing to a nice O-Soto-Gari by her opponent. It was good for Shanon to take a win at this tournament and the one win was good enough for a Bronze medal.

Zoe - 2 Wins 1 Loss BRONZE. Zoe too got off to a flying start with a very nice Ko-Soto-Gake (Outer Hooking Throw) into a hold down to take an early victory. Zoe did take the second contest to full time but lost out to her opponents Drop Seoi-Nage (Shoulder Throw). Contest three was for a Bronze medal which Zoe won easily with a O-Uchi-Gari (Inner Sweeping Throw). A very well deserved medal which now takes Zoe's total medal haul to 50, quite an achievement.

Jon - 2 Wins 2 Losses 5th Place. Jon got in the early scoring throw with a neat O-Uchi-Gari counter and from there on in controlled the fight with great ease to take the win. Jon won the second contest with another well executed O-Uchi-Gari to take victory in the first minute of the contest. Contest three didn't go to plan as Jon was expertly thrown with Morote-Gari (Double Leg Grab). Contest four was for the Bronze medal. Jon went a score down early on in the contest so was forever chasing his opponent, it was during one of Jon's attacks that he was cleverly countered by his opponent and thrown backwards. A 5th place in a very strong field was a good result.

Rachael - Junior Section: 1 Win 2 Losses 5th Place. Rachael's first contest went to full time but she lost as her opponent got the score from a neat Pick-Up technique. Rachael totally dominated contest two getting in a good score with Maki-Komi (Outer Winding Throw). Rachael eventually took the victory with a fine piece of ground work skill to manouver her opponent into a hold from which her opponent submitted. Contest three was for a Bronze medal and was against the 3 time National Champion. This was an excellent contest in which both girls were so evenly matched, but it was her opponent that took the win after she held Rachael just long enough to register the smallest of scores. Rachael was unlucky to only get a 5th place, but the performances were very impressive.

Rachael - Youth Section: 0 Win 2 Losses. Rachael decided to also enter the Youth Section of the tournament (under 18yrs) to gain a little experience. In her first contest Rachael was thrown with a neat Tani-Otoshi for her opponent to take the win. In the second contest Rachael was again thrown this time by a rear counter as she tried to attack. Rachael was visibly tired for the Youth section but did gain good experience from it.

Sophie - Youth Section: 2 Wins 2 Losses. Sophie started her day in pretty spectacular fashion winning in the opening minute with a huge Maki-Komi (Outer Winding Throw). Sophie struggled in her second contest to get in any telling throws, but her groundwork was as good as ever. She neatly turned her opponent into a Juji-Gatame (Cross Armlock) to take the win by submission. Sophie started her third contest really sluggishly and paid the price for her inactivity getting thrown smartly by her opponent with De-Ashi-Barai for opponent to take an unexpected win. Sophie did not recover from the loss at all well and went out for the fourth contest still upset and once again was thrown. Sophie's opponent eventually took the win with a hugely disputed (by me) win from a throw which clearly stared after the ref had called a halt. The judges let the decision stand which ended a pretty disaterous Youth Section for Sophie.

Sophie - Senior Section: 2 Wins 1 Loss SILVER. After the massive disappointment of the Youth Section I had my doubts as to whether Sophie should go on and compete in the Senior Competition as she was still distressed from the outcome earlier. Sophie has never been one to take the easy option so she decided to go ahead and compete. Her first contest was against a very experienced Italian player who she dispatched with great accomplishment with her favourite groundwork move into Juji-Gatame to win by submission. The second contest was against a powerful Dutch woman. The contest was very hard fought and ended even so went into Golden Score (overtime). Eventually it was Sophie's superior fitness that told as she continually put her opponent under pressure until she succeeded in pulling off another great Drop Seoi-Nage to take the victory. Two goods wins meant Sophie had earned a place in the final against the reigning British International Cadet. This was a cracking contest with both girls attacking and defending in great style, but it was Sophie's opponent that got in the winning throws to take a points victory. To end up with a SILVER medal in a Senior International (at just 16yrs old) after the events of earlier was a truly gutsy performance.

Jonny - 1 Win 2 Losses. Jonny didn't have the best of starts as he was caught with a Drop Seoi-Nage for his opponent to take the win. Jonny had a much better second contest winning with a beautiful Uchi-Mata/O-Uchi-Gari combination which he followed into the ground to win by hold down. Contest three was over all too quickly for Jonny as he was thrown with a spectacular Tai-Otoshi by his very powerful opponent. To pick up a win in this company is always good and it was pleasing to see Jonny win with a throw he has put a lot of work into.

Four medals and two 5th places was not a bad result from a large competition like this and certainly continues to keep our Club name in the limelight.


Regards, Allen.

02 June 2007 - Holland Venray International

This weekend we had 9 players make the trip over to Holland for the Venray International - probably the biggest tournament in Europe, with over 1500 competitors from 24 different countries. Competing on Saturday we had Noah Lawson, Luke Maskell, Jos Goddard, Megan Maskell, Theo Lawson & Zoe Camp. On Sunday it was the turn of Rachael Daniels, Jonathan Pettinger & Sophie Daniels.

Noah - 0 Wins 2 Losses. As you would expect from an eight year old, this was Noah's first competition abroad. Noah got thrown early in his first contest with an O-Goshi. He faired much better in his second contest and settled in nicely, but was eventually caught and held. Although no wins on the day, I know Noah really enjoyed his first judo weekend away and will fair much better next year because of the experience gained.

Luke - 2 Wins 2 Losses 5th Place. Luke was the youngest member of our squad at just 7years old. He made a very nervous start (as you would expect) and got held down in his first contest. After a little chat he managed to pull himself together and came out for his second contest in much more determined style, winning with a neat a Yoko-Otoshi (Side Drop). His second contest went pretty much the same way with another excellent win with Yoko-Otoshi. Luke's next contest was for a place in the Bronze Medal final, but he could not quite continue his winning ways getting thrown by Tai-Otoshi (Body Drop). A really great performance from Luke in not only his first trip abroad, but also his first ever real judo competition anywhere!!

Jos - 4 Wins 1 Loss Bronze Medal. Jos started much like the other two boys, with a very nervy first contest, getting thrown with a Tani-Otoshi. This meant Jos would have to go through the Repercharge rounds to have any chance of getting a medal. In contest two Jos was back to his best, experimenting with numerous different throws until he eventually found success with a fabulous left handed Ippon-Seoi-Nage (Shoulder Throw) to take the win. Contest three went as per the previous fight with Jos once again taking victory with left Seoi-Nage. Contest four it was again Jos who did all the attacking, eventually taking his opponent to the ground where he maneuvered him quickly into a hold to take the win by hold down. This meant Jos was now into the Bronze Medal Final. It was Jos' opponent who got the early advantage getting in two scoring throws, but Jos has learnt not to panic during a contest and he bided his time and eventually set his opponent up beautifully to take the victory and BRONZE MEDAL with another brilliant left Seoi-Nage. A magnificent performance from Jos who put on a superbly mature display of judo to become an International Medalist at just 9 years old - and make his Dad very proud indeed!!!!

Megan - 1 Win 2 Losses 5th Place. Megan had to fight in the next age group up so was always going to to find this tough, but she had the best start of any of the Saturday players. Megan knocked her opponent to the ground where she neatly turned her into a Mune-Gatame (Chest Hold) to take the win by hold down. But the tables were turned in her next contest, as this time Megan was tuned over and held. Contest three was against a much higher graded player than Megan, but she put up a very spirited attack until she was eventually thrown by Osoto-Gari (Outer Sweeping Throw). This was also Megan's first judo trip abroad and one which I know she will learn from and come back next year twice as determined.

Theo - 0 Wins 2 Losses. Like the other guys and gals, this was Theo's first taste of international judo. His first contest was against a very awkward player with a most unconventional grip which Theo found difficult to deal with and soon lost out to a neat Tai-Otoshi (Body Drop). Theo looked a little more comfortable in his next contest putting his opponent under early pressure, but lost out when he was turned and held on the ground. As with the others this was a great learning exercise to be able to compete against some of the best players from all over Europe.

