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2010
9th Open World Championships 11th-12th September 2010 Results
(Updated 24th September 2010)
9th Open World Championships
With competitors, coaches and officials arriving from across the world, the Ninth Open World Championships proved to be a memorable weekend on the tae kwon do calendar. Whether competing in a sparring, destruction or a pattern event, the enthusiasm and effort on the day was evident in all of the West Midlands competitors.
The optimistic atmosphere within the Telford International Arena was infectious, and with the support from spectators, it seemed that many competitors began to experience what is known as the pop bottle sensation, (the pop bottle sensation is experienced when competitors step onto the square to face their opponent, nerves and adrenalin then fizz up like the liquid inside, until the cap flies off the bottle and the drink explodes everywhere).
This sensation was what I felt on the day (and I wasn't even competing!), along with Miss Katie Billingham, Miss Emily Haslam, Miss Lisa Brown and Mr Farquharson I was officiating. I have taken my umpires course and had umpired at the previous world championships, but each tournament is challenging when you step into the arena. On the square you are the organiser, timekeeper, judge, point giver and ultimately responsible in giving a fair result. This was a huge responsibility, but to umpire at this event was also an honour. The tournament was organised effectively with all twenty eight areas running like clockwork, all officials put a lot of time and effort into the event to ensure the World Championships was a truly memorable occasion.
Members from the West Midlands group prepared to compete with international practitioners of the Tae Kwon Do art, all observed by The Masters of the TAGB and Grand Master CK Choi who flew over especially for the event. Meeting Grand Master CK Choi (ninth degree) was the highlight of my tae kwon do journey (so far), he is a pioneer, spreading the practice of tae kwon do from Korea across the world. Grand Master Choi is somebody I respect, a man who performs with passion and vigour, with his in-depth knowledge, he is truly a tae kwon do idol. Attention over the weekend was focussed on Grand Master C.K. Choi as West Midlands TAGB competitors posed for photographs, whilst C.K. was delighted to give autographs, taking the time to speak to TAGB students and present awards. For this event, the TAGB family had gathered together to fight, (as families do), share, give advice, and perform. With Grand Master C.K. Choi as the figurehead of our family, aspirations were high and England was ready to compete.
Each competitor entered the room filled with anticipation, and the nervous tension mounted as competitors from across the world descended upon Telford's International Centre. International competitors arrived from Poland, Argentina, Spain, Brazil, USA, Korea, Ireland, Wales, Australia, Canada and Scotland (naming just a few); to represent their countries in the tournament to end all tournaments.
The opening ceremony was spectacular; each country entered waving flags, carrying mascots, cheering and some even danced! One parent said 'I really liked the beginning of the tournament when all the competitors paraded around the arena, the experience of taking part in this for the students was a once in a lifetime opportunity.' It was a parade that showed the spirit of the TAGB at it's best, as members from the West Midlands clubs marched in with the England team, the excitement which I felt was hard to contain.
The 9th Open Tae Kwon Do World Championships kicked off in style on Saturday 11th September 2010 with a technically brilliant inspiring demonstration from the black belt demo team. The Edmund sisters from Devon truly kicked things off in style working with black belt boys to create a mock martial arts fight reminiscent of a Bruce Lee film. Performing to music, the team demonstrated knife hand strikes, jumping side kicks, turning kicks, throws and punches in a spectacular showcase of the beauty of tae kwon do. A spectator stated that she thought: 'the layout wasn't brilliant as we were sitting on the side where we couldn't see the presentations or demonstrations at the beginning of the tournament, [and that] it would have been better if there was a raised stage.'
After, months of preparation spent training to perfect every single movement, tirelessly practicing fitness regimes, and improving their fighting technique, competitors were going to be put to the test. For many it was a game of nerves and endurance, with those who competed from the West Midlands group practicing the tenant: perseverance; which was put to the limit as many entered both the patterns and sparring category, with some even conserving their energy to fight in the team events!
