SHIMBUN - ISSUE 2

SHIMBUN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE GKR KARATE FAMILY

#2 • SUMMER 2019

YOUR GOLDEN MOMENTS

Highlights of the best of the action from the World Cup

KING KHAN’S COMMAND

Prizefighter Amir encourages karatekas to aim for Games glory

FROM DEATH’S DOOR TO THE DOJO I knew that if I panicked, I’d be dead

“

”

WHILE this is only the second issue of your newlook magazine, I should confess – and hope it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to readers to learn – that Shimbun is not your editorial team’s first rodeo.

As those of you who have met us during a dojo visit or been subject to our camera flashes and questions at the World Cup will have guessed from our expanding waistlines and greying heads, we’re veritable veterans of the magazine game.

02

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

CROWDED From a personal perspective, I’m now in my 21st year as a publishing professional and have penned far more articles than your current world champions (pages 19-41) have performed abdominal squats.

I volunteer this not to brag but to provide some perspective as to the magazine-sized migraine the GKR Karate family has caused me over the past quarter.

In all my years as an editor, be it of mainstream monthlies or niche newspapers, I have never found

“

Like those tasked with judging the finest margins on the mats in Milton Keynes, I’ve had to make some tough calls

”

it so difficult to curate content.

All those I have interviewed since issue one deserve to have their stories showcased but, as the official magazine of a club with plenty to shout about, space has proved a premium.

Consequently, like those tasked with judging the finest margins on the mats of the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, I’ve had to make some tough calls.

Despite putting on an additional 16 pages to accommodate your tales of triumph, there are some noticeable absentees from this

WELCOME

HOUSE... edition. There is, for example, no room at the dojo this time around for – among others – our resident sports nutrition specialist or Unwind (our rundown of the latest entertainment releases).

Other casualties include the compilation of your favourite tracks to train to [although Australian appeals for anything

by Crowded House would have been rather apt given the tight squeeze] and the countdown of your cinema champions.

But worry not, all of the above

“

We are firm believers that you can never have too much of a good thing, so please continue to share your news

”

will be back in line next issue, so feel free to keep arguing the case for Chuck Norris, Cynthia Rothrock and company until then.

And while there are passing mentions of double gold medallist Sensei “Paddy” McGee and Dean George – who marked his return to World Cup action with a gold, silver and bronze – on the pages that follow, these are just a taster of extended features planned for the autumn edition.

An abundance of articles does not mean we don’t want to hear from

you though. We are firm believers that you can never have too much of a good thing, so please continue to share your news with your magazine – you are a “headache” the Shimbun team are delighted to have.

Enjoy the issue. – Andy Simms

DEBUT

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO MAKE THEIR MARK

Web: yourdebut.co.uk/shimbun Email: shimbun@gkrkarate.com Tel: 01252 714870 Write: 10 Borelli Yard, Farnham, GU9 7NU Content © Debut 2019 • All rights reserved.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

03

19

06

09

IN THIS ISSUE

04

26

06 Bow in: Kancho Robert Sullivan reflects

on what makes GKR Karate great

22 Sparring partner: Shimbun’s quick-fire

exchange with gold medallist Sam Penton

09 Warm-up: Shihan Gavin Samin shares

the story behind the new club badge

42 Panic attacked: How committing to

karate turned a student’s life around

10 Making the grade: A salute to some of

those who have recently swapped belts

43 Sensei says: Gemma Clements runs

the rule over her students’ progress

19 Golden moments: Highlights and

interviews from the 2019 World Cup

46 Go for gold: Professional boxer Amir

Khan on the rewards of Games glory

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

CONTENTS 58

66 63

46 43 50 Back from the brink: Meet the miracle

man who fought his way back to health

60 Centurions: Surrey Downs sensei share

the secrets of their success

54 True romance: Ryan Marvin spills the

beans on his desires away from the dojo

63 Career goals: Why you don’t need to

reach the top to have a career in sport

58 Training tips: Shihan Anthony provides a

referee’s eye view of tournament rings

66 Bow out: Our roving reporter gets

caught off-guard by ‘The Rock’ Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

05

06

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

BOW IN: KANCHO ROBERT SULLIVAN

A GLOBAL GLOW ALTHOUGH I should probably be used to it by now, seeing so many competitors and spectators come from far and wide to be together in the UK for the 2019 GKR Karate World Cup blew my mind.

We may have been a fairly big club for a good number of years now, but I can still vividly remember the very early days; beginning a class in 1984 that I had high hopes would become a welcoming dojo with a good attendance in Adelaide.

And even though I’ve always been an ambitious person by nature, I never imagined GKR Karate growing much beyond that, so to be in attendance at a tenth World Cup – with a truly international field competing – was an incredibly humbling experience and one which filled me with a great sense of pride.

I say that not to fuel my own ego or as a means of proclaiming “look what I’ve done”, but because everyone associated with our wonderful club should revel in the standard of karate, spirit of competition and camaraderie that was on display.

My original intention may have been to create a successful club in South Australia, but – like our badge (page 9) – things change and, as I’m sure the hundreds of those who packed the stands and mats in Milton Keynes would agree, that is no bad thing.

The evolution of our club has also seen the return of Shimbun and I would advise anyone keen on training to do as you have done and grab an issue! It’s good to read about our martial art and in the past I have bought a lot of magazines and was certainly influenced by titles such as Black Belt during my time in America.

This one is, however, specific to GKR Karate and the

chance to share in others’ stories makes you realise you are a part of something bigger.

Such changes do not mean we have forgotten our roots or how important they are to that sense of belonging we feel to our club.

The Japanese etiquette we follow when we take off our shoes, bow at the door, formally bow in and interact with the sensei is part of what makes us a family. Order and etiquette help us to see that karate is deeper than just exercise and about more than just punches and kicks.

Wearing a gi and belt are traditions that make you feel special – there is a mystique and value in our uniform – and bond you with your instructor and those you train alongside. The sense of strength you can get from this shared experience is very real and, for me, is GKR Karate’s greatest reward.

There have been numerous occasions when people have told me how their involvement in the club has positively transformed – or even saved – their lives. Some can’t quite put their finger on why or express precisely how in words, but they are adamant that our karate has fulfilled and changed them.

So yes, I am immensely proud that GKR Karate continues to flourish, but so too should you be. Whether you are among our latest world champions, have recently graded or just taken your first class – it is you who makes our club great and provides the motivation for this 71-year-old to keep training and enjoying his karate.

Congratulations to all those who medalled in Milton Keynes, I look forward to seeing you – and all those you will have inspired in your respective dojos around the world – in two years’ time.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

07

CLUB TOGETHER AND SAVE WITH A SHIMBUN DOJO DEAL 10 copies for the price of 8 OR 15 copies for the price of 11 £40 GBP $72 AUD $51 USD $77 NZD

£55 GBP $100 AUD $70 USD $105 NZD

*Prices correct at time of going to press but subject to changes in currency rates

shimbun@gkrkarate.com

WWW.YOURDEBUT.CO.UK/SHIMBUN

WARM UP: NEWS

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

IT won’t have escaped your attention that this issue’s striking cover star is a newcomer to the GKR Karate family.

Officially unveiled at the World Cup in Milton Keynes in July, the new club badge is now readily available in dojos and has been warmly received by sensei and students internationally.

The dynamic design features a brighter colour mix than its predecessor and the inclusion of “GKR Karate”.

In a salute to the club’s heritage, the words “Go-Kan-Ryu KarateDo” remain present and kanji is used prominently.

Describing the decision to replace the old badge – a defining symbol of Go-KanRyu Karate since 1984 – as a “big deal”, Shihan Gavin Samin explained that preliminary

conversations about a change began last summer.

“Kancho indicated he was in favour of the badge upgrade, and so began the task of creating a wide array of possible options,” he said.

“Our in-house graphic designer – and regional instructor for Newcastle in New South Wales –

Francis Fenlon was assigned the responsibility of coming up with a host of new options.

“Feedback was sought from our senior instructor ranks in the UK, Australia and New Zealand over a six-month period as we attempted to boil down an initial catalogue of 60 plus designs into a short list of finalists. Fittingly, it was Kancho who gave the

conclusive nod to the design we unveiled at the 2019 World Cup.” Shihan Gavin, GKR Karate’s assistant chief instructor, concluded: “Whilst we will always consider our foundational badge to be very special part of GKR Karate’s history, we hope that you think highly of our new design and appreciate the motivations behind its creation.”

ARE YOU SHIMBUN’S NEXT COVER STAR? SHIMBU cal LoN FAMILY • SPRING 2019 E OF THE GKR KARATE THE NEW-LOOK MAGAZIN

#1 LONDON EDITION •

GAME ON Team GB chief Mark England on karate’s Olympic bow

“”

I knew I’d had to dig deep and it meant more because of that Success in the dojo delivers ‘shy guy’ a boost to his self-belief

WIN The opening chapters of a martial arts masterpiece

£5 • $10 AUD

The force is with you

Star Wars stuntman explains how karate can take you to a galaxy far, far away...

RELATIVE SUCCESS Meet the Sempai who has switched sports to strengthen his family ties and the dad following in his daughters’ footsteps

5

...easy to digest tips that will help fuel your body

WORK is already under way on issue 3 of your new-look magazine but please don’t be shy in contacting Shimbun with your stories. Wherever you train, we want you to share your successes with us so that we can showcase them to GKR Karate’s international family and the wider world. Help shape the future of your magazine by emailing shimbun@gkrkarate.com, following us on Facebook (@ShimbunMagazine), Twitter (@Shimbun_Mag) and Instagram (@shimbun_ mag). You can also subscribe and save by visiting yourdebut.co.uk/shimbun Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

09

MAKING THE GRADE

Shimbun salutes just a few of those students who have recently taken another major step in their GKR Karate journey Aaron Griffith, 3rd Kyu, Region 13 (9/6/19) Adam Kiss, 8th Kyu, Wellingborough North (5/19) Adib Ahmed, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Adrian Janai, Shodan-Ho, Region 7 (2/6/19) Afifa Ahmed, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Agampreet Kaur, 8th Kyu, Region 7 (5/19)

Timothy Noone

Lilybelle & Jeremy

Agastya Sharma, 7th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Aidan Clifford, 6th Kyu, Region 7 (5/19) Aimee McMahon, 7th Kyu, King’s Heath (23/6/19) Alan Hill, 5th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (26/5/19) Albert Mansur, 8th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Alex Granzo, 3rd Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19)

Stevenage stars

Poppy Daniel

Alex Hedley, 3rd Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Alex Chinyemba, Yondan, 4th Dan (7/19) Alice Fish, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Alice Hartill, 7th Kyu, Ivanhoe, Melbourne (19/5/19) Amilia Garcia, 4th Kyu, Sydney, Region 1 (8/6/19) Amy Ginders, Yondan, 4th Dan (7/19)

Maddison, Magenta & Ro mina

Ryan Webb

Andrew Kavanagh, Shodan-Ho, Region 2 (7/19) Andrew Jackson, Shodan-Ho, Region 13 (7/19) Andrew Jarman, 5th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Andrew Warnes, 6th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Anglee Hunjan, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Angus McElroy, 6th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (7/19)

10

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

Adam Kiss

Alice Hartill

BOW IN: NEWS Anisa Faiz, 6th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Anita Fourie, Shodan-Ho, Region 13 (7/19) Annabelle Bennett, 8th Kyu, Shard End (5/19) Annabelle Tovo, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Anna Domagala, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Region 33

Archie Fisher, 5th Kyu, Stevenage, Region 20 (5/19)

Paula Fowler

Ashley Forward, 6th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Beauda Richter-Hirte, 8th Kyu, Region 23 (5/19) Bob Booth, Sandan, (7/19) Brandon Foggo, 1st Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Brandon Jones, 3rd Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19)

Shard End stars

Thomas Gronow

Caitlin Bartlett, 4th Kyu, Raunds, Region 33 (23/6/19) Callum Walker, 8th Kyu, Wanneroo, Region 13 (9/6/19) Cameron Homer, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Carl Haynes, 4th Dan, Kings Heath (7/19) Celina Sahi, 8th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Charlie Mantle, 2nd Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Ivanhoe incredibles

Georgia Evans

Cheryl Ferguson-Ruddy, 7th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Chloe Frost, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Chloe R Dyche, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Chris Bartlett, 4th Kyu, Raunds, Region 33 (23/6/19) Chris Franklin, 6th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

ina oman & Rob

Winston, R

Sienna O’Dell

Chris Gill, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Chris Hartill, 7th Kyu, Ivanhoe, Melbourne (19/5/19) Chris Maddicks, 8th Kyu, Charford, Region 25 (28/7/19) Chris Svenson, Nidan, (7/19) Cohlton Wood, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Colin Barham, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Sam Petrolo