Zoe - 0 wins 2 Losses. Zoe's first contest was against a very tall Dutch girl who she found difficult to deal with and lost out early on to a powerful Tai-Otoshi. Zoe was back in the zone for contest two though which was extremely even with both girls putting in attacks. The contest went to full time, but it was Zoe's opponent who took the win with the smallest of scores. Zoe was unlucky not to progress further in this group, but nonetheless a good second contest.

Rachael - 0 Wins 2 Losses. Rachael was up against a very strong opponent in her first contest and took time to settle, but she did eventually start to get her dominant grip. Just as I thought the fight was swinging Rachael's' way her opponent managed to pick Rachael up with a Te-Guruma (Hand Wheel Throw) and take her to the ground where she won by hold down. Contest two was another tough fight with Rachael's opponent getting in the early scores. Rachael threw caution to the wind in the dying seconds to get back in the fight but was neatly countered by a Morote-Gari (Double Leg Grab). No wins on the day but two strong performances from Rachael.

Jon - 0 Wins 2 Losses. Jon's first contest was an excellent fight with both lads demonstrating some great judo. Although the fight went to full time, it was Jon's opponent who got in the telling score with a leg grabbing technique. Jon was up against a really powerful Belgium in his second contest and was beaten by a Drop Kata-Guruma (Shoulder Throw). Two losses don't always tell the full story and that is the case here. Jon put on a fine display of judo and was unlucky not to progress - Oh and I did say I wouldn't mention he was beaten by a lad called Lionel - but sorry Jon just couldn't help myself!!!!!!!

Sophie - 4 Wins 0 Losses GOLD. Sophie prepared herself for this competition like the true professional she has become, coming to the contest area totally focused and truly pumped!. She started in blistering fashion getting in a big initial score with Te-Guruma, followed by a string of other scoring throws to take a very comfortable opening victory. Contest two was again totally dominated by Sophie but this time it was her ground work skills that paid off as she applied a very powerful strangle to take the victory by submission. Contest three was against a tall Dutch girl with an extreme left handed grip which troubled Sophie for a time until she managed to knock her to the ground where she once again used her brilliant ground work skills to maneuver her opponent into a Juji-Gatame (Cross Arm Lock) to take the win by submission. With three straight wins Sophie was now in the final where she met a very strong French girl. Both girls put in several opening attacks but it was Sophie who had total control of the contest. After one of her opponents failed attacks it was Sophie who quickly seized the initiative with another fabulous piece of groundwork to turn her opponent into her favoured Juji-Gatami (Cross Arm Lock) to once again take victory by submission and become the 2007 Venray International Judo Champion. From the moment Sophie stepped on the mat for the very first contest, the Gold Medal never really looked in doubt. To be able to totally dominate the opposition in this class of competition against the very best players from all over Europe just further confirms why Sophie is currently the hottest prospect in the Junior British Judo Team.

A incredible weekend of judo where all our players should be immensely proud of themselves as they all performed brilliantly regardless of whether they won contests or medals. But to come away from a competition of this magnitude with two International Medal winners from our Club is a remarkable achievement and testament to the hard work those players put in. Please do offer your congratulations to all those players who made the trip, they certainly do deserve it.

P.S. If you wish to know all the gossip about the trip away from the judo mat please do ask Kirsty Pettinger - she does have a very odd story about rubber!!!!!!


Regards, Allen.

20 May 2007 - Ipswich

We had 7 Players attend the under 12 event at Ipswich this weekend and all gave good accounts of themselves. The event was under subscribed compared to previous years, the organisers put this down to the rule changes that came about in January this year. For a U 12 years tournament the standard was very high as we had expected. So high in fact that the host club did not enter a single player into their own event! Everyone of our players fought as the under dog in their groups giving away as much as 7 grades, however they did not know this! and we had some fantastic results. 3 Golds, 2 Bronzes and 2 5th places. Individual results below:


Anya Lewin 1st mon: 1 win 0 loss - Gold

Anya had only 1 other player in her group: Kessia Landsman a 6th mon player from Ju Makuda JC.
Anya completely dominated the contest from the start, but the referees were definitely not on her side! Anya made a fantastic Maki komi (winding throw) attack that was definatly worth an Ippon, Both Anya and I thought she had won the contest, but matte was called and no score given. This exact senario happened a second time and I had just convinced the corner judge to challenge the referees decision not to score the throw, when Anya countered her opponent with a massive left O soto Gari (major outer reaping) throw for an undisputable Ippon and a well deserved Gold medal particularly after effectively scoring 3 ippons! For the record the referee did apologise to me later in the day for his misunderstanding of the rules!


Megan Maskell 2nd mon: 2 wins 1 loss - Gold (in own weight category)

Megan fought in a combined weight group and put on another great performance, something we are now starting to expect from Megan!
1st Contest: Victoria Coakley a 4th mon player from Jodan JC: Megan had suffered a recent loss to this player and due to this took a few demons onto the mat with her! Megan made the initial attacks but not in her usual aggressive style and was countered for a yuko score, which she managed to turn out from, but was then turned over on the ground.
and held by Mune gatame (chest crush hold) for Ippon.
2nd contest: Nadia Hughes 6th mon - Kalaki JC: Having had a previous win against this player megan was full of confidence and did not give her opponent any chance to settle. Scoring Yuko with a left Tai otoshi (body drop throw) and followed into the ground attempting a turnover. As soon as the girls were back on their feet Megan was straight back in with another left Tai otoshi, this time scoring Wazari. She followed this into the ground to take the win by submission.
3rd contest: Ellie Cockell - 4th Mon - Malden JC
This was another win on the ground for Megan, she listened and acted very precisely to instructions on how to complete a turnover which resulted in Megan winning the contest by Ippon from some very neat groundwork.


Shannon Evans 1st mon - 1 win 0 loss - Gold

With only 1 player in her group (Lucy-Anne Fairless - 4th mon - Maldon JC) Shannon decided to show her opponent who the boss really was - Shannon was on the mat for a whole 5 seconds before taking the win with a huge O soto gari (major outer reaping throw). Good job we didn't blink for that contest!


Alex Jackson - 2nd mon - 0 wins 2 loss - 5th place

1st Contest: Adam Birchall - 4mon - Kumo JC: Alex took an early Yuko lead in this contest with an O soto gari counter, but Alex was a victim of poor refereeing his next scoring attack was incorrectly awarded to his opponent making the scores equal, Alex fought back well scoring another Yuko to regain the lead. It was in the closing seconds that a counter was made against Alex It was a clear Koka score which would have meant that Alex had still won the contest - but the referee awarded it as a koka and the corner judges over-ruled it as an Ippon - Alex was nothing short of robbed in this contest and a poor refereeing decision cost him the bronze medal.
2nd contest: Joshua O'Connor - 7 mon - Pontardulas JC: Joshua the eventual Gold medalist, was clearly the class of the field today. Alex lost this contest early on being throw by Harai Goshi for Ippon


Robert Parker - 1st mon - 1 win 2 loss - Bronze

This was Roberts best performance to date, showing a new found maturity to competitve judo (not easy at a mere 9 years old!) Robert certainly deserved his bronze medal and was extremely unlucky to miss out on the silver.
1st contest: William McAllickroot - 3 mon - Micklefield: Robert dominated this contest and held a Yuko lead right up until the closing seconds. Unfortunately with less than 30 seconds left on the clock, Robert was countered for Ippon by O soto Gari. This loss was solely due to tactical inexperiance. Robert will win this contest the next time these boys meet.
2nd contest: Charlie Knight - 5 mon - Kamiko JC. A fantastic Ippon win by a Ko soto gari (minor outer reaping throw) counter - I think they are probably still filling in the hole left by the huge impact from the landing on this throw!
3rd contest: Joshua O'connor - 7 mon - Pontardulas JC. This was always going to be a tough contest, but after seeing Joshua and Alex fight earlier in the day we had a solid game plan. Robert fought this contest exactly as asked and did not leave any openings for his opponent. In the closing seconds of the contest it looked like it would be down to the golden score to decide which of these players would win a place in the final, unfortunatley for Robert he was caught with a well executed Harai goshi (Sweeping hip throw) for a score of Ippon at the end of the contest. Nevertheless it was a fine performance from Robert and one to be proud of .