Competitors on the day included:
Fighting Saturday 11th September 2010
Emily Rotherham - Greenbelt Middleweight Sparring and Patterns - Willenhall /Dudley (Vince Farquharson) BRONZE in Sparring, 4th in patterns.
Chelsey James - Red belt Sparring, Patterns and Team Sparring - Dudley (Vince Farquharson) 10th individual sparring, coming joint 3rd in the team event.
Jivean Clair - Black belt Middleweight Sparring. Dudley (Vince Farquharson)
Ashlee Whale- Blue belt Heavyweight - Bewdley (Katie Billingham) SILVER in Sparring
Brandon Gamble - Blue belt lightweight - Willenhall (Vince Farquharson)
Georgia Doohan-Smith - Greenbelt Pee Wee Sparring and Patterns - Bewdley (Katie Billingham)
George Mason - Blue belt Middleweight Sparring and Patterns - Bloxwich (Michael Meese)
Pippa Lock - Greenbelt Middleweight - Bewdley (Katie Billingham)
Hannah McCreedy - Blue Belt Middleweight - Hagley (Katie Billingham)
Fighting Sunday 12th September 2010:
Alex Page - Yellow Belt Heavyweight - Bewdley (Katie Billingham) BRONZE
Tom Smith - Green Belt Heavyweight - Hagley (Katie Billingham)
Will Brown - Green Belt Welterweight - Hagley (Katie Billingham)
Simon Whale - Blue Belt Bewdley (Katie Billingham)
Officials:
Mr Vince Farquharson- Senior referee
Miss Katie Billingham- referee
Miss Lisa Brown- referee
Miss Emily Haslam- referee/ administrator
Miss Claire Southall- umpire
Miss Claire Southall - Miss Katie Billingham
First to compete was Chelsey James who had trained extremely hard in lessons for the tournament by sparring competitors from across the West Midlands group in preparation for the big event. Chelsey started well, performing her pattern Hwa Rang Tul on area 25 with power and focus. The pattern was completed confidently as Chelsey gave her best effort, throwing aesthetically brilliant side kicks and showing precise hand techniques. Chelsey ensured that her stances were correct throughout, and everything fell into place. Miss James failed to place missing out on the title as she was out pointed by more experienced technicians. However, Chelsey did not give up and went on to compete in the individual and team sparring events. She gained a lot of experience fighting international competitors in the sparring category, throwing an abundance of punches, strikes and focussed kicks she gave them a good fight. The round was difficult when Chelsey suffered a fatal turning kick to the head, but although dazed she recovered her composure to fight no in the second round. However, Chelsey met her match missing out on a medal with the round ending 11- 4 in her competitors favour.
Mr Vince Farquharson
CK Choi 9th Dan Grand Master
Miss James was relentless in her effort to compete once again, so teamed up with Welsh sisters Annie (8) and Abby (10) Davies from the Hope and Wrexham TAGB School in Wales. The girls fought under the name: Red Rockets and worked tremendously together to fight off the numerous opponents they faced throughout the rounds. The girls had to go up a division as one of the team members Abby competed in lightweight, this meant fellow rockets Chelsey and Annie had to move from pee wee to lightweight as there were not enough pee wee girls to make a team.
Chelsea competed first, fighting with her usual fast paced hand combinations and strikes to the middle section, scoring the Rockets decided to switch competitors, a tactical move which ensured all girls fought but did not get tired. Miss James swapped with Abby, who scored by looking for targets, and after throwing well-placed side kicks she scored 4 points. Next up on the change was sister Annie who fought with precisely aimed punches, while confusingly changing her stance Annie ensured that her opponent became disorientated. However, the girls efforts were in vain as time was against them, when the final bell rang, the opposite team had scored more points. Even though the rockets did not win, their fighting style, commitment and ability to work well as a team in a highly contested division saw them come joint third! This was a great achievement considering Chelsey had never competed at an international level before.