Isla Hawley

Colin Mott, 5th Kyu, Stevenage, Region 20 (5/19) Corey Whittaker Slater, 5th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Dan Fisher, 5th Kyu, Stevenage, Region 20 (5/19) Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

11

Dan French, 6th Kyu, Abington, Region 33 (7/19) Daniel Morgan, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Daniel Pinkus, Yondan, 4th Dan, Hull, Region 31 (6/19) Daniel Taylor, 4th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Loki & Geoffrey

Madison Payne

Daniel Zivanov, 4th Dan, Region 7 (2/6/19) Dan Lewis, 4th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Darcy Meathrel, 8th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (6/19) Darren Cairns, 4th Dan, Garrett’s Green (7/19) Dave Brennan, 4th Dan, Chelmsley Wood (7/19) David Cartwright, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Aimee McMahon

Amilia Garcia

Dawn Barker, Shodan-Ho, Manchester, Region 2 (7/19) Deacon Mackie, 3rd Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Dejan Cvijanovic, 4th Kyu, Region 23 (7/19) Desmond Carroll, 1st Dan, Region 7 (2/6/19) Dmitris Yfantis, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Doug Springall, Shodan-Ho, Region 7 (2/6/19)

tts

The Bartle

Katherine Ratcliffe

Duncan Hemminsley, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Eelavan Suthagar, 7th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Eleanor Chavush, 8th Kyu, Abington, Region 33 (7/19) Elle Johnson, 8th Kyu, King’s Heath, Region 33 (23/6/19) Ellis Hemminsley, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Eloise Longden, 8th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (6/19) Emily Mapp, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Rhys Evans

Elle Johnson

Emma Tilley, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Erin Richter-Hirte, 8th Kyu, Region 23 (5/19) Ethan Brown, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Ethan Freeston-Smith, 8th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Ethan Helmsley, 8th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Eve Hurley, 5th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (5/19)

Hayley Rungie

12

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

Teo Bonciog

Faith Morgan, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Faith Robinson, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

BOW IN: NEWS Finn Richter-Hirte, 8th Kyu, Region 23 (5/19) Frederick Hamden, 2nd Kyu, Region 23 (7/19) Geoffrey Sables, 8th Kyu, North Camp, Region 38 (6/19) Geoff Sharp, Shodan, Region 20 (7/19) Georgia Evans, 7th Kyu, Brisbane, Region 10 (9/6/19) Gerry Hoff, 8th Kyu, Charford, Region 25 (28/7/19)

y

Eve Hurle

Reuben Franklin

Greg Adams, 1st Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Haisam Khalil, 8th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Hamza Faiz, 6th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Harley Smith, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Harry Mynott-Smith, 6th Kyu, Stevenage (5/19) Harvey Elliott, Sandan, Region 20 (7/19)

Pam Aldridge

Springfield

stars

Harvey Meathrel, 8th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (6/19) Hayden Watson-Turk, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Hayley Rungie, 8th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (6/19) Heather Hayward, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Helen McCluskey, Shodan, Region 13 (7/19) Hollie Mae Wood, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

arnes

Andrew W

Sydney & Trafford

Hollie Mann, Shodan-Ho, Region 28 (14/6/19) Ilya Shotton, 6th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Iniyal Suthagar, 7th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Isaac Fenlon, Shodan-Ho, Region 14 (7/19) Isaac Parkinson, 7th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Isabella Dixon, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19)

Region 23

Jessica Warnes

Isla Hawley, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (26/5/19) Jacob Kishore, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Jacob Lewis, 5th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Jacob Paternaster, 8th Kyu, Region 7 (5/19) Jacob Price, 5th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Jake Hill, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (26/5/19) Jake Loveridge, 8th Kyu, Shard End, Birmingham (5/19)

nklin

Chris Fra

Hollie Mann

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

13

Jake Sheldon, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) James Barker, 6th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) James Gabbitas, Yondan, 4th Dan (7/19) James Wotton, 7th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Jamie Sutherland, Shodan-Ho, Salford (7/19) Janeine Bannister, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Molly Warnes

Luke Stoj

anovic

Jan Szymczak, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Janine Turton, Nidan, 2nd Dan, Region 14 (7/19) Jasmine Greenfield, Nidan, Hull, Region 31 (7/19) Jasmine Hunjan, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Jasmin Halliwell, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Jason Clipston, Leicester, 4th Dan (7/19)

Paul Robinson

Liz Eaton

Jaxon Hall, 7th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Jayden Morgan, 8th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Jayden Riches, 6th Kyu, Wanneroo, Region 13 (9/6/19) Jennifer Phillips, Shodan-Ho, Region 7 (2/6/19) Jeremy LaBrooy, 3rd Kyu, Region 7 (5/19) Jessica Davison, 3rd Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Jessica Warnes, 6th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

Daniel &

Jasmine

Mia Robinson

Jonathan Longden, 8th Kyu, Region 23 (6/19) Jordan Coates, 8th Kyu, Adelaide (6/6/19) Jorden Hall, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Joshua Franklin, 6th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Joshua Wright, 8th Kyu, King’s Heath, Region 33 (5/19) Jules Bolton, 4th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Julia Domagala, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Julia Stojanovic, Sandan, Region 13 (7/19) Julia Szymanska, 7th Kyu, Abington, Region 33 (7/19) Kaiden Smith Findlay, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Kieron Chapman, 3rd Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Katarzyna Bilska, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) 14

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

Rob Tuttey

Alice Fish

BOW IN: NEWS Katelyn Watson, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Katherine Morgan, Shodan-Ho, Region 2 (7/19) Katherine Ratcliffe, 4th Kyu, Raunds (23/6/19) Katie Mansur, 8th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Kaustubha Chandrapaty, 7th Kyu, Region 23 (5/19) Kay Vandenbriele, Shodan-Ho, (7/19)

Isaac Fenlon

Paul Dys

on

Keaton Wooldridge, 7th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Kelly Hampton, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Kevin Wright, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Ki Pierzak, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (26/5/19) Kira Watson, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Kirsty Harper, 5th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

on-Turk

Hayden Wats

Janine Turton

Kyle Stevenson, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Lachlan McElroy, 6th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (7/19) Larysa Godlewska, 5th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Leon Ashley, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Leo Pham, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (26/5/19) Leo Taylor-Rock, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Dan French

Dawn Barker

Lewis Bartlett, 4th Kyu, Raunds, Region 33 (23/6/19) Lewis Hillifer, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Lilybelle LaBrooy, 6th Kyu, Region 7 (5/19) Linda Drew, 6th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (26/5/19) Lindsay Watson, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Liz Eaton, Shodan-Ho, Rugeley, Region 25 (7/19) Liz Svenson, Nidan, (7/19)

Tonia Gibbs

Sophie Co

ley

Loki Sables, 8th Kyu, North Camp, Region 38 (23/6/19) Lucas Healey, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Luke Hanrahan, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Luke Stojanovic, 6th Kyu, Region 13 (9/6/19) Mackenzie Dando, 4th Kyu, Region 7 (5/19) Macy Bulman, 3rd Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19)

Sam Dalzell

Gerry Hoff Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

15

16

Maddison Barber, 5th Kyu, King’s Heath (5/19)

Nathan Hall, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19)

Madeline Talevski, 7th Kyu, Ivanhoe, Melbourne (19/5/19)

Niamh Adamson, Shodan-Ho, (7/19)

Madison Payne, 6th Kyu, Rectory Farm, Region 33 (6/19)

Nirinder Hunjan, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Magenta Zacaj, 7th Kyu, King’s Heath, Region 33 (5/19)

Oliver Loake, Shodan-Ho, Region 20 (7/19)

Marcus Rouse, 7th Kyu, Abington, Region 33 (7/19)

Oliver Longden, 8th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (6/19)

Mark Chavush, 6th Kyu, Abington, Region 33 (7/19)

Oliver Parkinson, 7th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19)

Mark Lippett, 6th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Olivia Beaumont, 7th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

Marshall Stahler, Shodan, Crumpsall, Manchester (7/19)

Owen Karakyriakos, 4th Kyu, Region 13 (9/6/19)

Maryann Maddicks, 8th Kyu, Charford, Region 25 (7/19)

Paige Ainsley, 1st Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19)

Matilda Harvey, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Pam Aldridge, 3rd Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Maurizio Santinelli, Shodan-Ho, Salford, Region 2 (7/19)

Paul Addison, 6th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

Megan Bradley, 1st Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Paula Fowler, 1st Kyu, Wellingborough North (5/19)

Melissa Pendry, 3rd Kyu, Shard End, Birmingham (5/19)

Paul Dyson, 2nd Dan, Manchester, Region 2 (7/19)

Menaal Masood, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19)

Paul Preston, 7th Kyu, Bartley Green (28/7/19)

Mia Robinson, Shodan-Ho, Region 1 (7/19)

Paul Robinson, Shodan-Ho, Region 1 (7/19)

Michael O’Neill, 1st Dan, Region 7 (2/6/19)

Peter Hirte, 8th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (5/19)

Michelle Bell, 8th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (6/19)

Phil Watts, 3rd Dan, Region 7 (2/6/19)

Michelle van der Hoeven, 7th Kyu, Adelaide (6/19)

Poppy Daniel, 4th Kyu, Shard End, Birmingham (5/19)

Miheala Vilceanu, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Poppy Winton-King, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Mike Lamb, Yondan, 4th Dan (7/19)

Rachel Caygill, 1st Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19)

Milan Cvijanovic, 5th Kyu, Region 23 (7/19)

Radu Bonoiu, 8th Kyu, Kingsthorpe, Region 33 (5/19)

Millie Beaumont, 7th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

Radu Moroianu, Shodan-Ho, Region 13 (7/19)

Millie Wright, 8th Kyu, King’s Heath, Region 33 (5/19)

Rajneesh Dora, 8th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

Mohammed Yameen Dhali, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Reuben Franklin, 6th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

Mohammed Saquib, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Rhys Evans, 4th Kyu, King’s Heath, Region 33 (23/6/19)

Mohmed Hmood, Shodan-Ho, Region 13 (7/19)

Richard Shaw, 7th Kyu, Bartley Green (28/7/19)

Molly Warnes, 6th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

Riley Abell, 8th Kyu, Rectory Farm, Region 33 (7/19)

Nada Hassan, 7th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19)

Robbie Mullings, 7th Kyu, King’s Heath, Region 33 (5/19)

Nadine Watson, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19)

Robert Mihaescu, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Natalie Ellis, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Robina Nasiri, 8th Kyu, Region 7 (9/6/19)

Natasha Greenaway, 4th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Rob Tuttey, 3rd Dan, Sandiacre, Region 30 (7/19)

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

BOW IN: NEWS Rod Wenham, 6th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (7/19) Roman Nasiri, 8th Kyu, Region 7 (9/6/19) Romina Zacaj, 7th Kyu, King’s Heath, Region 33 (5/19) Roscoe Scott, 8th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (5/19)

antinelli

S Maurizio

Stuart Tylor

Ryan Webb, 4th Kyu, Daventry, Northamptonshire (5/19) Sahith Kurasala, 8th Kyu, Kingsthorpe, Region 33 (5/19) Samantha Pinchers, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton (26/5/19) Samantha Rollason, 5th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Sam Cartwright, 2nd Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Sameeha Ashraf, 7th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Sam Flavell, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (26/5/19)

Jamie Sutherland

Katherine Morgan

Sam Gilbert, 5th Kyu, Region 13 (9/6/19) Sam Mott, 7th Kyu, Stevenage, Region 20 (5/19) Sam Petrolo, 5th Kyu, Warranwood, Victoria (6/19) Sam Scott, 8th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (5/19) Sana Kanwal, 8th Kyu, Surrey Downs, Adelaide (6/19) Sarah Coleman, Yondan, 4th Dan (7/19)

Andy Kavan

agh

hler shall Sta

Mar

Sarah Price, 4th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (5/19) Sarah Siby, 8th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Sergiu Buzulan, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Sienna Ferguson, 8th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19) Sienna O’Dell, 7th Kyu, Region 7 (9/6/19) Simone Hartill, 7th Kyu, Ivanhoe, Melbourne (19/5/19)

Chris Maddicks

Maryann Maddicks

Simran Hunjan, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Siyon Siby, 8th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19) Sophie Britton, Yondan, 4th Dan (7/19) Sophie Coley, 8th Kyu, Charford, Region 25 (7/19) Sophie Pham, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19) Sophie Young, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Spencer Brown, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19) Stephen White, Shodan-Ho, Region 7 (2/6/19) Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