Chloe Payne - 1st mon - 0 win 2 loss - 5th place

1st contest - Rachael Lennox - 3 mon - 61JC: Chloe was yet another victim of poor refereeing. Chloe looked the better player by far in this contest and would almost certainly have won the contest with a different referee been overseeing the contest. However, a score of Ippon was given to her opponent from an osoto gaeshi throw that should have only scored Koka.
2nd contest: Emily Harper - 8th mon - Pinewood: Chloe fought this contest superbly well avoiding and stepping off numerous attacks and also managing to apply pressure with her own attacks. Chloe was however, eventually caught on the ground and turned over into Mune Gatame (chest crush hold) for a score of Ippon.


Chloe Seabright - 2nd Mon - 0 win 3 loss - Bronze

Chloe was very much the 'baby' of this group in terms of age, nevertheless she put on a fantastic display of Judo and sheer determination against older players. Chloe could quite easily win this group next year.
1st contest: Nicole Brown - 4th mon - Pinewood. Chloe S received the exact same result in this contest as Alex had in his first one - Chloe was thrown for Koka, the referee scored it as Koka and the corner judge over-ruled it as an Ippon - There seems to be a bit of a pattern here!
2nd contest - Jessica Carl - 9 mon - Camberly: Chloe gave this contest her best shot but was eventually throw by a Left Tai Otoshi for Ippon.
3rd Contest: Grace Jones-Duvally - 2 mon - Equinox JC: Chloe went out in this contest with all guns blazing! But was countered for ippon by Uchi Mata (inner thigh throw) from a Ko soto Gake attack.


Apart from a number of frustrating refereeing calls, it was a good days Judo and all players were a credit to themselves and their clubs. There will be photos of this event on display at the club this week, so make sure you look out for your claim to fame!

Michelle

12/13 May 2007 - High Wycombe for the Junior & Youth Open Championship

Sam: 1 Win 2 Losses - Sam is new to this weight category and level of competition, so to pick up a win was a good days work.

Jake: 0 Wins 2 Losses - Like Sam, Jake is new to this category and put up a creditable performance. Wins will follow in the not too distant future.

Logan: 2 wins 1 Loss Bronze - Another fine performance from Logan and a well deserved Bronze medal in a particullarly strong group of lads.

Jon: 2 Wins 2 Losses Bronze - Jonny "Pin Up" Pettinger as certain female members refer to him!!!, fought extremeley well and took a hard fought Bronze Medal with some very skillful judo.

Zoe: 1 Win 3 Losses Bronze - Zoe had a good win, but the level of competition was a bit too strong on the day.

Rachael: 3 Wins 1 Loss Silver - Rachael was certainly "Star of the Day" with three straight wins against some of the best players in the country. This earned Rachael a place in the final where she met the 3 times National Champion. Rachael looked the better player early on in the contest, but was caught on the ground and held. A fantastic Silver Medal nonetheless.

Sophie: 0 Wins 2 Losses Bronze - Sophie turned up in body, but not a lot else!! A distinctly un-Sophie liike performance.

Jonny: 0 Wins 3 Losses Bronze - Although Jonny put in a couple of good performances, the competition was just too strong on the day.

A bit of a mixed days judo in terms of our performances.


Regards, Allen.

05/06 May 2007 - Dagenham Grading / Perteborough U20's

Dagenham Grading

Jemima: 1 Draw 2 Losses - 7 Mon. 1st contest - Jemima injured opponent up to this point the contest was very even a draw was called after the player withdrew from the grading. 2nd contest - Jemima was knocked down & turned over & held for Ippon by Mune Gatame (Chest Hold). 3rd contest - Loss - Jemima was thrown by Ko Soto Gari (Outer Reaping Throw). Although no wins, Jemima showed enough skill and ability to be promoted to 7th Mon (Orange Belt).

Logan: 3 Wins 1 Draw - 10 Mon. 1st contest - Ippon win by left Tai Otoshi (Body Drop Throw) against a much heavier opponent. 2nd contest - Draw - this was a very even contest. 3rd contest - Ippon win by hold down. 4th contest - Ippon win by hold down again against a much heavier player. A fantastic performance from Logan which saw him promoted to 10th Mon (Green Belt).

Thanks to Michelle for being on hand for the Coaching duties and writing the report.

Perteborough U20's

Eleanor: 0 Winns 2 Losses. This competition was a step up for Eleanor. Although it was an under 12yrs devision, it was an open grade tournament and so was never going to be easy. In her first contest Eleanor was thrown early on by O-Goshi (Hip Throw). Eleanor performed much better in her second contest, putting in several decent attacks. Her opponents experince eventually told though, when Eleanor was knocked down and turned over into a strong hold. Although no wins on the day, the experince will do Eleanor a world of good to know what is expected to be able to compete at this level.

Shannon: 0 Wins 1 Loss - Silver. Unfortunately for Shannon there was only one other girl in her group. Shannon started brightly enough, getting in some good telling attacks. It was Shannon's opponent who got the upper hand though when she put in a good O-Soto-Gari attack which she followed neatly into the ground to hold Shannon for the victory.

Zoe: (junior) 0 wins 4 Losses, (youth) 0 Wins 2 Losses. Zoe entered the Junior section (12 - 16yrs) and also decided to have a go at the Youth section (14 - 19yrs). Unfortunately for Zoe there were no other players in the Junior section of her weight group so she had to move up a weight which is never easy. In her 1st contest Zoe attacked with an O-Uchi-Gari (Inner Reaping Throw) but was countered by Ko-Soto-Gake (Outer Hooking Throw), which ended the contest. Contest 2 - Zoe fought much better, escaped from several ground holds by bridging and flipping over. The contest went to time but she lost by wazari from Tai-Otoshi attack. Zoe lost her third contest as she was turned over and held by Mune-Gatame. Contest 4 was a much closer contest and at the end of normal time it was all even so it was into Golden score. Zoe's opponent eventually getting the upper hand scoring with a Drop Seoi-Nage. Zoe then had the Youth section to contend with - at least this was in her own weight group! Zoe lost her 1st contest by a submission, being armlocked by Ushiro-Juji-Gatame (Reversed Cross Arm Lock). In contest 2 Zoe was thrown by Ko-Uchi- Maki-Komi (Inner Winding Throw). A tough day all round for Zoe, but all credit to her for fightinhg up a weight and taking up the challenge of Youth judo.

Rachael: (junior) 2 Wins 1 Loss - Bronze, (youth) 0 Wins 2 Losses. Like Zoe Rachael decided to do the Junior and Youth sections. Youth; in her first contest it was Rachael who took the early advantage, getting in two scoring throws with her favourite Maki-Komi (Winding Throw). This contest looked to be going Rachael's way when she was caught, whilst attempting her own attack, with and excellent Uchi-Mata (Inner Thigh Throw). Rachael dominated contest two, putting in most of the scoring attacks. She eventually took the ippon win as her opponent attacked, Rachael neatly countered with a superb Ko-Soto-Gake (Outer Hooking Throw) to take the victory. Contest three was not so easy. Both girls were very evenly matched and a the end of full time the contest was even, so we were into Golden Score (first score takes the victory). It was Rachael who appeared to have the upper hand as she continued to attack with her opponent visibly tiring. Rachael eventually got in the winning attack with a neat Ko-Uchi-Gari (Inner Reaping Throw) to take an exhausting victory and well deserved Bronze Medal. After a little rest Rachael was back out for the Youth section. Rachael was thrown in her first contest witha very neat Drop Seoi-Nage (Shoulder Throw). The second contest was another "war" for Rachael as both girls put in endless attacks, but it was Rachael's opponent who got in a small scoring attack with another Drop Seoi-Nage which turned out to be enough for the victory. A fantastic display of judo, courage and determination from Rachael.

