Kimura Shukokai Karate club based in Maidstone were victorious at the recent KSI World Karate Championships held in Stockholm, Sweden.

Training started for this event in early 2018, athletes have been through rigorous selections, competition and training all with the goal of competing in this event.

The boy’s cadet team kata made up of William Howell, 12, Maidstone, Kacper Krzykowski, 13, Maidstone along with Joseph Cooper-Dalley from Oldbury, Birmingham progressed through 5 founds of team kata to reach the grand final held on Saturday 21st July.

Facing an extremely strong South African team the three boys were eventually crowned champions in the cadet boy’s kata event.

Congratulations also go to William who also made it to the boy’s cadet kata final just losing out to the title 3 flags to 2, he showed great promise for the future and did his club and the rest of the England team proud.

The boys junior team kata made up of Joseph Scamp, 15, Sutton Valence, Finley Lodge, 15, Hollingbourne and David Pereira, 15, Sutton Valence were also crowned champions in the boys junior kata team event, the three boys have been together since they were 12 years old, competing as a team and reaching only second place before, this time though there was no stopping the boys as they trained extremely hard so that there was no doubt that they would be selected and win the event.

Finley also medalled in the boys lightweight Kumite scooping a bronze medal along with David who also took bronze in the heavyweight kumite event.

Sensei Katie Simpson Instructor of Kent Karate clubs alongside Sensei Chris Simpson her father, won an outstanding 4 bronze medals at the event, she medalled in every category she entered, the ladies individual Kata, Ladies Lightweight Kumite, Ladies Team Kumite and Ladies Team Kata, an achievement not many have accomplished.

Students who also competed and were unlucky not to medal this time were Debbie Scamp, 14, Sutton Valence, Eloise Moliner, 14, East Sutton, Luke Carpenter, 21, Ashford and Joseph Wood, 16, Rochester. Special mention also goes to international referees Sensei Chris Simpson and Steve Pereira who did an excellent job in helping run the day’s events.

University of Kent at Canterbury seminar success!

As if winning a world title wasn’t enough for these boys the 27th, 28th and 29th July saw 9 x WKF World Karate Champion Wayne Otto run his Ultimate Fighters Bootcamp at the University of Kent in Canterbury.

The boys took part in a full three days of training. This year a Randori event was run to give competitors much need mat time to practice what they had learnt, Kent members Finley Lodge reaching the final and gaining Silver, David Pereira a much-deserved Bronze and Joseph Wood 4th place.

Luke Carpenter also competed well in his first senior kumite event. With great thanks from the club to Wayne Otto OBE for creating and running such a fantastic and inspiring event.