17

bbitas James Ga leman o C h a r a &S

18

Steve Green, 4th Kyu, Region 13 (9/6/19)

Tonia Gibbs, 8th Kyu, Charford, Region 25 (6/19)

Stuart Tylor, Shodan-Ho, Region 14 (7/19)

Toni Smith, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Summer Edwards, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Tony Gilbert, Shodan-Ho, Region 13 (7/19)

Taylor Corkin, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Trevor Hamilton, Yondan, 4th Dan (7/19)

Tehzeeb Kaur, 8th Kyu, Region 7 (5/19)

Trevor Voss, 1st Dan, Region 7 (2/6/19)

Tenzin Danzie, 8th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

Tristan Palmer, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Teo Bonciog, 2nd Kyu, King’s Heath, Region 33 (23/6/19)

Vanessa Uden, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Thomas Davies, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Viktoria Pham, 8th Kyu, Joondalup, Region 13 (9/6/19)

Thomas Duffey, 6th Kyu, Region 11 (28/7/19)

Vivian Win, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (26/5/19)

Thomas Gronow, 1st Kyu, Ivanhoe, Melbourne (19/5/19)

Wayne Naish, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Tiffany Palmer, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Wesley Heafield, 7th Kyu, Ivanhoe, Melbourne (19/5/19)

Timothy Noone, 5th Kyu, Region 28 (12/5/19)

William Mackay, 7th Kyu, Springfield, Region 23 (5/19)

Tim Walker, 8th Kyu, Wanneroo, Region 13 (9/6/19)

William Snart, 7th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

Toby Bannister, 8th Kyu, Region 25 (6/19)

Willow Badger, 6th Kyu, Abington, Region 33 (7/19)

Tom Humphrey, 6th Kyu, Region 38 (23/6/19)

Winston Reynolds, 8th Kyu, Region 7 (9/6/19)

Tom Sturgess, 8th Kyu, Wolverhampton & Dudley (5/19)

l Made the grade? Email shimbun@gkrkarate.com

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

GOLDEN MOMENTS Shimbun shares highlights and reactions from GKR Karate's World Cup 2019 THAT the World Cup’s senior men’s open kumite final began in dramatic fashion should have come as no surprise to those ringside – sporting fixtures featuring Australia and England are always fiercely contested.

Whether competing for the Ashes urn, vying for a greater medals tally at the Olympics or giving no quarter on the rugby field, there are inevitably fireworks when the northern and southern hemispheres collide.

“

We are all wearing gold nail polish because that’s what we wanted.

We all wanted to do our best and our best is number one

”

OLIVIA DEANS

“

SYDNEY QUARTERMAN

“

20

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

Laying on his back and a full point down served as a wake-up call for the Australian (see interview, page 22). When the action resumed, Sam picked up the pace, scoring a series of unanswered points to draw level before racing towards the coveted title.

“It feels amazing,” Team GB’s Sydney Quarterman told Shimbun after being crowned world champion. “All the hard work, dedication, blood, sweat and tears have completely paid off – this means the world to me.”

The competition was so fierce and all the girls are absolutely amazing, so big congratulations to them and all the other winners

KYRA GAIGER

The home nation’s finalist set the tone for an action-rich encounter, scoring within the opening seconds courtesy of a sweep ippon that knocked his opponent off his feet and had the crowd on theirs.

However, Team Australia did not have things all their own way at the Marshall Arena – and ironically it was a Sydney who silenced cries of “ozzie, ozzie, ozzie” during the chase for gold in the women’s junior open kata.

All the hard work, dedication, blood, sweat and tears have completely paid off – this means the world to me

”

And true to form, Britain’s Mike Barrett and Australian Sam Penton delivered a highoctane close to GKR Karate’s showpiece tournament in Milton Keynes, where the best of the best won and lost with grace in the heat of competition.

”

The 15-year-old, who was competing at her second World Cup, continued: “You do not come to lose – you go for gold – but it was a real challenge and a good, competitive field.

I’ll definitely be back to defend the title in two years.”

Kyra Gaiger added to Britain’s kata cache with victory in the women’s senior open - a first taste of World Cup glory she insists came as a complete shock.

“I’m speechless – I did not expect this at all,” the 20-year-old said. “It’s unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. This was my third World Cup, but my first as a senior and this is my first medal. Getting through the first round was an achievement for me and it was not until the final itself that the gold felt like it was in touching distance. The competition was so fierce and all the girls are absolutely amazing, so big congratulations to them and all the other winners.”

In contrast to Kyra, Olivia Deans arrived for competition set on reaching the medal matches – and dressed for success – and

ON TOUR: WORLD CUP X

WORLD CUP 2019 OPEN MEDALLISTS duly delivered. Sporting gold nail polish, the 20-year-old helped Australia to team kumite gold before also sealing individual glory.

Reflecting on claiming the senior women’s kumite crown, she said: “I’ve worked really hard – this is all I have wanted. All I have done is train, uni and work; I’ve had my heart set on it. The final went quickly. It was intense.”

The University of Wollongong student added: “There are nine of us here from Kiama,

Australia and we are all wearing gold nail polish because that’s what we wanted. We all wanted to do our best and our best is number one.”

and show it all off,” the World Cup debutant told Shimbun. “I’ve put the hours in and believed in myself and the hard work has brought double gold.

Jamie Lamb also had plenty of cause for celebration after completing a clean sweep of golds in the junior men’s open.

“This was my first World Cup and I went out and smashed it. It feels absolutely amazing to be a world champion – I can’t describe it.”

“All the hard work, the hours you sacrifice to put in at the gym and at training, is all worth it for a chance to come here and compete

Watch out for our interview with Team GB's Jade Edmead, who was crowned women's junior open kumite champ, in a coming issue.

“

All the hard work, the hours you sacrifice to put in at the gym and at training, is all worth it for a chance to come here and compete and to show it all off

JADE EDMEAD

”

JAMIE LAMB Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

21

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Shimbun steps into the ring with World Cup kumite champion Sam Penton to find out more about his memories of Milton Keynes Q. How did your march to GKR Karate World Cup glory begin?

A. I started in 2001 when I found a book in the library at school on karate. Mum and dad took me to a class and I’ve loved it ever since.

I joined the New South Wales team in 2004, which is where Shihan Anthony – along with my incredible teammates over the years – turned me into the person I am today.

Q. You’ve been an ever-present fixture of World Cups since 2005. Did your approach differ this time around?

A. My preparation was much the same training wise – I lifted the intensity a few months out.

I’m constantly experimenting and tinkering with my strength and conditioning depending on how my body’s responding. This year I’ve involved myself in the Australian Karate Federation (AKF) tournament circuit.

“

”

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

Q. What did the training regime of GKR Karate's new king of the ring look like?

A. Leading up to flying out I spent around 1520 hours a week doing karate and spent most days in the gym. The lead up to World Cups is my favourite time to train; energy is just reverberating around every dojo.

Q. The UK is a long way to come if you have to board the flight home empty-handed. Did

the travelling involved put more pressure on your shoulders?

A. As much as I’d like to say it didn't and despite spending the lead up to the competition convincing myself it was just another tournament, it certainly does. I think everyone saw how emotionally charged I was on the Friday night. I’m still learning about myself and how to bring out my best self when I step into the ring.

Q. You had plenty of vocal support ringside.

Could you hear the shouts of encouragement during your bouts?

A. Honestly, I’m talking to myself so much that I don’t hear a lot. My eyes will have been fixed on my coach, outside of that everything is a bit of a blur. It was an amazing experience, one I’ve played out in my head for many years, and to finally live out that vision was wonderful.

Q. The final itself was fiercely contested.

Were you able to keep composed after the dramatic start to the bout?

It probably almost sounds arrogant but I’ve trained with that 'gold' mindset for years and knew I could do it

22

You can do all the training and preparation in the world but nothing beats replicating tournament situations for decision making and timing. I went and trained with some of Australia’s top AKF fighters and got out of my comfort zone. Another big change this time around was bringing along my sister and the Kiama team on the journey with me. They all did fantastically well, I’m so incredibly proud of them all.

A. Yeah, Mike got me a beauty. Picking myself up from the ground was a massive wake-up call. I just told myself to take back control of the distance and do my thing.

Q. At which point did you begin to believe the gold would be yours?

A. It probably almost sounds arrogant but I’ve trained with that "gold" mindset for years and knew I could do it. Confidence is key for any sport and I’m a firm believer in what you think you become. In the final, once I levelled it up I knew I could win it from there.

Q. Has being a world champion sunk in yet?

And what does it mean to you?

SPARRING PARTNER: SAM PENTON

From agony – and an early warning – to ecstasy: A closely-contested men's open final saw Team GB's Mike Barrett boss the early exchanges before Sam Penton – who also won team kumite silver – battled back to claim his first individual World Cup gold medal

I don’t think it will change anything for me.

It was an amazing moment to share with my family, my coach and my teammates but the process remains the same – keep training and growing as a karateka and person.

Q. What’s up next for 2019's kumite champ?

A. I’m going to mix it up and I want do a triathlon and have a boxing fight before the end of the year. Then next year I’m going to have a crack at the WKF circuit. I’m also super excited to begin sharing my knowledge and experience in improving karate performance and injury prevention. You can find and interact with me on Instagram and Facebook – @thekaratetherapist.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

23

“

If you train and act like a world champion every day, then when it comes to a tournament you will feel relaxed as you are already used to walking into the ring as a world champion

�

24

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

INTERVIEW: SOLOMON ADAMS

KING OF KANKU-SHO Solomon Adams seals his coronation with flawless footwork

WHILE certainties and forgone conclusions simply do not exist at the elite level of sporting competition, there was a definite air of inevitability about Solomon Adams being crowned senior open world kata champion in Milton Keynes.

The 20-year-old shone throughout the tournament’s qualifying rounds with a series of polished performances and he executed Kanku-Sho with clinical precision in the final to win the judges’ decision and claim gold.

Unsurprisingly, such an assured display was not a product of chance and was the result of two years of meticulous planning.

Speaking to Shimbun immediately after beating close friend James Gabbitas to victory, the new world champion conceded that his emotions “were all over the place” but that he had felt calm and in control on the mats.

“I came here in a confident mood and felt very chilled out about the whole competition,” Solomon said.

“Shihan Anthony [Ryan] always says that if you train and act like a world champion every

“

day, then when it comes to a tournament you will feel relaxed as you are already used to walking into the ring as a world champion.

“The final itself was slightly different but my coach, Wil Brooks, who was world champion in 2015, told me that the atmosphere is there to feed you, not hold you back.”

Revealing the rigorous routine which readied him for success, the four-time World Cup competitor joked: “I’ve done it by not having a life!

“I am currently studying Sport and Exercise Science at university and part of the reason I chose that degree was so that I could use my learning to supplement my karate.

“I’ve been balancing my uni work with going to the gym for two or three hours every day, recovery, training in the dojo and doing extra work on top of that.

“It can be hard to manage but you have to make sacrifices and I found that defining what I value as being important – like relationships with my family and friends, developing my karate, staying fit and healthy, and doing well at university – has allowed me to do that.

“Once I had identified those things that really mattered, anything not on the list got cut.”

In addition to a demanding training schedule and tight timetable, Solomon says he used his 2017 World Cup silver medal – and the immense disappointment of missing out on gold to Australia’s Zachary Forster – as a means of motivation.

“I kept it somewhere I could see it to try to make sure it did not happen again,” he told Shimbun. “Every obstacle you face can become an opportunity and now when I look at that silver medal it will remind me that it was just one step on the journey to what I’ve just accomplished.”

And having now got his hands on the prize that eluded him Down Under, Solomon is in no mood to surrender his standing as number one in the world.

“I want to hold onto the title for sure; I’m a big believer that if you win you should go and contest it again,” the 2019 kata champion concluded.

“Beyond that I just want to keep developing my karate and see where it takes me.”

Every obstacle you face can become an opportunity

”

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

25

1

2

2

DEAN GEORGE

BACK WITH A BANG

AFTER a hiatus of two years, Dean George marked his return to GKR Karate with a hat-trick of World Cup medals in Milton Keynes – taking a gold in team kumite, silver in team kata and individual bronze in kumite. Read our exclusive interview with the triple medallist in issue 3.

3 3

DAN ROCK 1

THREE medals from three competitors represented a handsome haul for Team USA. Austin, right, clinched a bronze in kumite and silver in kata, while dad Sam (below right) took gold in the senior veteran's 8-7th Kyu division.