Sophie: 3 Wins 1 Loss - Silver. Although Sophie is still a Junior she was only allowed to compete in the Youth section as she holds a senior Black Belt. Contest one was against a very experienced player who Sophie has met on couple of previous occassions, but never beaten. It was Sophie's opponent who got in the first scoring attacks with Drop Seoi-Nage. But Sophie now has a real air of confidence about her judo and still continued to control the contest, putting her opponent under serious pressure both standing and on the ground. With the contest moving into the final minute Sophie set her opponent up beautifully for her favourite Drop Seoi-Nage to get what was to be the winning throw. Contest two only lasted a matter of seconds as Sophie's first attack was to be the winning throw with a neat Maki-Komi. In contest three Sophie used her excellent ground work skills to take the victory by submission when she manouvered her opponent into a Juji-Gatame (Cross Arm Lock). With 3 wins on the bounce Sophie had breezed her way into the final where she would meet the current British Cadet (19yrs) at this weight. Sophie didn't really do herself justice in the final, loosing quickly by a Te-Guruma (Pick Up Technique). The final aside Sophie's performance was very impressive, carrying forward from her superb victories and Silver Medal in Portugal.

Daniel: 0 Wins 2 Losses. Daniel has been out of training for quite a few weeks due to his exam schedule so this competition was always going to be testing!! Daniel started his first contest bright enough putting in the initial attack with a Hiza-Kata-Guruma (Knee Dropping Shoulder Throw). But his opponent responded with a fantastically executed reverse Kata-Guruma of his own to take the win. In contest two Daniel succumbed to a clever piece of ground work skill from his opponent as he turned Daniel into Sangaku-Jime (Triangular Strangle) to take the win by submission.

Jonny: 1 Win 3 Losses - Bronze. Jonny's first contest didn't last too long as his opponent won with a fantastic Sode-Tai-Otoshi (Sleeve Gripping Body Drop Throw). Contest 2 was a much better performance as Jonny started to put in some telling attacks, but it was his opponent who got the first scoring throw with a Drop Seoi-Nage. The contest went to full time with Jonny loosing by a narrow margine. Jonny dominated the whole of contest 3 putting in some good attacks. But it was Jonny's ground work (after some gentle encouragement from his Coach!!!) that took the victory as he turned and held his opponent. Unfortunately for Jonny contest 4 was over all too quickly as his opponent won with a beatifully exectuted Ko-Uchi-Gari. A tough day at the office for Jonny, but to come away with a win and Bronze Medal in this class of company was no mean feat!

There were some exceptional individual performances by our players, in what has become a very highly respected tournamnet. This all bodes well as we continue to build towards the Junior Nationals and British Championships later in the year.


Regards, Allen.

21/22 Apr 2007 - Lisburn International Cadet Championships/Ford Junior Open Championships

Over the weekend Sophie Daniels competed in Portugal at the Lisburn International Cadet Championships. Tommy Tancock, Jos Goddard, Megan Maskell, Sam Barker, Jake Barker, Rachael Daniels, Zoe Camp & Jon Pettinger all went to the Ford Junior Open Championships in Dagenham.

Lisburn International Cadet Championships

This was Sophie's first official International outing as part of the British Team and boy did she make an impact!! Sophie's first contest was against a Tunisian which she won in emphatic style with her favourite Drop-Seoi -Nage (Shoulder Throw). The second contest was against a Portugese girl who she again beat with a Drop-Seoi-Nage. Next up was an Italian who Sophie quickly armlocked to take the win by submission. This third successive win meant Sophie had earned a place in the final. Sophie came up against the Portugese National Champion in the final, a girl with considerable European experience. Unfortunately Sophie couldn't maintain her winning ways, eventually getting beaten in the latter stages of the contest. To come away with a Silver Medal at an International Tournament of this quality is nothing short of outstanding. It is testament to Sophie's remarkable tallent and character that whatever new challenge she is confronted with, she steps up a level to meet and exceed that challenge - FANTASTIC!!!!!

Sophie will only be back in the country for 48hrs before she travels out to Holland for the Dutch Youth Cup, but I'm sure she will be more than happy to fill you in on Thursday with all the details of her Portugal trip!!!!!

Ford Junior Open Championships

Tommy 0 Wins 2 Losses. Tommy was competing in his first BJA Competition and certainly chose a tough event. Tommy didn't appear to be at all phased by this new experience, but was caught by similar rear throws in each fight. Although no wins on the day, he fought really well and I have no doubt he will go on to be a very fine judo player.

Jos 1 Win 2 Losses. Jos didn't compete to his normal high standard, getting thrown and held in his first contest. In contest two he looked a little more like his normal self taking the win with a lovely left handed O-Goshi (Hip Throw). Jos lost his third contest though after being knocked down and held.

Megan 2 Wins 1 Loss - Silver medal. Megan won her first contest with a Tai-Othoshi (Body Drop Throw) which she followed neatly into the ground to win by hold down. Contest two went a similar, with an Osto-Gari (Outer Reaping Throw) followed into a ground hold. Megan narrowly lost her third fight only loosing by a small score. Another really spirited performance from Megan and a well deserved Silver Medal.

Sam 1 Win 2 Losses. Sam had an excellent start to the day winning his first contest with an excellent Tai-Othoshi followed into a ground hold. Sam's second contest was a great fight, with both boys putting in attack after attack. It was Sam's opponent though that got the upper hand with a neat Uchi-Mata (Inner Thigh Throw) to take the win. Sam's third contest didn't go quite so well as he was beaten by an brilliantly exectued Drop-Seoi-Nage.

Jake 0 Wins 2 Losses. Unfortunately for Jake he weighed slightly over his normal weight and had to move up a group which obviously made things very difficult. Jake was thrown in his first contest by an Uchi-Mata. In his second contest Jake got in the first attacks scoring with a really nice Uchi-Mata/O-Uchi-Gari combination. Rather than sitting back and taking a points victory, Jake went chasing the big win and was countered for his efforts and lost the fight - a hard lesson to learn, but one which should help Jake in the future.

Rachael 1 Win 1 Loss. Rachael started in great fasion winning with a superb Osoto-Maki-Komi (Outer Reaping/Winding Throw) to take the victory by Ippon. Contest 2 was against a British Squad member which didn't phase Rachael in the least. It was Rachael that did all the initial attacking. It was during one of these attacks that Rachael agravated a previous knee injury and from them on was in serious discomfort. Rachael battled through to the end of the contest, eventually loosing out to a small score from a rear counter throw. After the contest Rachael was advised by the medics to withdraw from the competition which was a real shame as she would have undoubtedly gone on to win a medal.

Zoe 1 Win 2 Losses. Zoe started out in great style winning her first contest from an O-Uchi-Gari (Inner Reaping Throw) followed into a hold down. Zoe's second contest was a very even affair ending at the end of normal time in a draw. This meant the fight went into Golden Score and Zoe's opponent was awarded a very dubious Koka (3 point score) which was enough to give her opponent the win. Zoe then lost her 3rd contest after being countered whilst attacking with an O-Uchi-Gari.

Jon 1 Win 2 Losses. Jon didn't have a very good start getting thrown early on with a Tani-Otoshi (Valley Drop - Rear Throw). Jon looked much more lively in his second contest winning with a fantastic Uchi-Mata switch into O-Uchi-Gari. Jon looked equally good in his 3rd contest, putting in a string of good attacks but unfortunately got countered by a Pick Up technique followed into a ground hold and so lost the fight.

Although not the medal tally I had expected, I cannot fault any of our players as they all put in a great effort, but some days things just don't go your way. This really is becoming a well attended event with some superb high quality judo on display, we will have to work extra hard if we are to increase the medal haul next year!!!


Regards, Allen.

02 Apr 2007 - Spanish International/National Schools Championship/Harlow Grading

We had another busy weekend of judo this weekend. Charlotte Wraith was competing in the Spanish International. Jonny Cooke, Rachael Daniels, Sophie Daniels & Zoe Camp all competed in the National Schools Championship on Saturday and on Sunday Jon Pettinger, Sam Barker, Jake Barker and Zoe Camp took part in the Harlow Grading.

Spanish International

I don't have all the details of Charlotte's acheivements as I have only breifly spoken to her Mum and have not yet spoken to Charlotte. Even though Charlotte was fighting up a weight for this competition, she did get herself into the Bronze Medal Final, but sadly did not win this contest which meant she ended up in 5th place. I know Charlotte will be bitterly disappointed not to have taken a medal, but still this is a very creditable performance.

National Schools Championship

Jonny: 1 Win 3 Losses - Bronze Medal. Jonny lost his first contest by Ippon having been thrown by a rather nice Te-Guruma (Pick Up). Jonny bounced back though in contest two, winning this with a very impressive Ko-Soto-Gari (Outer Reaping Throw). Contest three was a much tougher affair. Even though Jonny was thrown early on in the contest he fought back extremely well and at times looked the better player, but unfortunately was undone by a neat piece of groundwork skill from his opponent and was duely strangled. Jonny lost contest four in just a matter of seconds against the eventual Gold Medallist and clearly the best player in the group. A hugely improved performance from Jonny and one I would hope we can firmly build upon.

Rachael: 2 Wins 3 Losses. Rachael lead the early part of her first contest and looked to be heading for victory when she was countered by a rear throw from her opponent and so lost by Ippon. Rachael completely dominated her second contest with a relentless string of attacks to put her clearly in the lead, but it was Rachael's ground work that eventually paid off, with a wicked strangle to take the win by submission. This win meant all three girls in this pool had a win a piece so the whole group had to be re-fought. Rachael once again lost to her first opponent through a similar counter, but her next opponent she dispatched in clinical style with an excellent O-Soto-Gari (Outer Reaping Throw). This win meant Rachael's next contest was for a place in the Final. Once again it was Rachael with alll the early pressure but this time she was cleverly countered by her opponent with a nice O-Uchi-Gari (Inner Reaping Throw), so Rachael had to settle for the bronze medal. This was probably one Rachael's best ever performances and with judo like this who would bet against her taking a medal at the Nationals in October!!

Sophie: 0 Wins 2 Losses. With only two other players in her group, both of whom Sophie has beaten easily, it was expected that Sophie would take the Gold Medal - how wrong we were!! Sophie clearly didn't bring her contest head with her and was thrown twice whilst trying to make her own attacks and eventually lost the contest. Sophie quickly took the lead in her second contest with a nice Maki-Komi, but instead of controlling the contest from there Sophie tried some wild attack and ended up head diving into the mat (an illegal action) and was promptly disqualified. If Rachael had her best day ever, this was probably Sophie's worst!!!

Zoe: 1 Win 3 Losses. Zoe lost her first contest quite easily after being thrown twice by O-Uchi-Gari (Inner Reaping Throw). Her second contest was far better and was a score up before she was countered with a clever O-Uchi-Gari while attempting a Tani-Otoshi (Rear Throw). Although the contest went to time it was Zoe's opponent who took the victory. Contest three was over pretty quickly against the eventual Gold Medallist as Zoe was thrown by Drop Seoi-Nage (Dropping Shoulder Throw). Zoe did look much better in contest four though, eventually winning the fight with a O-Uchi-Gari and a Koshi-Guruma (Hip Wheel Throw). This win was enough to give Zoe an eventual Bronze Medal.

Harlow Grading

Zoe: 1 Win 2 Losses. Zoe's first contest was looking like it was heading for a draw when in the dieing seconds Zoe was turned on the ground and held by her opponent to take the victory. Zoe easily won her second contest with a Tai-Otoshi into a hold, but unfortunately this contest didn't mean much as far as the grading was concerned, as it was against a yellow belt. Zoe unfortunately lost her third contest having been thrown by a Ura-Nage (Rear Throw), which meant she did not improve on her current grade.

Jake: 1 Win 1 Loss. Jake settled nicely into his first contest but unfortunately lost after his opponent used a clever piece of ground work to turn him over and win by hold down. Contest two was against his brother which is never easy to do, but it was Jake who came out on top this time winning by Ippon after countering his brother's attack. Jake was awarded his 8th Mon (Orange Belt 2 stripes).

Sam: 0 Wins 2 Losses. Sam's first opponent was the same boy that Jake fought and funnily enough the outcome was identical, as Sam too was held down. As described above Sam's second contest was against his brother which he duly lost. Although no wins on the day the assesors felt (and I would have to agree) Sam's performance was worthy of a 7th Mon (Orange Belt 1 stripe)

Jonny P: 3 Wins 1 Draw 1 Loss. Jon won his first contest in around 5 seconds with an excellent Ko-Soto-Gari (Outer reaping Throw). His second contest was a much stearner affair and althouhgh it was Jon who did most of the attacking the contest ended in a draw. Jon completely dominated his third contest and won with a very nice Tani-Otoshi. These three excellent performances was enough for Jon to be graded, but before he finished Jon was asked to be part of two line up's for lads who were going for there brown belt grades. Well Jon must have been on a real high as threw the first opponent for Ippon with another excellent O-Uchi-Gari. Jon was eventually stopped though when he was held down by a lad who went on to get his top brown belt. A brilliant display from Jonny P, which was rewarded with him receiving his 12th Mon (Green Belt 3 stripes).


Regards, Allen.

25 Mar 2007 - Red Belt Rumble in High Wycombe

Eleanor 2M - 1 win 1 loss Silver Medal
1st contest (lost to Jodan Nov) - Got caught by a Tani otoshi countered early in the contest for a Koka score and was unable to pull the score back against a very defensive player.
2nd contest (won against Westcroft 3M) - Threw with O soto gari for Ippon in the opening seconds.
Ellie didn't really do herself justice in the first contest and was suffering from tiredness from a very early start. However by the second contest she was far more awake and back to her usual form. On another occasion Ellie would have won this group and taken the Gold medal.

Jacob 1M- 1 win 1 loss Silver medal
1st contest (lost to Osaka 3M) - Was up against a very experianced player, but put up a very good performance taking the contest to time losing by Wazari from an O Uchi Gari attack.
2nd contest (won against Harlington Nov) - Threw with O soto gari for Ippon in the first 5 seconds of the contest.
A fantastic performance from Jacob on his competition debut. Hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of Jacob on the competition circuit in the coming months.

Jos 3M - 2 wins 1 loss Silver medal
1st contest (won against Renrukan 1M) - Wazari awasette ippon win from 2 Hiza Guruma attacks.
2nd Contest (lost to Pinewood Nov) - Thrown by Seoi Otoshi for Ippon.
3rd contest (won against Micklefield 2M) - Threw with O goshi for Ippon in the first 20 seconds.
Two excellent wins from Jos, but unfortunatly the Gold medal eluded him as he was uncharacteristically caught by a shoulder drop technique, next time Jos meets this player I am confident that he will take the win.

Alex 1M - 1 win 2 loss Bronze medal
1st contest (won against AS Judo academy of excellence 2M) - Wazari awasette Ippon win from 2 O soto gari attacks.
2nd contest (lost to Westcroft 2M) Thrown by Ogoshi for Ippon.
3rd contest (lost to AS Judo academy of excellence 2M) Thrown by O soto gari for Ippon.
Another good performance from Alex, who is still very new to competition. Alex is only a few months of training away from being at a standard where he could win this group.

Graham 1M - 0 win 3 loss Bronze medal
1st contest (lost to Kyu Shin Ryu Nov) Thrown by Tai Otoshi for Ippon at the end of the contest.
2nd contest (lost to Jodan 3M) Contest ran to time. Lost by Wazari fron O goshi attack
3rd contet (loss to Pinewood 2M) Thrown by a HUGE Morote Seoi Nage for Ippon by a seriously under graded player!
Graham is also still quite new to the competition circuit and although he did not achieve a win he was not outclassed. Graham had the potential to win two of these contests but was just a bit too relaxed on this occasion, with some work on competitive tactics Graham will soon start winning at events of this level.

Robert 1M - 0 win 3 loss Bronze medal
1st contest (lost to Micklefield 3M) Lost by Shido penalty (defensive posture)
2nd contest (lost to Osaka 3M) Thrown by Sasae Tsuri Komi Ashi for Ippon at the end of the contest.
3rd contest (lost to 61 JC 1M) Thrown by Tai Otoshi held by Kesa gatame.
Like Alex and Graham, Robert is also in his infancy as a competitive player. Robert has learnt a great deal from entering this event and put on a very gutsy display against players with far more competitive experience. Robert too will soon start winning contests at this level.