FROM MISSED MEALS TO A MEDAL

THOSE green to red belts competing for World Cup kumite glory in the 35-44 year age classification in Milton Keynes can now testify that “hanger” is a real emotion.

The 6th to 4th Kyus witnessed first-hand how it is possible for someone to feel so hungry they begin to sense intense rage and that Dan Rock is not a man to be messed with when he’s “hangry”.

Making his debut on the international stage, the 37-yearold blue belt fought his way to the final with a series of unflinching performances against a formidable field, before beating classmate Kypho Win in the gold medal match. And while training and talent undoubtedly played a part in his march to becoming a world champion, Dan believes missing a meal – as a consequence of 26

TRIPLE SUCCESS

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

judging commitments overrunning – proved pivotal in putting extra fire in his belly.

“I was supposed to finish officiating at 1pm, one hour ahead of competing, but ended up leaving the scorers’ table 45 minutes late and starving,” the reigning UK kata champion and national kumite bronze medallist told Shimbun. “I literally had time for one bite of a sandwich and one sip of a drink before I was on the mats.”

With a 4.30am breakfast – grabbed on his early-morning journey south from Staffordshire – exacerbating the effects of a lack of lunch, Dan’s fraying mood was then tested further by a quick exit from his kata competition.

“I went out first round, two flags to one,” he added. “I was

fuming but it turned out to be something of a silver lining. I was disappointed with my kata and starving and I think that made me more aggressive in my kumite.

I just zoned out and was like a man possessed; so that’s my tip – get hangry!”

Reflecting on his success having had time to refuel, Dan was also quick to credit the support of his teammates and instructors in Rugeley, where he has refined his techniques under the tutelage of Sensei John Mcaulay. The staunch Liverpool FC fan, whose determination to impress at international level extended to recruiting the services of a personal trainer and going without alcohol for the three months building up to the World Cup, concluded: “The whole experience was electric and I’m still buzzing now.”

AUSTIN LLOYD 3

ON TOUR: WORLD CUP X

4

5

VINTAGE DISPLAY

NEW Zealander Ann Eyes showed off her wealth of experience with a composed performance in the women's 55 years plus kata competition and was rewarded with a bronze medal.

5

ANN EYES 6

DAN FRENCH 4

GOLD RUSH

TRIPLE medallist Dan French rocked his international debut, claiming team kata gold alongside Mark Chavush and Elliott Badger and individual gold in both kumite and kata (veteran men's 8th-7th Kyu). Read more about the musician and his Abington (Region 33) teammates in the next edition of Shimbun.

DREAM DEBUT

MAKING her international bow, Lindsay Young threw herself into World Cup competition - contesting the women's team kumite and both disciplines in the 35-44 years 3rd-1st Kyu division.

While the brown belt suffered defeat in the first round of her individual kumite class, she secured silver in kata with assured demonstrations of Bassai-Dai and Empi. The 36-year-old told Shimbun: "What an amazing weekend! Getting to spend time with my karate family, training and competing, and making new friends from around the world was the best."

6

SAM SUN LLOYD

LINDSAY YOUNG Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

27

JUNIORS

KATA

KUMITE

7 YEARS & UNDER / 8-7TH KYU / COMBINED

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

BRAYDON DIXON WILLOW BADGER YUKI TAKAHASHI MAFHAM

GOLD

NOAH BADGER BRAYDON DIXON EMILY RANDLES

SILVER BRONZE

7 YEARS & UNDER / 6-4TH KYU / COMBINED

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SOPHIE DILANE ARCHIE FISHER RYAN WEBB

GOLD

ERIC HAWKINS SOPHIE DILLANE AJ WALE-FALOPE

SILVER BRONZE

7 YEARS & UNDER / 6-4TH KYU / COMBINED

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SOPHIE DILANE ARCHIE FISHER RYAN WEBB

GOLD

ERIC HAWKINS SOPHIE DILLANE AJ WALE-FALOPE

SILVER BRONZE

8-9 YEARS / 8-7TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

AIDEN BOOTH JOSHUA DARK KAIS ZAOUI

GOLD

AIDEN BOOTH JAKE RIDDELL ZAK PEACH

SILVER BRONZE

8-9 YEARS / 8-7TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SAHAR HUSSEIN ANNALIESE MCDOWELL SOPHIE ROBSON

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ANNALIESE MCDOWELL SAHAR HUSSEIN HELEN YOUNG

8-9 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE 28

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

TYLER SMITH HARRY RUMLEY HARSH SINGBAL

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

LIAM COURTIER HARRY RUMLEY LENOK GURUNG

ON TOUR: WORLD CUP X 8-9 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

AROUSH ALI FAITH GROOM REGINA THALAWATTA

GOLD

BEATRIZ DE SOUSA HAYLEY DIX FAITH GROOM

SILVER BRONZE

8-9 YEARS / 3RD KYU AND ABOVE / MALE & FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

MADDIE MCAULAY AUSTIN LLOYD THOMAS WHITLEY

GOLD

THOMAS WHITLEY MADDIE MCAULAY AUSTIN LLOYD

SILVER BRONZE

10-11 YEARS / 8-7TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ISAAQ UL HOQ CHRISTOPHER LUCKING LAWRENCE FAIR

GOLD

SHAYNE SHELTON DAVID DREW ISAAQ UL HOQ

SILVER BRONZE

10-11 YEARS / 8-7TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

MAIA WOODS KATIE-LEIGH BOND SAMANTHA THORPE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

MAIA WOODS NAOMI HARLAND AMELIE MYNOTT-SMITH

10-11 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SCOTT MUIR COREY LOFTHOUSE AARAV ROY

GOLD

HARVEY SIMPSON AYDEN RUNNALS GERRIT LAUBSHIRE

SILVER BRONZE

10-11 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

AMELIA GRATKAUSKAITE LEEKON GURUNG MADDISON BARBER

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

AMELIA GRATKAUSKAITE LANI LIU MADDISON BARBER

10-11 YEARS / 3RD KYU AND ABOVE / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

AARON MAYES BEAU FULLER CHARLIE MCGEE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

JACK JOHNSON AARON MAYES RILEY BANTING Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

29

KATA

KUMITE

10-11 YEARS / 3RD KYU AND ABOVE / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ELLEN RIGBY LUCY GRAHAM SASHA DAVIES

GOLD

ALICIA JONES LUCY GRAHAM KAITLYN FOWLER

SILVER BRONZE

12-13 YEARS / 8-7TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

HELOUL PARWANI HARISH KAMARAJ SOHITH KRISHNA EETI

GOLD

TORIN MASTERS HELOUL PARWANI NOAH RUSSELL

SILVER BRONZE

12-13 YEARS / 8-7TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ROMINA ZACAJ ROSIE JOHNSON MACY MCDERMOTT

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

MACY MCDERMOTT TEGAN HOWARD ROSIE JOHNSON

12-13 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

RYAN COURTIER ALEX GRANZO GUSTAW BOGACZ

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

MAXIM CHYKHARIVSKYY ALEX GRANZO BRYNE ANSTEY

12-13 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

JASMINE SPIROS HANNAH DUFFY CAITLYN SHOOTER

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

CHANTELLE NADER ABIGAIL VELASCO HANNAH DUFFY

12-13 YEARS / 3RD KYU AND ABOVE / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE 30

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

KAI DAWKINS JAMIE SUTHERLAND ASHLEY CAUSER

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KAI DAWKINS REIS WALKER ASHLEY CAUSER

ON TOUR: WORLD CUP X 12-13 YEARS / 3RD KYU AND ABOVE / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

TIA BONICOG MADDISON DE BEAUX DIANA VITANOVA

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

GABRIELLE MARIN-RICO MEGAN WATCHORN ALESSANDRA D’SA

14-15 YEARS / 8-7TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER

REMKE TVELD-BROWN ETHAN COOLEY

BRONZE

GOLD SILVER

REMKE TVELD-BROWN ETHAN COOLEY

BRONZE 14-15 YEARS / 8-7TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER

BROWNWYN WHEELER MOLLY MCENERY

BRONZE

GOLD SILVER

BRONWYN WHEELER MOLLY MCENERY

BRONZE 14-15 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KIERON CHAPMAN JAMES ANNISON ETHAN LAMB

GOLD

KIERON CHAPMAN JAMES ANNISON ETHAN LAMB

SILVER BRONZE

14-15 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER

ELIN PUKK MASIE GYSELYNCK

BRONZE

GOLD

ELIN PUKK MASIE GYSELYNCK

SILVER BRONZE

14-15 YEARS / 3-1ST KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

LACHLAN MCPHEAT MARSHALL BANTING DYLAN TUDOR

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

LACHLAN MCPHEAT LIAM DOWSETT MARSHALL BANTING

14-15 YEARS / 3-1ST KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ALIYAH ALMELOR CAITLIN MCPHEAT KAREN DIX

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ALIYAH ALMELOR MEGAN BRAWN MIA ROBINSON Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

31

KATA

KUMITE 16-17 YEARS / 8-7TH KYU / MALE

GOLD

REECE PAGE

GOLD

REECE PAGE

16-17 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ZAIN HOQ MOHIYIDDIN HOSENIE JOSHUA FULLER

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

TIMOTHY LETHAM ZAIN HOQ JOSHUA FULLER

16-17 YEARS / 6-4TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

RENAE FREEMAN SEAENAH MARSHALL ELANOR BRADLEY

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

RENAE FREEMAN SEAENAH MARSHALL HIFZAH ARFAD

16-17 YEARS / 3RD-1ST KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

HAYDEN WEST LUKE SANDS JAMES NICOLA

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

HAYDEN WEST DOMINIC PEERS JAMES NICOLA

Pattern for success: GB’s Sydney Quarterman pictured en route to the junior open kata title 32

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

ON TOUR: WORLD CUP X

Golden gloves: Jamie Lamb (right) won both junior open titles on his World Cup debut

16-17 YEARS / 3RD-1ST KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SHYLA LUNDON ELIZABETH KHOTIYEVA NICOLA JONES

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

NICOLA JONES MARIE JURICIC ELIZABETH KHORTIYEVA

JUNIOR OPEN / 14-17 YEARS / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

JAMIE LAMB CAMERON HEIKENS NOAH HUTCHINSON

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

JAMIE LAMB CAMERON SILVER NOAH HEATHER

JUNIOR OPEN / 14-17 YEARS / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SYDNEY QUARTERMAN MELINDER JOHAL AMY CARTER

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

JADE EDMEAD REBECCA COLLINS MELINDER JOHAL Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

33

SENIORS

KATA

KUMITE

18-34 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 8-7TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

RYAN EDWARDSON NAVIN KUMAR ELLIOTT BADGER

GOLD SILVER

RYAN EDWARDSON NAVIN KUMAR

BRONZE

18-34 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 8-7TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

CATHERINE SHAW LAURA WEBSTER KRISTI HART

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

CATHERINE SHAW LEONNA MULRANEY KRISTI HART

18-34 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DANIEL SAWFORD JAKE-JON CROWDY JYE ROBINSON

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DANIEL SAWFORD DAN DAWSON JAKE-JON CROWDY

18-34 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 6-4TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ROSEBIE ANDREWS BETH HULL LAURA HODGKISS

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DANIELLE DESOUSA LAURA HODGKISS SARAH LEACH

18-34 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 3RD-1ST KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

LAUCHLAN WEST WILL CHARLTON DANIEL HINES

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

LAUCHLAN WEST DANIEL HINES ADAM HODGES

18-34 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 3RD-1ST KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE 34

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

CLAIRE MURRAY HOLLY KIRWIN REBECCA JONES

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ELLEN HANSARD TANYA ROBINSON JESSICA GOLDSMITH

ON TOUR: WORLD CUP X INSTRUCTOR / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

RICHARD WEBB MICHAEL CATLIN BRYCE MCCALGAN

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

MICHAEL CATLIN NEIL DE BEAUX ANDREW MURPHY

INSTRUCTOR / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

LYNETTE BARNETT GEMMA CLEMENTS DAYNA BULLOCK

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

EMMA ROBINSON LISA CLARK LIZ EATON

18 YEARS & OVER / OPEN BLACK BELT / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SOLOMON ADAMS JAMES GABBITAS ASMAT NADIRY

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SAM PENTON MIKE BARRETT DEAN GEORGE

18 YEARS & OVER / OPEN BLACK BELT / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KYRA GAIGER SOPHIE WELCH SARAH COLEMAN