Lauren 1M - 2 win 1 loss Silver medal
Ist contest (Win against Bedminster 2M) Threw for Ippon by Seoi Otoshi from a Lapel/skirt grip in the closing seconds of the contest.
2nd contest (lost to Pinewood 1M) Contest ran to time lost by Yuko from an Ippon Seoi nage attack.
3rd contest (won against Bedminster Nov) Threw for Ippon from O Soto Gaeshi counter.
Lauren's performance was nothing short of outstanding. All the hard work and effort that she has been putting into her training is now really starting to pay off. After seeing her compete today its hard to believe that she has only done a handful of competitions. I am certain that Lauren will win her first Gold medal this year if she continues to improve at this rate.

Megan 2M - 1 win 1 loss Silver medal
1st contest (win against Renrukan 2M) Threw for Ippon with left Tai Otoshi in the opening seconds.
2nd contest (lost to 61JC Nov) Threw herself for Koka and Held by Kesa gatame for Ippon.
An unfortunate and uncharictaristic loss for Megan, who was by far the best player in this group. The Gold will be Megans, next time these girls meet!

Amity and Jemima entered the U57kg group but were the only 2 players in the category, they chose to fight against the Open weight players giving away a weight advantage in excess of 20kg!

Amity 3M - 3win 0 loss Gold medal
1st contest (win against Jemima) Contest went to time Amity won by Wazari from a Tai Otoshi attack.
2nd contest (win against 61JC 2M approx 70kg) Threw with O soto gari held by Kesa gatame for Ippon.
3rd contest (win against Reading 2M approx 80kg) Ko Soto gake counter to Mune gatame held for Ippon.
A fantastic performance from Amity who is starting to show signs of being a real star player of the future.

Jemima 3M - 2 win 1 loss Silver medal
1st contest (loss against Amity) Contest went to time Amity won by Wazari from a Tai Otoshi attack.
2nd contest (win against Reading 2M approx 80kg) win by Wazari awasette Ippon from Tai otoshi sukaeshi & seoi otoshi attacks.
3rd contest (win against 61JC 2M approx 70kg) Win by Ippon Tai otoshi to Kesa gatame.
An excellent performance by Jemima only losing out on the Gold medal to clubmate Amity.

All credit to Amity and Jemima as this was only the second competition that either of them has entered and they both chose to compete well outside of their own weight category in order to gain experiance. Both girls listened and acted on tactical instructions as to how they should play their heavier opponents. I could not have asked for more from either of the girls, they both played a very tactical game in order to win these contests. A fantastic result!

Regards, Allen.

18 Mar 2007 - British National Trials/Ipswich Senior Open

This weekend we had Charlotte Wraith and Sophie Daniels competing at the British National Trials on Saturday. Sunday Rachael Daniels, Kayleigh Goddard, Jonny Cooke & Michelle Camp all competed in the Ipswich Senior Open.

British Trials

The British Trials is the selection process for the forthcoming Dutch Youth Cup, European Youth Olympics and European Championships. There were only two girls in Charlotte's group to fight it out for the top spot, and Charlotte was always going to be favourite! Charlotte was not about to dissapoint and after just 30 seconds into the contest she turned in for her favourite left O-Goshi (Hip Throw) to pull off another spectacular win and book herself a place in the Dutch Youth Cup. Sophie had a much more testing day with 6 players (3 English, 2 Scotts & 1 Welsh) to fight it out for two qualifying positions. Sophie had the reigning British No. 1 in her first contest but this didn't turn out to be the victory of two weeks ago - Sophie lost on a penalty after a very equal contest. Sophie's second contest appeared to be going all her way when it went into Golden Score after all was equal at the end of full time. Unfortunately though a small error on the ground lead to Sophie getting held down and loosing the contest. Sophie managed to pull herself together for contest 3 and pulled off a fabulous Maki-Komi (Outer Winding Throw) to win the contest inside a minute. Contest 4 was another impressive win for Sophie after a number of scoring attacks with her favourite Drop Seoi Nage (Shoulder Throw). Unfortunately for Sophie though she ended up as the British No.3 and therefore not automatically selected for the forthcoming European events, but a wild card entry is still a possibility. A great day for Charlottes continuing success and a hard day for Sophie to accept. To miss out on a European place on a penalty score is not easy to take but Sophie will bounce back and be a better player for it I'm sure.

Ipswich Senior Open

Rachael - 1 win, 1 loss - Silver medal. Rachael was competing in her first Senior tournament at the tender age of 14yrs and acquitted herself fantastically well. In her first contest Rachael ground out a really good result putting in all the attacks with her favourite Tai - Otoshi (Body Drop) / Maki - Komi (Outer Winding Throw) combination to take the win. Her second contest was aginst the reigning and 3 time Junior National Champion so was never going to be an easy contest!! Once again it was Rachael who did all the attacking and for much of the contest looked the better player, but experience eventually told as Rachael was cleverly turned by her opponent on the ground to take a win by hold down. Unfortunately there were only 3 women in the group so Rachael's day was done, but a really well deserved Silver Medal was her reward.

Kayleigh - 1 win, 1 loss - Bronze Medal. Kayleigh was competing in her first competition since the age of 12yrs (some 6 yrs ago) and after only returning to the sport just 6 months ago. Within a matter of seconds Kayleigh looked right at home and as though she had never been away, putting a very nice scoring Maki - Komi. Kayleigh continued to press for the big victory and was eventually rewarded with another brilliantly executed Maki - Komi. Contest 2 was against a much smaller girl who Kayleigh found difficult to control. Kayleigh put in all the attacking work but during one of her failed attacks landed really heavily on her shoulder and was visibly in a great deal of discomfort. She gritted her teeth and continued to the end but eventually lost on a penalty. Unfortunately after receiving medical attention Kayleigh was advised to withdraw from the competition which was a real shame as her opening win was against the girl who went on to take the Gold Medal. Still not a bad return to competition to come away with a Bronze medal.!!

Jonny - 2 wins 0 losses - Gold Medal. Jonny was competing in the Green to Brown belt section so we were hoping for good things at this level and Jonny didn't disappoint. Jonny put in the first telling attacks but was in fact countered by a rear throw to go a Wazari (7 point score) down, but Jonny turned his opponent cleverly on the ground and won the contest by hold down. Contest 2 once again saw Jonny put in all the initial attacks to take the early lead. It was after one of his scoring throws that Jonny once again followed into the ground to take the victory by hold down. Two good wins was enough for Jonny to walk away with a well deserved Gold Medal.

Michelle - 2 wins 2 losses - Gold Medal (Veterans). Michelle decided to punish herself by entering both the Senior Event and the Veterans event. Although putting in a creditable performance, the Senior players were just that bit too strong and fit, so a win elluded Michelle in this category. In the veterans section however Michelle put up and excellent performance to take victory in her first contest by a Tai - Otoshi into a ground hold to win by hold down. Her second contest was a rather tougher test, but it was Michelle's excellent ground work that paid off to once again win by hold down. The two wins were enough to take the Gold Medal.

A good weekends judo by all our players and great to see some new names on the medal list.


Regards, Allen.

11 Mar 2007 - Tendering Judo Championships

We had 13 players travel to Clacton on Sunday for the Tendering Judo Championships - Lauren Bayford, Chloe Payne, Anya Lewin, Jos Goddard, Eleanor Bass, Edward Doust, Sam Barker, Jake Barker, Theo Lawson, Joe Moore, Turner Davis, Rachael Daniels, Zoe Camp.

Lauren - 0 Wins, 4 Losses. Although no wins, Lauren is making steady progress with each tournament and the improvement is there for all to see.

Chloe - Bronze Medal 1 Win, 2 Losses. Another very strong display from Chloe who is now looking more and more like an accomplished young judoka.

Anya - Bronze medal 1 Win, 2 Losses. With her very sound techniques, it was only a matter of time before Anya started winning at quality competitions. A fine performance.

Jos - Silver Medal 3 Wins, 1 Loss. Three real classy wins to get to the final where he was eventually held down. Another very impressive performance from young Mr G!

Eleanor - Gold Medal 4 Wins, 0 Losses. A fantastic display of judo from Eleanor, who never really looked troubled during any of her contests.

Edward - Bronze Medal 0 Wins, 3 Losses. Still very new to the sport, but is visibly learning and all credit to him for entering a good quality tournament like this.

Sam - 0 Wins, 2 Losses. I have rarely been so impressed by two losses. Sam showed some really top quality judo skills against top line opposition.