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

OLIVIA DEANS SOPHIE WELCH TAYLAR CAIRNS

“

Getting through the first round was an achievement for me and it was not until the final itself that the gold felt like it was in touching distance - KYRA GAIGER

” Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

35

VETERANS KATA

KUMITE

35-44 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 8-7TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DANIEL FRENCH RAFAL BOGACZ SIMON JOHNSON

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DANIEL FRENCH CJ LAUBSCHER MARTIN BOOTH

35-44 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 8-7TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DESIRE ROSSOUW TANYA BREAM KATE BAILEY

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

TANYA BREAM DESIRE ROSSOUW KATE BAILEY

35-44 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KYPHO WIN TAMAS NAGY DANIEL FISHER

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DAN ROCK KYPHO WIN CHRISTOPHER ILES

Queen of kumite: Petra Tveld-Brown, pictured left, battled her way to gold

36

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

ON TOUR: WORLD CUP X 35-44 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 6-4TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SAMANTHA GREEN JULIE GANDOLFI KIM DUNSMORE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KEELY WHITE JULIE GANDOLFI SAMANTHA GREEN

35-44 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 3RD-1ST KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KEITH MCGEE PHILIP LYNCH MARK LANCASTER

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KEITH MCGEE MARK LANCASTER PHILIP LYNCH

35-44 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 3RD-1ST KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

THERESA CORCORAN LINDSAY SCOTT YULIA EVANS

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KAREN GUEST YULIA EVANS RUTH NUTTER

45-54 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 8-7TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

GARY DWYER DARREN BATEMAN MARK COCKERTON

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SAM SUN LLOYD MARK COCKERTON DARREN BATEMAN

45-54 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 8-7TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

LISA PHELAN DAWN LAWRENCE PETRA TVELD-BROWN

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

PETRA TVELD-BROWN DAWN LAWRENCE TRISH LUNDON

45-54 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

JAMES WALLACE NEIL KNOWLES DAVID SIDLEY

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DARREN BYRNE DARDIE SKRBIC DAVID SIDLEY

45-54 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 6-4TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KERRY SALONER GAIL EAGLE KATY CHAMBERLAIN

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KERRY SALONER GAIL EAGLE KATY CHAMBERLAIN Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

37

KATA

KUMITE

45-54 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 3RD-1ST KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ALAN DAVIS ELLIOT HOWARD IAN LEONARD

GOLD

NICK TOKELY IAN LEONARD JOHN PICKUP

SILVER BRONZE

45-54 YEARS INCLUSIVE / 3RD-1ST KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SUZANNA JACOME HEATHER LETHAM JO CANFIELD

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

HEATHER LETHAM ROSIE FULLER KATRINA FALCONER

55 YEARS PLUS / 8-7TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER

ROBIN MILLGATE GERALD DAVIS

GOLD SILVER

GERALD DAVIS ROBIN MILLGATE

55 YEARS PLUS / 8-7TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER

SONYA CHAMBERS LINDA TAYLOR

GOLD

NOT CONTESTED

SILVER

55 YEARS PLUS / 6-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

PAUL CARTER STEVE WHIGMAN RAYMOND BOXSELL

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

PAUL CARTER DAVID EAST STEVE WHIGMAN

55 YEARS PLUS / 6-4TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

RUTH WAINWRIGHT BRIDGET CORCORSON CHRISSY DAVIES

GOLD SILVER

BRIDGET CORCORSON RUTH WAINWRIGHT

BRONZE

55 YEARS PLUS / 3RD-1ST KYU / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE 38

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

JAMES CUMMING PAUL MCDERMOTT ROBERT RICKERBY

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

PAUL MCDERMOTT RON CHARLTON ROBERT RICKERBY

ON TOUR: WORLD CUP X 55 YEARS PLUS / 3RD-1ST KYU / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

PHILLIPA BOLEYN GEORGETTE MCLEAN-PHILLIPS

MARY PITT

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

RYLENE HALMER ANNE SANDLER GEORGETTE MCLEAN-PHILLIPS

35-44 YEARS INCLUSIVE / BLACK BELT / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

KARL HUGHES CHRISTIAN ERICK DANIEL EASTMAN

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

CHRISTIAN ERICK DANIEL EASTMAN KARL HUGHES

35-44 YEARS INCLUSIVE / BLACK BELT / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

ROW HOPE VICTORIA BLAND CLARE FLINT

GOLD

CLARE FLINT LESLEY JONES CAROL COLLIS

SILVER BRONZE

45-54 YEARS INCLUSIVE / BLACK BELT / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DAVID GUGICH GEORGE NICOLA DARREN CAIRNS

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DARREN CAIRNS GEORGE NICOLA SCOTT LLOYD

45-54 YEARS INCLUSIVE / BLACK BELT / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DEIDRE LANCASTER LIBBY CONNOR KIM MCARTHUR

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

DEIDRE LANCASTER LIBBY CONNOR KARYN BUTT

55 YEARS PLUS / BLACK BELT / MALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

STEVE WALTERS MARK MCCONELL LEWIN TUCKWELL

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

CURTIS MALCOLM NEIL BAINES PAUL WATSON

55 YEARS PLUS / BLACK BELT / FEMALE

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SHARON MCGREGOR ANNE COLEMAN ANN EYES

GOLD SILVER BRONZE

SHARON MCGREGOR ANNE COLEMAN KARON FOULKES Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

39

TEAMS

KATA

KUMITE

18 YEARS PLUS / 8-4TH KYU / MALE

GOLD

SILVER

ELLIOTT BADGER MARK CHAVUSH DANIEL FRENCH CHRISTOPHER ILSE PAUL CARTER BOB HARDMAN 18 YEARS PLUS / 8-4TH KYU / FEMALE

GOLD

SILVER

KERRY SALONER HEATHER LETHAM SUZANNA JACOME RUTH WAINWRIGHT SARAH EDMONSON BABITA PAUL SENIOR MALE

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

40

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

MICHAEL BARRETT DAN ASHBY RYAN MARVIN SOLOMON ADAMS KARL ECCOTT DEAN GEORGE GEORGE NICOLA GEORGE NICOLA JNR ELVIS MCCARTHY

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

DEAN GEORGE MICHAEL DAVIDSON KARL ECCOTT SAM PENTON MARK LANCASTER DANIEL HINES RAIYAN RASHID CRAIG MORRISON MICK HARRISON

ON TOUR: WORLD CUP X SENIOR FEMALE

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

CATHERINE BURNETT SARAH COLEMAN EMMA YOUNG TAYLAR CAIRNS LIBBY CONNOR SOPHIE BRITTON DEIDRE LANCASTER OLIVIA DEANS ELIZA BURGESS

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

JUNIOR / 8-4TH KYU

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

JAYARAM ANANDAN SRIVIDHYA ANANDAN LEEKON GURUNG RYAN COURTIER DANIEL COURTIER KAYNE LUNDON BEN ANSTEY BON ANSTEY BRYNE ANSTEY

JUNIOR / FEMALE

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

JUNIOR / 3RD KYU +

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

KAI DAWKINS MEGAN BRAWN SINEAD MCCARDLE JADE EDMEAD GEMMA FIELD MELINDA SINGH JAMIE SUTHERLAND JACK KAM ELLEN RIGBY

OLIVIA DEANS ELIZA BURGESS DEE LANCASTER LIBBY CONNOR SOPHIE BRITTON TAYLAR CAIRNS LISA BEASLEY MEL WALLACE MADDISON HARMER

GEMMA FIELD JADE EDMEAD SYDNEY QUARTERMAN MEGAN BRAWN MELINDER SINGH ALIYAH ALMELOR NICOLA JONES SEANNAH MARSHALL RENAE FREEMAN JUNIOR / MALE

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

JAMIE LAMB AIDEN HARRISON JUDE HAYWORTH CAMERON HEIKENS FLYNN CLIFF NOAH HEATHER CAMERON MCBEATH HAYDEN WEST BRYCE MACCALGAN

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

41

PANIC ATTACKED

How committing to karate helped a worried white belt overcome crippling anxiety CHATTING to Shimbun amid the hustle and bustle of the World Cup, Linda Shanahan cut a calm and confident figure.

Unflustered by the hundreds of competitors and spectators swelling around the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, the 57-yearold wore the broad smile of a seasoned competitor accustomed to performing on the international stage.

And although the experience of competing at the 2015 World Cup in Liverpool will have helped ease any pre-kata and kumite nerves, the 2nd Kyu’s relaxed demeanour was nothing short of remarkable given that just five years ago she suffered from crippling anxiety which made going beyond her own front door a major ordeal.

“I used to be paranoid around people and preferred being at home to going out,” the brown belt confided to Shimbun. “I was depressed, overweight, used to self-harm and would overdose on medication.”

Explaining that her road to recovery – and becoming someone completely at ease with the tension of tournaments – began with a chance knock at the door, Linda added: “I wanted to get fit again and I am so grateful to Jon Marsh [a GKR Karate instructor in Northamptonshire, UK] for not only coming to my home but encouraging me to give karate a go.

“Through the club I have made so many new friends and it has given me the confidence and ability to do things that at one time I couldn’t do. GKR Karate has made me believe I can achieve and can have a life – it has stopped me doing the bad things I used to do to myself.”

Now a regular face at regional and national tournaments, Linda has a growing collection of competition medals to chart her march to mental wellbeing, but is clear as to her biggest achievement to date.

“The thing I am most proud of is that I have 42

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

“

GKR Karate has made me believe I can achieve and can have a life – it has stopped me doing the bad things I used to do to myself

stuck with the club,” she concluded. “I never used to be able to commit to something and even when I’ve gone for a grading and failed to get a belt, I have not given up.

“I put that down to those who have encouraged me. I’ve got brilliant sensei in Linda Sale, who helps me so much, and her husband Steve – they deserve a medal.”

Unsurprisingly, the feeling of admiration is mutual. Sensei Linda has helped guide her namesake through the GKR Karate ranks since first meeting her as a white belt and is full of praise for her student of five years.

”

“I am very proud of her,” she said. “She has overcome so many challenges in her life and gives 100 per cent every time she comes to class. She is always happy to help others and is a lovely lady.”

Modestly playing down her own part in Linda’s turnaround as just giving “lots of encouragement”, the Region 33 instructor added: “Linda will get her black belt – I’ve told her this and have got every faith she will because of her determination. She doesn’t stop when things get hard for her; she just keeps going and going and I couldn’t ask for more as an instructor.”

“

SENSEI SAYS: REGION 24

SENSEI SAYS A national champion and World Cup silver medallist, Sensei Gemma Clements has demonstrated her prowess on the mats, but how are her Charford karatekas shaping up?

Shimbun asked the diminutive – but dangerous – instructor to run the rule over a selection of her current students...

Sensei GEMMA CLEMENTS Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

43

8th Kyu ALICE FISH A delightful student who fills the dojo with her smile alone, Alice has shown steady progress and always comes to class with a willingness to learn. Currently untested in tournaments, but one to watch out for in the future.

8th Kyu MARYANN MADDICKS A spirited young lady who brings a smile to the faces of all those who train alongside her, Maryann is full of energy and potential. Now a yellow belt, she attends class with her dad and I look forward to watching her develop further.

44

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

8th Kyu TONIA GIBBS Excelling as a yellow belt having recently graded, Tonia will be unleashing her amazing abilities at her first tournament this September. Driven and curious to learn more about karate, she is a pleasure to teach.

8th Kyu CHRIS MADDICKS Popular throughout the region, Chris has put his martial arts past to good effect – quickly picking up the skills he required to take his first step up the GKR Karate gradings ladder – and is at ease training alongside more senior grades.

8th Kyu SOPHIE COLEY The youngest of the Coley clan in my Charford class, Sophie is a bright and bubbly member of our dojo family. She has just graded for the first time and is fastbuilding friendships and expanding her karate knowledge.

8th Kyu

HAYDEN WATSON-TURK

A cheeky chappy who gets stuck in to every class, Hayden has a great work ethic – particularly when partnering with adult members of the class. He’s not afraid to ask questions and give feedback in his search for improvement.

SENSEI SAYS: REGION 24

8th Kyu ANDY WILSON A great character to have in class, Andy pushes himself to excel regardless of the complexity of the technique being taught. His approach to karate sets a fantastic example for his children – Lewis and Daisy – and classmates.

3rd Kyu ANDREW GILBERT An enthusiastic student who is always willing to share his knowledge with others, Andrew revels in the etiquette of the dojo.

Incredibly polite but a formidable and strong sparring partner when it comes to kumite.