Jake - 1 Win, 2 Losses. If I was impressed with his brother (Sam) so was I with Jake. Showed some superb judo skills throughout the day.

Theo - 0 Wins, 2Losses. Had a difficult day against this level of opposition, but showed good spirit and determination. I'm sure Theo will have learned a lot from the experience.

Joe - 0 Wins, 2 Losses. Like Theo was very much on a learning curve at this tournament, but improved greatly in his second contest.

Turner - Bronze Medal 0 Wins, 2 Losses. Never easy to make a step up, but took the experience well and will be a better player for it I have no doubt.

Zoe - Silver Medal 3 Wins, 1 Loss. Three strong performances and wins against good opposition to get an impressive place in the final, where she lost to a GB Squad player.

Rachael - Bronze Medal 2 Wins, 1 Loss. Probably fought in the toughest group of the day - the 3 other medal winners are all on the GB Squad. A fabulous performance to medal in this company.

Although this wasn't a National Tournament, the standard was nevertheless pretty good and in some categories very good, so to come away with 8 medals from 13 entries was more than acceptable!! For me though the day was much more than just about the medal count, it was our players performances on the day that really counted, all of whom performed to or above what was expected of them.


Regards, Allen.

04 Mar 2007 - Hertfordshire Schools Tournament

On Sunday we had 20 players attend the Hertfordshire Schools Tournament in Berkhampsted.

Noah Lawson - 3 Wins 1 Loss, Bronze Medal
Jos Goddard - 3 Wins 1 Loss, Bronze Medal
Alex Jackson - 3 Wins 2 Losses, 5th Place
Robert Parker - 2 Wins 2 Losses, 5th Place
Anya Lewin - 1 Win 1 Loss, Silver Medal
Megan Maskell - 2 Wins 1 Loss, Silver Medal
Shannon Evans - 2 Wins 1 Loss, Silver Medal
Sam Barker - 4 Wins 1 Loss, Bronze Medal
Jake Barker - 4 Wins 1 Loss, Bronze Medal
Theo Lawson - 2 Wins, Gold Medal
Joe Moore - 1 Win 2 Losses, Bronze Medal
Turner Davis - 3 Wins, Gold Medal
Eleanor Bass - 0 Wins 1 Loss, Silver Medal
Zoe Camp - 4 Wins 2 Losses, Silver Medal
Logan Hill - 1 Win 1 Loss, Silver Medal
Jon Pettinger - 0 Wins 3 Losses, Bronze Medal
Jonny Cooke - 2 Wins, Gold Medal
Charlotte Wraith - 1 Win, Gold Medal
Rachael Daniels - 4 Wins, Gold Medal
Sophie Daniels - 3 Wins, Gold Medal

Sorry no individual reports this week, just too many players to write about although everyone's results, scores and performances are recorded in my notes for future reference though!! It was however a very impressive performance by all our players. We had 20 entries which produced 18 medalists and two 5th places. Just to prove we are making progress with our judo, Michelle has compiled some stat's from last years Berkhampsted Tournament compared with this year.

Entries:
This year: 20 Last year: 15

Medals
This year: 18 medals
6 Gold
6 Silver
6 Bronze
2 5th Place

Medals Last year:
11 medals
4 Gold
3 Silver
4 Bronze
7 Unplaced


I was informed on Friday that both Charlotte Wraith & Sophie Daniels have been selected to attend the British Trials on 17th March. The winner of the Trials in each category will represent Great Britain at the Dutch Youth Cup, and medallists from there will make up the Great Britain Team for the European Championships and European Youth Olympics. This is obviously a huge achievement for both girls and a great result for our Club. SWJC is the ONLY club that has two female representatives at the Trials!!

Regards, Allen.

25 Feb 2007 - Thetford Grading & North West Age Banded

On Sunday we had Jon Swift competing at the Thetford Grading and Ben Green & Sophie Daniels at the North West Age Banded.
Jon
In his first contest, Jon scored a wazari (7 points) with Tani - Otoshi (rear sacrifice throw). He followed this by a knock down from a Hiza - Guruma (Knee Wheel), into a hold down for an Ippon win. In the second contest Jon's opponent attacked with Tomoe - Nage (Stomach Throw) which Jon rode and followed into the ground where he held his opponent for for another Ippon win. Unfortunately Jon lost his third contest against a very clever young player who countered him with a very skilfully exucuted Ko - Soto - Gari (Minor Outer Sweep). Two very good wins and a strong display meant Jon was promoted to 2nd Kyu (Brown Belt).

Ben
Ben decided to go to the North West Age Banded for his first taste of National Competition, but unfortunately there was only one other boy in the heavy weight devision and he was the reigning Band A National Champion. Ben put up a very good display and held off his opponent for a large part of the contest, but was eventually caught and held down. As there were only two players in the group Ben was awarded the Silver medal. It was a shame Ben didn't get a bigger test, but it was a decent introduction to National Competition nonetheless.

Sophie
Sophie was not feeling at all well over the weekend, suffering from a heavy cold. There were no signs of feeling unwell in her first contest however with a very swift win in the first 20 seconds after a knock down to the ground where Sophie swiftly applied a Juji - Gatame (Cross Arm Lock) to take the win by submission. The second contest was a slightly sterner test but as in the first contest it was Sophie's superb ground work skills that paid dividends. After a small throw to the ground, Sophie once again worked her opponent into a position to be able to apply the Juji - Gatame and take another victory by submission. The Semi Final was against the British No. 1 player, who Sophie lost to 3 weeks ago on a penalty!! Since then we have spent hours and hours training and working on a specific tactic to beat this player so it was going to be a real test of whether all that hard work had paid off. Thankfully the fight went exactly to plan with Sophie imposing imense pressure on her opponent, never letting her rest for a moment. As the contest wore on Sophie's pressure eventually told and her opponent was penalised for negative play through total frustration. With a score up Sophie had to hold out for a further 30 seconds and her opponent threw absolutely everything at her, but with great skill Sophie manouvered her opponent around the mat without ever putting herself in any danger and the victory was eventually secured. A fantastic victory and real milestone in Sophie's career. With all this jubilation we almost forgot that Sophie still had the Final to go! Both Sophie and I fully expected that she would win the Final and take the Gold Medal but things don't always go to plan. Sophie started the contest the brighter but it was her opponent that got the first small score after she had countered one of Sophie's attacks. I expected Sophie to come back and take the victory with a big scoring throw, but as the contest wore on it became apparent that Sophie was running on empty and her attacks had no real impact so the Gold medal illuded her and she had to settle for the Silver. The very physical nature of the Semi Final and Sophie's heavy cold did certainly take it's toll. Sophie (and I, if I'm honest) were bitterly disappointed that she didn't take the Gold, but reflecting back on it now, it was an awsome performance to beat the British No.1 and a result we would have probably settled for at the beginning of the weekend.


Regards, Allen.

03 Feb 2007 - Midland U20 Age Banded Championships

On Saturday and Sunday we had 7 players from EHOJC & SWJC attend the Midland U20 Age Banded Championships - Zoe Camp, Turner Davis, Logan Hill, Daniel Welch, Rachael Daniels, Charlotte Wraith, & Sophie Daniels. For three of the players - Turner, Logan & Daniel, it was their first taste of National Age Banded competition, a huge step up from what they are used to!!

Zoe - lost her first contest against a tricky left handed player, being thrown twice by Tai Otoshi (Body Drop Throw). Zoe bounced back with a very impressive win within the first few seconds of the contest, using her now favoured O-Uchi-Gari. Unfortunately Zoe was beaten in her third contest after dominating the early part of the fight, being thrown twice with Ko-Soto-Gake.

Turner - had a hard baptism in his first National tournament, being thrown in his first contest by Tai-Otoshi and then in the second by a very big Te-Guruma (Pick Up Throw). Although in the early stages of the second contest Turner did put up a very spirited performance and looked a lot more comfortable.

Logan - unfortunately only had one other player in his group (at least he was guaranteed a medal!!!). Although Logan's opponent put in a string of attacks, Logan managed to wriggle off them in his usual dramatic flexy style. The contest appeared to be heading for a draw when Logan was finally caught with a Te-Guruma. A well fought contests and a SILVER MEDAL.