5th Kyu GRACE COLEY A World Cup athlete who is learning to mask her smile when her kata and kumite face is called upon, Grace has improved massively in recent months. The additional seminars she has signed up to are paying dividends.

3rd Kyu TOM TROW Tom’s enjoyment of his karate is evident in every class and he positively beams when the pads come out! Although he trains alongside his mum, the independence he demonstrates in the dojo is amazing.

5th Kyu JANET COLEY Almost ready for her red belt, Janet continues to grow in confidence. Training alongside her daughters, this super mum’s self-belief has soared since picking up her first medal and making her World Cup debut.

3rd Kyu SUE TROW A wonderful woman who puts her heart into her karate, Sue has surpassed her own ambitious goals and has the ability to go further still. Alongside son Tom, the Trows are a tremendous asset to the dojo and a delight to teach.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

45

'GO FOR GOLD' Olympic boxer-turned-world champion Amir Khan encourages Shimbun readers to chase the riches of Games glory, but to also embrace the non-material benefits of being a martial artist GIVEN that he’s fought for and won world titles, topped the bill at boxing’s most iconic venues and gone glove-to-glove with noble arts nobility, Amir Khan could be forgiven for being uncharacteristically slow in singling out his finest hour in the squared ring.

46 38

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

INTERVIEW: AMIR KHAN But demonstrating the lightningquick reactions that have been instrumental to his success as a prize-fighter, the British boxer doesn’t hesitate when put on the spot by Shimbun.

“The Olympics still mean everything to me,” Amir insisted, referring to his exploits at the 2004 Games in Athens, where – as a slight 17-year-old – he won silver in the lightweight division to become Britain’s youngest boxing medallist.

“It has to be up there as the best because it put me on the map.

Boxing in the Olympics made me a household name and gave me

Picture: Philip Sharkey

the platform to sell out arenas for every fight.

“Before that I was an unknown, even though I was winning national championships and titles, nobody was willing to give me a break,” he added. “The Olympics made me and I am in the position I am now, where I can enjoy my sport, because of them.”

A ROAD TO RICHES With Amir’s Athens assertion coming just hours after his 39th professional bout – a fourthround victory over Australian Billy Dib in Saudi Arabia, which won him the WBC international welterweight title and a reputed

“

Boxing in the Olympics made me a household name and gave me the platform to sell out arenas for every fight

”

£7 million purse – there is no denying that being an Olympian catapulted the Bolton-born boxer to fame and fortune.

And while such riches are unlikely to be enjoyed by those who make history in Tokyo next year during karate’s Olympic debut, King Khan is a firm believer in the transformative powers of combat sports and martial arts.

The philanthropic pugilist has ploughed his own money into gyms across the world in an attempt to give others a shot at a better life.

“Having academies is very

important [to me] because I want to give opportunities to children and communities to get involved in boxing and maybe one day they can make a name for themselves,” the 32-year-old told Shimbun.

“It is always good to give back and sport has done a lot for me so I want to support people who need help.”

FRINGE BENEFITS That becoming a champion takes talent in addition to coaching and a place to train is not lost on the former unified light-welterweight world champion, who was quick to highlight that people don’t need to reach the top to feel the true benefits of committing to a code.

“Martial arts are sports that people love,” said the fatherof-two, who can count former seven-time and three-weight world champion Marco Antonio Barrera among his scalps.

“They keep kids off the streets, teach them discipline and get them in shape. There is a lot of obesity nowadays and this is a way of promoting fitness.”

And while it may be a muchcoined cliche in the fight game, Amir concedes that the dividend of helping deliver discipline to younger generations holds personal resonance. Boxing, he explained, provided him with a positive focus during his teenage years and helped to steer him away from potential bother.

“I was hyperactive when I was younger – I would always fight and misbehave at school,” said Amir, who turned professional a year after his silver medal success. “If I had never taken up boxing I would have been on the wrong path and got in a lot of trouble because I always had that energy in me.

have the people to support them or to take them to gyms.

“

You need someone to show you how to use that energy for something positive

”

“There are a lot of kids out there who will be the same but don’t

Summer 2019

“Whenever you fight, you always respect your opponent,” continued the cousin of former England cricketer Sajid Mahmood.

“It is quite easy to switch [from respecting someone to trying to knock them out] – I’ve been in the game for so long.”

Right, now 32, King Khan – pictured at a public workout ahead of his victory over Australian Billy Dib – is expected to make his 40th professional ring appearance later this year SHIMBUN

Respect is another value Amir says is nurtured by the martial arts and – contrary to the “trash talk” often associated with prefight promotions – is one boxers regard highly.

“Boxing is a sport and I never go in there hating the guy, I go in there as friends. You go into the ring to beat the other guy but that is just one of those things; it is a business and you have to take care of business.

Then and now: Left, Amir Khan was Great Britain's lone boxer at the 2004 Games in Athens and comfortably cruised to victory in his first four bouts. The 17-year-old's quest for gold was eventually thwarted in the final by defending Olympic champion and three-time world champion Mario Kindelan

48

"You need someone to show you how to use that energy for something positive. Boxing did that for me.”

FIGHTING ON It is a game which Amir has no imminent plans to leave, believing that he still has the hunger and ringcraft to improve on his professional record of 34 wins, 21 by way of knockout, and five defeats. Citing Filipino great Manny Pacquiao – boxing’s only eight-division world champion – as both a potential future opponent and inspiration to fight on, Amir concluded: “I am not looking at retiring just yet.

“I’ve got big fights still in front of me and I don’t want to leave this sport and have to come back and say I want to fight again.

“I’m only 32, I’m still at the peak of my career. There are fighters like Manny still going strong at 40 so I’ve still got fight left in me and I’m going to enjoy the sport while I can.”

INTERVIEW: AMIR KHAN

Picture: Courtesy of Super Boxing League Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

49

50

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

INTERVIEW: BILL TERRY

BACK FROM THE BRINK Shimbun meets the miracle man who fought to return to the dojo having stood at death’s door

WITH fewer than one per cent of every 1,000 people who start out in karate going on to grade to Shodan-Ho, the statistics have always been stacked against Bill Terry becoming a black belt.

However, betting against the Brisbane-based karateka achieving his dream this December would be unwise given the 52-year-old’s remarkable track record of defying the odds. Bill’s history of confounding the medical profession is particularly impressive given doctors were convinced death was more likely than a return to the dojo for the then-3rd Kyu in 2010.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

51

Having already been forced to hang up his gi a couple of years earlier as a consequence of coughing up blood every time he exerted himself, Bill believed he was finally on the road to recovery when he went under the surgeon’s knife to investigate the cause of his alarming symptoms.

The operation revealed that a severe infection had spread through the brown belt’s right lung and into his chest wall, causing the two to tear whenever he exercised. With cancer ruled out, part of one lung removed and the infection supposedly banished from his chest, Bill was sent home to convalesce – but soon found himself back in hospital and fighting for his life.

Unbeknown to Bill and his family, the infection had returned with a vengeance and a coughing fit tore the pulmonary artery from his heart, resulting in massive internal bleeding.

“I remember sitting on the edge of the bed and feeling a warm gush of blood in my chest and thinking ‘something has gone wrong’, which of course turned out to be a huge understatement,” the father of three told Shimbun. “I tried to keep myself relaxed as I knew that if I panicked, I’d be dead, whereas if I kept my heart rate slow, I would stand a better chance of surviving until an ambulance 52

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

got to me. I just went into survival mode.”

Thanks to the efforts of his son, Jay, and partner, Zita, Bill was kept from slipping into unconsciousness, but the arriving paramedics struggled to find any sign of a pulse and he was rushed to hospital under police escort.

With the right-hand side of his chest completely flooded with blood, the former member of the Queensland State karate squad conceded that what unfolded next was tougher on his loved ones than it was him.

“I recall passing out as I got to hospital and thinking that I’d reached my end,” he said. “It was horrible for my family because after an hour-or-so of me being in theatre they were told by the surgeon to prepare for the worst as it was highly unlikely I would make it off the operating table; the medics had already lost me a couple of times and I’d been clinically dead.”

Miraculously, 14 hours later Bill did leave

theatre, but the prognosis shared with his family was still particularly bleak. Put into an induced coma, there remained doubts over whether he would wake up and concerns that, even if he did so, he could be in a vegetative state. And when he did regain consciousness it was clear that Bill still faced a long and difficult road to recovery.

“I could only remember certain people, I couldn’t speak and I had no hand-eye coordination,” he added.

“I was pretty much a baby and had to learn everything all over again, including how to walk. I went into hospital weighing 105kg and relatively fit and came out three months later weighing just 52kg – I was a skeleton with a skin covering.”

Although physically unable to look after himself for the best part of four years, Bill’s thoughts often returned to karate and he decided to use the pain of missing out on his

INTERVIEW: BILL TERRY martial art as a means of motivation.

“My health was my prime concern but there was not a day that went by that I didn’t wish I was back in class,” he explained. “I really, really missed karate and the people who I trained with.

“When I reached 3rd Kyu, and not realising I would end up sick, I’d bought an embroidered black belt to give me something to focus on through the stages of brown belt. Three years into my recovery I remembered I had that belt and, although it sounds corny, I put it where I could see it every day.

“If you have nothing to focus on then nothing will happen and you will stagnate. I figured I’d never be going back to karate but I had to imagine that one day I might so I could aim my recovery towards it – whether or not I fell short didn’t matter, I just had something to aim for.”

Seven years after putting one foot over the threshold of death’s door and with his health and strength returning, the prospect of pulling on a gi again became increasingly difficult for Bill to dismiss. Indeed, as soon as he was able to cast aside his walking stick, his mind was made up and he returned to train alongside old friends within Region 10 despite only having one fully functioning lung and a “leaky” heart valve.

“It was scary,” he added. “I consider myself a ‘pusher’ and like to see how far I can go, so decided to go back as a brown belt and sink or swim.

“It wasn’t easy – I thought I’d been through some tough times but returning as a 3rd Kyu and expecting my body to be able to do what it could before brought a new definition to pain. The first few months really hurt.”

Against his own expectations, Bill has continued to hone his karate and – thanks to the endeavours of Sensei Rowan Cassidy, Alex Plummer, Josh Nixon, Matt Plummer, Reagan Crowther, Nikki Arthur and Kelvin Trembath – he can once again contemplate the day he is able to tie his long-ago purchased black belt around his waist. Predictably for a man who refuses to be beaten, the 1st Kyu insists that grading to Shodan-Ho will not be the final chapter of his GKR Karate story.

“Far from it,” he said. “I am absolutely loving

“

In cherished company: Bill Terry is flanked by his extended family – Patience (left), Sensei Rowan Cassidy and Zita

There was not a day that went by that I didn’t wish I was back in class... I really, really missed karate and the people I trained with

my karate, the people and getting to train alongside my daughter Patience and partner Zita. It’s brilliant – we love our instructors and fellow students. I keep telling people that GKR Karate is less of a club and more of a family, you are not just a class of strangers. We have a ritual after training on a Wednesday night that most of the class will go to Hungry Jack’s and spend another couple of hours together having a gasbag, talking like idiots and having fun.”

Such simple pleasures are something Bill rightly savours.

“Even now waking up of a morning is not guaranteed, so I make sure I enjoy whatever

”

I’m doing,” he said. “Some people may look at me and think that I don’t appear to be having much fun as I tend to be a bit reserved, but trust me, I am enjoying life to the absolute max on the inside because I don’t know if I’ll get to do things again.”

And Bill’s lust for life and determination to grade to black belt have the full blessing of his wife.

“We’ve been given a second chance and not everyone gets that,” she concluded. “We could either sit back at home and feel sorry for ourselves or grab the bull by the horns and see what happens – and that’s what we’re doing.”

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

53

Captivated by Kasper & Co...

GKR Karate will always hold a special place in Sensei Ryan Marvin's affections, but what about his desires away from the dojo? Shimbun spills the beans on another of Ryan's romances WHEN it comes to his first love, Sensei Ryan Marvin has never shied away from public displays of affection.

Indeed, as those ringside at the 2017 World Cup in Queensland will testify, the 4th Dan black belt was only too happy to wear his heart on his sleeve and demonstrate his devotion Down Under in front of a sell-out crowd.

While his fellow competitors opted for the usual attire of a national team jacket or gi on the Gold Coast, Ryan chose to don the royal blue of his beloved football team, Leicester City – a club crowned English Premier League champions a year earlier – as he warmed up for international action.

The respected referee, however, insists his infatuation with the Foxes is no passing crush and began long before Jamie Vardy and company achieved the “impossible dream” of clinching the top-flight title at the end of the 2015/2016 season.

“I’m from Leicester and have been supporting the club since I was a little kid; I love football and absolutely adore Leicester,” the 30-year-old told Shimbun.

“I was brought up watching them on television with my brother and even had a trial for the club when I was younger. Before the last World Cup, my old scout contacted Leicester to tell them I was going to compete and I was given a club jacket to wear while in Australia, which appears in all of the photos – so yeah, I really love my football.”

54

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

INTERVIEW: RYAN MARVIN

And despite going on to claim kumite silver in the men’s senior open in Coomera, the former goalkeeper is adamant that Leicester still monopolise his sporting highlights.

“There are certain points of that championship winning season I look back on even now and talk about with my family,” the GKR Karate zone director for the South West Midlands area in the UK added.

“The season before we had started playing really well and I can remember being sat at my brother’s house and watching us go 3-1 down against Manchester United; we came back to win 5-3 and my shouting scared the life out of my nephew and made him cry.

“The season that followed was just amazing, but I didn’t really believe we were going to win the league until a couple of months from the end.

“Whenever I think about the last game of the season, when Andrea Bocelli sang Nessun Dorma before kick-off, the hairs on my arms stand up,” he said. “My family were at the celebrations; we lined the streets of Leicester with an insane number of people and it was just bonkers.

“It was phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal and is probably my best memory so far – with the exception of getting engaged I should point out!”

PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS Ryan is certainly more measured when it comes to ranking his successes as a martial artist.

“Karate is really quite different from football because it is very personal,” explained the experienced tournament coach, who has trained a stable of national and world champions, including Ben Mildenhall-Clarke.

“I’ve had a few highs and I think

Picture: Tom Brogan

56

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

I’ve been quite lucky that I’ve not had too many lows.

“

I was double graded from 2nd Kyu to black belt and that was certainly an emotional moment – one of those occasions when you sit and cry and don’t take your new belt off for a few days

”

“I did okay at the last World Cup, finishing second to Ash [Ashley Fleming] who deserved to win, and that was quite a high, but my biggest has been getting my black belt from Sensei Bob [McCracken].

“I was double graded from 2nd Kyu to black belt and that was certainly an emotional moment – one of those occasions when you sit and cry and don’t take your new belt off for a few days!

“There have been lots of great moments in karate, but the sport is different from the enjoyment of football because you feel more accountable for the results.”

That is not to say Ryan – who was forced to watch from the sidelines in Milton Keynes

INTERVIEW: RYAN MARVIN

In good company: Sensei Ryan Marvin poses with junior World Champion Sydney Quarterman and Shihan Gavin Samin in Milton Keynes; and, below left, Leicester City's club badge is flanked by Kasper and Kasper

after aggravating an old knee injury earlier in the year – lacks any passion or will to win when he steps into the dojo or onto a tournament mat.

COMPETITIVE EDGE Jokingly describing himself as the Robbie Savage or Paul Gascoigne of karate, he added: “I’m a ‘pickoff’ fighter for the most part but I do attempt to antagonise my opponents – give them a little nudge or shove, or force someone into a corner and then do nothing – to try to get them to make silly, irrational mistakes.

“It depends who I’m in the ring against but it can get a bit fiery.

Outside of the ring that all goes but when I’m in the moment, I do get pretty fired up and I’m sure that was out there for everyone to see at the last World Cup.”

“

When I’m in the moment, I do get pretty fired up and I’m sure that was out there for everyone to see at the last World Cup

”

And Ryan, who swapped goalkeeping gloves for sparring mitts in 2004, believes such an edge is vital for those students who wish to become the best that they can be.

“You need to harness passion and have a bit of intensity about you,” he said. “If you’re not passionate, you are not going to progress.

"If you don’t walk away from a tournament that you’ve lost feeling a little bit of disappointment, you won’t be able to take the next step forward.

“After I lost to Mike [Barrett] at the 2015 World Cup, I was gutted.

It was a fight that he deserved to win, but I look back and think ‘I could have done this, I could have done that’.

“It is disappointments like that

which drive you on to the next level,” he continued.

“If I had just walked away and gone ‘oh well, I lost’, I probably wouldn’t have got as far as I did during the two years that followed. The same is true for people if they fail a grading; you need an emotional response to kick on.”

After a change in manager last season, Ryan will now be hoping his football team heed this advice and react positively to recent setbacks both on and off the field.

But, regardless of the Foxes’ fortunes over the coming months, it is a certainty that the sensei’s love for Leicester will endure – not least as he has named one of his dogs Kasper after the club’s goalkeeper.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

57

GKR Karate's international director of coaching Shihan Anthony Ryan eases 'fight frustrations' by providing Shimbun readers with a referee's eye view of tournament rings WHEN sparring in the dojo it is relatively easy to recognise when our strikes successfully land on our opponent and it is equally apparent when their attacks beat our blocks.

Therefore, it is surely a no-brainer that the same awareness should apply to kumite in tournaments. And while at times it does, students can experience exasperation when a technique they have executed is not rewarded by the referee.

The best way to alleviate this frustration – and in turn increase your chance of winning – is to understand what officials are looking for during bouts.

While it is natural to feel hard done by when you know that a hand or foot has touched your opponent, tournament rules are predicated on self-defence principles and where techniques fail to adhere to these, they are ignored by the referee.

Let’s take a closer look at these principles, which are outlined in the scoring criteria of the Referee Manual, now.

GOOD FORM In the dojo we all appreciate the need to constantly refine our techniques because good form increases speed and power (effectiveness). For this reason, a tournament punch or kick that beats the opponent’s guard but is lacking in form will not be scored.

Correct form is required both on the way in to the target and coming out afterwards.

Key factors that contribute to good form in karate include: l Hip rotation adds power and reach and therefore many techniques require the proper use of the hips to score. l Stance also contributes enormously 58

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

SORE ABOUT l Similarly, shoulders should be positioned slightly forward of the hips to ensure your bodyweight contributes to the strength of a strike.

VIGOROUS APPLICATION We can all appreciate that great technique delivered slowly will be ineffective in selfdefence. Therefore, tournament referees will only score attacks into which a competitor invests their full effort (Kime). A Kiai – a further demonstration of commitment – must also be present.

l Good sight. An attack will only score a point if you demonstrate you have sight of the intended target area before and after a technique is delivered.

CORRECT DISTANCE Touching an opponent with a hand or foot will not result in a point if your limb is fully extended. The referee needs to see a slightly

to power and referees are consequently constantly assessing yours – both before and after striking a target.

TRAINING TIPS: KUMITE

“

If you lack good form, fail to deliver the technique with vigorous application or have a fully extended arm, then the likelihood of an attack being effective is almost zero

”

Tournament kumite requires this mindset.

While it is not necessary to deliver the multiple strikes that may be required in a reallife confrontation, you must demonstrate you are in a position to execute more techniques or defend yourself at all times. This requires keeping your eyes on your opponent (never turning away), maintaining a quality stance and even guard.

Now that you are aware of these scoring criteria you can start to ensure you implement them into your training (noting that vigorous application is not always required in the dojo).

A NO SCORE? bent arm or leg as this illustrates that a technique is capable of penetrating through the target area.

PROBABLE EFFECTIVENESS This is important. For a referee to reward a technique, they must feel it would have been effective if used in self-defence.

The previous three criteria are a good gauge for this. If you lack good form, fail to deliver the technique with vigorous application or have a fully extended arm, then the likelihood

of an attack being effective is almost zero.

This also applies to movement. If a technique lands on an opponent who is backing away quickly, the power of the strike is greatly diminished and a referee may dismiss it.

ZANSHIN Zanshin is a continued state of awareness after a technique has landed. We all appreciate that in self-defence an attacker may strike back and that we should remain focused until the danger has passed.

Being armed with a greater understanding of what officials are looking for should also prevent you from feeling any sense of injustice in a tournament ring.

Above all else, you should keep in mind that a referee is ultimately there to help your karate. True to the philosophy that "behaviour rewarded gets repeated", if an official gives you a point even though you failed to demonstrate Zanshin, for example, then you are likely to repeat the mistake.

Doing so could become a habit – a bad habit that will you do no favours in a real-life selfdefence situation.

If, however, a referee holds you to a high standard and only rewards those behaviours that adhere to self-defence principles, then you will start to repeat them and these are habits that will help you should you ever need to protect yourself.

Good luck at your next tournament.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

59

CENTURIONS

Shimbun catches up with the military-drilled team of sensei with 101 reasons to celebrate WITH former Australian Air Force personnel in joint command and training sessions executed with military efficiency, the Surrey Downs dojo has recruited a veritable army of karatekas.

makes techniques easier to follow. However, our class sizes are not down to my experience, but my wife.”

Crediting family - rather than military – values with attracting such impressive numbers to the dojo, the Shodan continued: “Vicki drives the social aspect of our classes, she engages students on a personal level, appreciating who they are.

Classes routinely attract in excess of 60 students and a record 101 recently bowed in for a session at the Adelaide venue, but having the privilege of teaching precision strikes to the masses is not solely attributable to Sensei Jerry and Vicki Asikainen’s Armed Forces pedigree.

“A lot of being able to create a structured learning environment, plan lessons and have the confidence to get up and speak publicly does come from my military experience,” Jerry told Shimbun when quizzed about the secrets to growing Surrey Downs’ ranks.

“It’s not unfamiliar territory for me to stand in front of a class and say this is what we’re going to do today.

“I guess my instructing style is also similar to the Air Force. There are two parts to each instruction; the preparatory part and the executive part – this is what I want you to do, do it. It simplifies instructions for students and

60

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

“Sensei Edde Nio, our regional manager, has always told us that ‘students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care’ and our classes live by that tenet.”

“

Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care – and our classes live by that tenet

”

Vicki, who trains alongside her husband and their two daughters Sempai Storm (12) and River (10), agreed that putting people first was of paramount importance.

“Our Surrey Downs dojo works because of our amazing students,” the 3rd Kyu said. “Without them we turn up to an empty hall.

"I say students, but I really mean our family – I know them all. We have more than 70 students and I can tell you how old they are, their family structure, what their goals are, why they think they come to karate and the

DOJO TIPS: RECRUITMENT

“

”

It’s not a burden to have such a big class, it’s a great responsibility

reason I know they come. We try to make every person feel like they are the only student in the dojo.”

As a proud “parent” of an ever-growing brood, Vicki added that finding the ideal family dynamic and right people for the right roles had proved key to swelling student numbers.

“Jerry is an amazing instructor – commanding, personable and knowledgeable,” she told Shimbun. “Sensei Belinda Southgate and I are mothers; we joke, we cuddle and are able to teach the young ones, while Sempai Storm is a huge hit and the little kids gravitate to her as someone they aspire to be like.”

Away from the dojo itself, social media has contributed significantly to the Surrey Downs success story and is a means of

communicating the Asikainens encourage other sensei to exploit.

“Our Facebook page has been a real contributor to the retention and recruitment of students,” Jerry explained.

“It helps to create a sense of community and helps connect students with each other. It is a bond that gets everyone back to class.

“It doesn’t matter if people have had a bad day, we get on social media and tell them to get their butts to the dojo and within minutes of walking through the door they are not thinking about work or whatever problems they have had any more.”

“Use your social media,” urged Vicki, who has assumed responsibility for posting regular

updates before, after and between classes and has launched a Region 9 Instagram account.

“Facebook is a fantastic tool and keeps people talking outside of training sessions.”

The husband and wife team are rightly proud that their endeavours are appreciated but insist that the reward for big numbers and big attendances is being able to share in many others’ achievements.

“To see students progress is a major motivator,” Jerry concluded. “When you see someone struggling to get to that next level and are able to help them with that little extra push that gets them over the line, it feels fantastic. It’s not a burden to have such a big class, it’s a great responsibility and a real privilege to have so many students who look to us for their own advancement.”

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

61

300 days of sunshine a year - 2.5 hours from the UK - tax free shopping - restaurants, bars and casinos - awesome sightseeing - fascinating history Holiday packages include return flights, complimentary transfers, hotel with breakfast and discount vouchers to use locally

www.mygibraltar.co.uk

 + 44 (0) 20 8518 4181

The Rock looks forward to welcoming readers of Shimbun to its peaks

BOW OUT: RICHARD LENTON

CAREER GOALS As an aspiring footballer Richard Lenton could never bend it like Beckham, but the TV presenter-turned-tutor is proof you don’t need to be at the top of your game to carve out a career in sport. The awardwinning broadcaster tells Shimbun how a job in journalism can be as rewarding as refining your kata and kumite...