Daniel - was up against the National Champion in his opening contest so it was always going to be tuff! It did however take two very skillful throws to finally defeat Daniel. Daniel started his second contest brightly, putting in some good attacks, but it was from one of Daniels attacks that his opponent managed to pick Daniel up with a beautifully executed Te-Guruma.

Rachael - was back into National competition for the first time after her brocken shoulder. Her first contest was a "grip fighting" war which she eventually lost after being knocked down and held. In contest two it was Rachael who had the early advantage with a string of attacks, but her timing is still a bit off and couldn't make any of them really pay. Rachael's opponent eventually got in the telling throw with an Osoto-Gari (Outer Reaping Throw) to take the win at the end of full time.

Charlotte - like Logan, only had one other player in her group. But in true Charlotte style she still managed to put on a fantastic display. Firstly attacking her opponent with Uchi-Mata (Inner Thigh Throw) then quickly changing it to a Te-Guruma to pull of a fabulous Ippon winning throw in the first few seconds of the contest. A GOLD MEDAL was the result.

Sophie - won her first contest with a wicked Juji-Gatame (Cross Arm Lock), after a clever piece of ground work. Contest two was against the reigning National Champion and British No. 1. This is a contest we have really been looking forward to, but one which didn't go in Sophie's favour. It was an altra tactical fight which Sophie lead early on with a small knock down score, but her opponent isn't No.1 for no good reason, and made it so awkward for Sophie that she was penalised and ended up loosing by a penalty score - a hard pill to swallow!!! So it was back into the repercharge rounds to get back to the medals. I think the loss only made Sophie more determined, she completely blitzed her next three opponents!! Contest 3 by Maki-Komi within 5 seconds, contest 4 by a particularly viscious strangle, and the Bronze Medal Final by a beautifully set up Ko-Soto-Gake (Minor Outer Hook). So a BRONZE MEDAL was perhaps not the medal Sophie had hoped for, but a very impressive start to the new season.

Overall I have to say it was a very rewarding weekend. I know none of our first timers into National Age Banded managed to pick up a win, but I do think they all learned a huge amount from the experience. I hope they now realise just what it takes to win at this level and will spur them on to train that bit harder and more determined to succeed. I certainly believe that all of our players who competed over the weekend do have a future at this level. Zoe & Rachael will eventually win medals at this level if they continue their development. Charlotte & Sophie simply confirmed why they are on the British Squad and showed that they are truly two of the brightest young judo players in the country.

Regards, Allen.

03 Feb 2007 - Dagenham

On Saturday Patrick Munns and Charlotte Wraith both went to the grading in Dagenham. Charlotte did manage a couple of wins, one with a fabulous O-Goshi (Hip Throw), but due to her very light weight it is always difficult to find her suitable partners. She was graded up to 12th mon (Top Green Belt) but this really doesn't reflect her ability. Some how the British No. 1 being a Green Belt just doesn't seem right! Pat on the other hand had a much more rewarding day, having two extremely good wins against equal opponents meant he was well graded. Pat used two Sumi Gaeshi (Corner Sacrifice) throws, which he has been working on recently, to great effect. Winning his first contest in 5 seconds and his second within a minute. With this great performance Pat was awarded his 2nd Kyu (Brown Belt).
Regards, Allen.

21 Jan 2007 - Eastern Area Mini Mon

Away from the heady heights of Ukrainian competition, we had our next crop of International hopefuls competing in Thetford at the Eastern Area Mini Mon Tournament - Chloe Payne, Anya Lewin, Lauren Bayford, Eleanor Bass, Jos Goddard, Megan Maskell, Alex Jackson, Robert Parker, Graham McAllister, Chloe Seabright, Logan Hill, Aston Davis, Turner Davis, Joe Moore, Sam Barker, Jake Barker, Jemima Barker, Jonathan Pettinger.

Chloe Payne - 2 Wins 1 Loss, Silver. Another very strong performance from Chloe with two very good wins.

Anya Lewin - 2 Losses, Bronze. The results didn't really reflect the performance. The new rule changes didn't help as it stopped Anya using her favourite throw.

Lauren Bayford - 3 Losses, Bronze. First competition for Lauren and one she should be proud of, fought very well.

Eleanor Bass - 3 Wins, Gold. The Gold's are starting to stack up for Eleanor. The class of the field in this category, great performance.

Jos Goddard - 2 Wins 1 Loss, Silver. Two superb wins and then fell asleep!! A fine performance despite the new rules which had a big impact on Jos.

Megan Maskell - 3 Wins, Gold. Another very strong performance from Megan. With performances like this, the year ahead looks very bright.

Alex Jackson - 3 Wins, Gold. Fantastic performance from Alex in his first competition. Totally dominated the group.

Robert Parker - 2 Wins 1 Loss, Gold. A wobbly start for Robert turned in to a fantastic day with two very strong wins and a Gold medal as a result of count back of results.

Graham McAllister - 3 Wins, Gold. Doesn't get any better than 3 straight Ippon wins. A fantastic performance from Graham in his first competition.

Chloe Seabright - 2 Wins 1 Loss, Silver. A huge improvement from Chloe and looked very strong in the group. 2 great wins.

Logan Hill - 4 Wins, Gold. Completely outclassed the opposition. I don't think Logan even broke into a sweat! Awesome performance.

Aston Davis - 1 Win 1 Loss, Silver. A good win and a very narrow defeat in Golden Score. Overall a good days judo.

Turner Davis - 2 Wins 1 Loss, Silver. Two very good wins and an unfortunate defeat. Looked strong in the group.

Joe Moore - 1 Win 1 Loss, Silver. A massively improved performance from Joe, was really unlucky not to pick up two wins.

Sam Barker - 2 Wins 2 Losses, Bronze. 2 good wins in a strong group. Showed some good skills throughout the day.

Jake Barker - 1 Win 3 Losses, Bronze. A well earned win and showed some good judo in a tough group of boys.

Jemima Barker - 2 Wins, Gold. A mighty fine performance from Jemima in her first competition. Showed some great judo to take the Gold.

Jonathan Pettinger - 3 Wins, Gold. 3 very tough fights for Jonathan and equally 3 very good wins. A well deserved Gold and a great performance.

Between the 2 clubs we had 8 Gold's, 5 Silvers & 5 Bronzes. The 4 of the 5 players making their area competition debut won Gold medals! Overall we won 36 out of 53 contests which equates to a 68% win rate. Team SWJC/EHOJC had the highest medal tally of the day.

As I briefly mentioned above there have been some significant rule changes imposed on Junior Judo and I therefore wanted to observe as much judo as possible and talk to as many coaches/officials as possible to get a feel for the new rules. This meant I couldn't spend as much time as normal with all the players so I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Michelle and Sophie for taking on most of the coaching duties throughout the day, and for Michelle "STATO" Camp for compiling all the facts, figures and results etc. They did a fantastic job, and with results like this perhaps I should consider retirement!!!!!!!!

Regards, Allen.

21 Jan 2007 - Ukraine International A Tournament

Charlotte had a truly incredible day, with some eight hours between her first and last fights!! Charlotte lost to a Ukrainian (home favouritism hmmmm!) in her first contest which meant she had to go through the repercharge rounds in order to be able to win a medal. Charlotte then put together 3 straight wins to get to a Bronze Medal contest where she met the reigning European Champion. Charlotte won this contest in fantastic style with her favourite O-Goshi (hip throw) to take the Bronze Medal. An amazing performance and one which really has put Charlotte on the World Judo stage. To make the day even more special, Charlotte 's Bronze medal winning throw was played over and over again on the huge screens and was given "Throw of the Day". If Charlotte 's weekend wasn't punishing enough, she is remained in the Ukraine for a further 3 days, for an International Training Camp!!!!.
Regards, Allen.

11 Dec 2006 - Charlotte Wraith Selected To Represent Great Britain

Thought I would let you all know that Charlotte Wraith has been selected to represent Great Britain at the Ukraine A Tournament in January of next year. Charlotte will be part of an elite 13 player squad who will be attending the tournament, followed by a Training Camp.

This is a wonderfull opportunity for Charlotte and one she very much deserves. It truly is recognition of her achievements this year and in passed years. Charlotte is a 3 times National Medallist, amongst numerous other titles!!!

Regards, Allen.