It’s September 1989. I’m 14-years-old and I’ve just signed schoolboy forms for Doncaster Rovers FC. However, my first training session with my childhood club offers a seismic wake-up call.

My midfield partner is not only sporting a genuine, fully-fledged moustache (I’d not even graduated to bum-fluff), but, unless she’s hiding the spare match ball inside her blouse, his fresh-faced girlfriend is quite clearly in the final trimester of what I’d like to think would be her first pregnancy.

I’d suddenly morphed from big fish in a tiny, innocent, middle-class village pond, to being shark bait for a group of lads determined to fight their way out of a town that had fallen on hard times after being decimated by the miners’ strike and subsequent pit closures.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

63

The competition was fierce, the environment brutal. Not an inch was given. I knew there and then that I would never make it as a footballer, so the next best thing would be to write about it.

I first experienced the buzz of a newspaper office several years later, towards the final year of my sports science undergraduate degree (even though I knew full well I wanted to be a sports journalist when I left school, I also fancied three years of lubricating my creative flow with gallons of cheap cider at university). As part of the course, we had to embark on a week’s work experience in a sports-related industry, so I cut my teeth rewriting appallingly constructed non-league match reports for the Gainsborough Standard in Lincolnshire.

Within a couple of days, I’d been offered a job as a junior reporter, but the editor agreed to hold the post open until I’d studied for my post-graduate NCTJ newspaper journalism qualification down in Cornwall.

In many ways, the route into journalism was so much simpler back then – you started out on a local newspaper and plotted your journey from there. In 1997, the internet was something we’d heard of, but didn’t understand and had certainly never used, so a 20-week fast-track newspaper course was the primary route to journalistic riches (starting salary £6,000 per annum).

TOOLS OF THE TRADE Although I’d not necessarily needed the qualification in order to land that vital first job, the course was crucial in developing my skillsets. My writing improved immeasurably, I quickly reached the shorthand holy grail of 100 words per minute, and became fully immersed in public affairs and journalism law and ethics.

Nine months after starting work (for real this time) at the 64

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

Gainsborough Standard, I landed a job as the sports editor of the Sussex Express newspaper. All of a sudden, I was moving from a remote village in the north to Brighton – a city that always looks like it’s helping police with its inquiries. I fell in love with the place instantly. I felt certain that I was embarking on a oneway journey to the top of the profession; surely Fleet Street beckoned? Alas not.

A GOOD TURN By 2007, I was just one of many thousands of struggling freelancers. Despite years of hard graft, every door I attempted to yank open was slammed shut in my face. My natural optimism was being tested to the full, but it was then that I reaped a seed I’d sewn many years previously.

During my NCTJ course in the late 90s, I’d spent a week at the Worcester Evening News. It was five days of unremitting gloom in an office devoid of passion, atmosphere and creativity – I can’t remember anyone even speaking to me. A few years later, during my time at the Sussex Express, a shy, spotty teenager asked if he could spend a few days shadowing me to learn the journalistic ropes.

In light of my miserable week in Worcester, I vowed to encourage him as much as possible – I wanted the experience to be the total antithesis of what I’d encountered.

Fast forward a few years to when I was on my knees career-wise, that same awkward teenager had morphed into a confident, successful journalist – travelling the world and indulging in myriad adventures for the award-winning Golf Punk magazine. So, when he rang up to offer me a job as deputy editor, it took about half a second to say yes. It was a phone call that changed my life.

A year later I was asked to launch the spin-off title, Football Punk (it took months of focus groups to come up with that name).

“

If you work hard, cultivate your contacts, be open to trying new things, and treat people with respect then you give yourself the best possible chance of landing so-called ‘lucky’ breaks

”

Suddenly I was receiving more phone calls – this time from ESPN and Sky News to see if I would appear as a guest on their magazine shows. I instantly loved television – although I prepared as diligently as ever, I treated it like I was talking to my mates about sport in the pub, and the style seemed to resonate. In the summer of 2010, I was offered my own slot on the ESPN show Talk Of The Terrace, speaking to famous faces for a humorous weekly piece. I interviewed Usain Bolt, Liam Gallagher, Rio Ferdinand, Carlo Ancelotti and many others.

EASTERN ESCAPADES

By July of the following year I was flying out to Singapore as the new presenter of Premier League, Champions League and international football on SingTel – the biggest cable TV player in the game. And so began an incredible seven-year adventure where I became the face of football in the region and travelled to exotic parts of the world I’d never previously heard of. I won Best Sports Presenter at the Asian Television Awards not once but twice. I hosted a Champagne lunch with David Beckham. I anchored two World Cups and a European Championship. I even found time to edit three more magazines. Some cynics might put the chance phone call that changed my life down to luck, but if you work hard, cultivate your contacts, be open to trying new things, and treat people with respect then you give yourself the best possible chance of landing so-called ‘lucky’ breaks.

CHANGE IN DIRECTION I moved back to the UK last summer after the World Cup in Russia to begin a new challenge, lecturing journalism students at St Mary’s University in Twickenham.

I was far from sure that academia would suit me and thought it impossible that I could derive as much pleasure out of teaching

BOW OUT: RICHARD LENTON

Passing on the journalism baton: Richard Lenton (pictured far left with a colleague and two of his prize-winning students) is now a lecturer at St Mary’s University in Twickenham, South West London

and nurturing the next wave of journalists as I did during my magazine editing and TV presenting careers. However, it’s a real privilege to be surrounded by young, talented, ambitious people.

Aspiring journalists in 2019 must be able to write great copy, but they have to fully embrace the digital revolution and be bang on point with their multimedia skills. Being able to lay out pages in InDesign, edit videos on Premiere Pro, produce their own iBooks, and create bespoke audio content on their phones are pre-requisites in an everchanging industry. Specialising in your early 20s isn’t something I would encourage – my advice to all students is to become proficient all-rounders who can step up to the plate when opportunities arise.

Journalism courses have, understandably, changed beyond recognition in the two decades since I cut my teeth in the

profession, but the fundamental principles still remain. Accuracy, independence, impartiality, humanity and accountability are five words that still beat at the heart of every successful journalist, whether they embark on a career with a national newspaper or create their own online content on YouTube.

There has been much debate recently about whether university courses are worth the fees, and some research suggests that graduates aren’t necessarily better off than their contemporaries who eschewed student life for the world of work.

However, at the time of going to press, 25 of my 30 students have secured either permanent jobs, long-term internships or lucrative and regular freelance shifts – and we’re still several months away from graduation. It says a lot about the application of a fantastic group of students, but also much about the quality of course delivered at St Mary’s.

“

Accuracy, independence, impartiality, humanity and accountability are five words that still beat at the heart of every successful journalist

”

REJUVENATED REPORTER Working with young ambitious people has also re-lit the fuse within me – being a well-paid TV presenter in Singapore for so many years certainly softened my ambition. As the great boxer Marvin Hagler once said, “it’s tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5am when you’ve been sleeping in silk pyjamas”.

As well as lecturing, I’m producing a hard-hitting documentary that, fingers crossed, will be screened on Netflix, and I’m also working on a project that is very close to my heart – a mental health App called MyMindPal, which helps you reduce stress levels, create more positive thinking, build levels of resilience, and live in the present moment. Had I not embarked on those first tentative steps into journalism two decades ago, it’s doubtful whether my life and career would have offered such diversity and enrichment. It’s a career I would wholeheartedly recommend pursuing.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

65

GIBRALTAR ROCKS Roving reporter David Eck grapples with Britain’s place in the sun

LIKE a well-disguised strike from a World Cup kumite champion, a visit to Gibraltar caught this particular travel writer completely off-guard.

While I concede to perhaps previously underestimating the charm of this British Overseas Territory, which is located on Spain’s southern coast, the tiny peninsula packed a punch which dazzled and delighted.

Indeed, it throws up its first “Insta” moment the second you disembark from your flight – a short two-and-a-half-hour hop 66

SHIMBUN

Summer 2019

for those Shimbun readers in the UK – with the headland’s towering Rock providing a dramatic backdrop to the runway.

And with a reputed 300 days of sunshine a year, it is unlikely your first holiday snap of Gibraltar will be spoiled by cloud cover.

However, this slice of Britain in the sun has much more than just favourable weather to warm travellers. With no VAT payable, everything is “duty free” and – for those with pounds in their pockets – there is no need to change currency and lose out on

excruciating Forex rates.

HOME FROM HOME Those seeking familiarity will need to adjust to driving on the right-hand side of the road, but most Gibraltarians speak English in addition to Spanish; road signs are recognisably English and red letter boxes and telephone boxes stand patriotically proud. Links to Britain are evident everywhere and are routinely demonstrated by colourful military marching processions along Main Street most Saturdays.

hotels range from three to five stars. At the top end, the swanky Sunborn Yacht Hotel (casino and all) is permanently docked in the trendy and lively Ocean Village Marina, with the best rooms having views across the Bay of Gibraltar. The landmark Rock Hotel, boasting sweeping vistas, has been welcoming guests since 1932 and cites Sir Winston Churchill, Sean Connery and Errol Flynn among its celebrity patrons, in addition to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who married on Gibraltar in 1969.

As for places to rest your head,

For those with more modest

BOW OUT: TRAVEL

Eye-watering combination: A visit to the towering Rock of Gibraltar (left) serves up blue skies and stunning sunsets (such as the one pictured at the marina above) alongside moments with monkeys and mesmerising monuments of Second World War engineering (right)

At the top you will probably be greeted by one or two of Gibraltar’s wild monkeys, though you’ll get to see many more, and other wildlife besides, if you opt to stroll through the surrounding nature reserve.

budgets, youth hostels or selfcatering offer a more economical way to stay.

FINE DINING Restaurants and bars are plentiful and, being tax-less, very affordable. Historic Grand Casemates Square has endless establishments to choose from and, just a short walk away, Ocean Village is home to a great waterside selection. A favourite here was Little Bay Indian Tapas Bar and Restaurant, where the food was so divine and tasty it demanded a second visit.

While you can walk up to the top of the eponymous Rock – the 5km long, 426m-high limestone ridge which dominates the skyline – a six-minute cable car ride is far easier on the legs.

There are some brilliant observation decks to snap away on with your camera phone, with the pick of the bunch the glassfloored Skywalk, which is located 340m directly above sea level.

Higher than the tallest point of London’s Shard, the attraction was opened by Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise.

It is possible to walk the length of the Rock in a single day, taking in the extraordinary St. Michael’s Cave, the big gun at O’Hara’s Battery, siege tunnels and Moorish Castle.

MULTIPLE ATTRACTIONS There are many excursions available to maximise your time in Gibraltar, which range from dolphin watching and art walks to exploring the fascinating Second World War tunnels and Gorham’s Cave Complex – a UNESCO World Heritage site.

New tours launched this year include a helicopter ride around the Rock and The Gibraltar

Experience, which is set within a labyrinth of tunnels and intertwines the peninsula’s history with that of its wine trade and leads to the world’s largest, natural underground wine cellar.

For the sunseekers, two sandy beaches can be found on the eastern side of the Rock – the aptly named Sandy Bay and Catalan Bay. Alternatively, a stroll or drive south along the western side brings you to Camp Bay and Little Bay, a pair of small rocky beaches with crystal clear water.

Elsewhere, Europa Point and the Trinity Lighthouse are found at the very tip of the Rock of Gibraltar, the southernmost point of Europe, and on a clear day you can see across the Strait of Gibraltar to the Rif Mountains of Morocco. Legend has it that the Rock, on one side, and North Africa’s Jbel Musa on the other,

form the pillars referred to in the tales of Hercules.

A six- or seven-day stay in Gibraltar gives you enough time to see most of the main sites on foot and, with a tour or two, allows a bit of ‘chill time’ to take in the sun and advantage of some tax-free shopping.

Finally, if you do have access to the Calpe Lounge at the airport ahead of your return flight, you’ll experience one of the quietest business lounges in existence.

In conclusion, this is a destination that, similar to GKR Karate’s current crop of champions, delivers some sensational combinations. Or to put it more concisely, this Rock, rocks.

For holiday packages to Gibraltar year-round visit mygibraltar.co.uk or call 020 8518 4181.

ATOL / IATA licensed.

Summer 2019

SHIMBUN

67

Your mind’s best friend

“ We all need someone to talk to, someone who listens, someone who understands.

To talk less and be a better listener is the lifelong quest of a good friend. �

The evidence-based digital platform that helps your people and organisation thrive every day.

If you are looking for an emotional wellbeing solution for your business contact us today commercial.mymindpal.com