Next up on the square was Mr Jivean Clair who entered the black belt boys middleweight sparring division. Jivean has experience fighting at a
national level but competed mainly at coloured belt, gaining his black belt earlier in the year, he has not got much experience fighting at First Dan level. Mr Clair used his usual attacking style to adjust his sparring techniques, closing down the space between himself and his taller rival he ensured it was difficult for his opponent to score points.
Mr Vince Farquharson
Jivean fought well with his hands as he coaxed the competition to come towards him, and by dodging his techniques, Jivean scored well by poaching points and striking when his competitor least expected it. Mr Claire threw some magnificent side and turning kicks, leading off his right leg, he threw powerful kicks, but failed to score as his rival blocked, stepping forward to stop him with a middle section front kick (which was off target). Jivean, clearly in pain during the second half received some much needed advice from umpire and coach Claire Southall and entered the second half with determination and renewed confidence.
Mr Clair dominated the second half with his fast techniques and evident technical focus. However, as the round ended, the scores were close, and unable to outpoint his competitor, the boys drew which meant they had to enter an extension round. Jivean was tired at this point, and made fatal mistakes by turning his head to avoid fatal blows from his opponent. After receiving a warning from the referee for travelling and moving outside the arena, Jivean seemed to become disheartened. He endured the extension round fighting relentlessly with powerful strikes, however, in the end as the round concluded, he was outpointed by the stronger black belt.
Jivean's father Nick said of the event: 'I thought the venue was not as suitable as, for example, the Nottingham arena. At Nottingham you could see all of the squares from the seating. However, in Telford it was difficult to view each tournament event. This meant we as parents were sometimes struggling to see all of the competitors from the West Midlands group and missed out on some of the action.
I think Jivean lost his first fight because his defence was not as tight as in previous tournaments where his opponents had to work extremely hard to break his guarding position. I also believe he had run out of ideas to score points after the draw was announced and they entered an extension round. His lack of international experience showed as Jivean kept stopping as though he was still in a point stop competition.'
Another member of the group competing was Brandon Gamble who trains with Vince at the Willenhall Club. Mr Gamble fought with speed, throwing accurate middle section kicks he knocked his opponent to the floor in the first half of the competition! Brandon kept a fast pace throughout the rounds, giving his best effort he charged forward with combinations of various hand techniques. His opponent responded by throwing turning kicks and hitting Brandon in his stomach, although Brandon was powerful, his rival was more technically astute, spotting targets he planned where he would score points which ensured he led in the scoring. Brandon's stamina and energy was not enough to win the tournament. Inexperience was his downfall, but |Brandon performed extremely well by leading the attack, by charging forward, his rival had to back off which gave him the upper hand, the round was close and ended in his opponents favour. Even though he was outpointed, participating in the World Championships gave Brandon an insight into the vast competition world of Tae Kwon Do at an International level, and I am sure that he shall remember the event for years to come.
West Midlands Tae Kwon Do students all put 100% effort into this competition but one student from Dudley and Willenhall decided to give the world 120%. Miss Emily Rotherham had been training for this event for months and her hard work certainly gave her the upper hand on the square. The girls greenbelt division was hotly contested with roughly 15-20 girls competing! With experienced fighters including the three Walker sisters, Emily faced some tough competition but made it to the quarter finals. Her technique was to look for open target areas and throw techniques that would score highly. Emily used numerous combinations of hand and foot techniques to score against Emily Walker (one of her opponents), England came first with Wales achieving the silver medal and Miss Rotherham took Bronze for West Midlands Tae Kwon Do and England.
Miss Rotherham's mother stated that 'The atmosphere and experience for the children involved was really good. Emily competed in patterns first where she came fourth only missing out on third by one point. She needs to slow down when doing her pattern as she forgets to show the techniques, and speeds up half way through. However, this was only her fourth competition so I'm sure she will gain more experience as she enters future tournaments.'
Mr Vince Farquharson
Emily also entered the sparring competition where she made it to the last four! She was very nervous about sparring, and said herself that she was unsure what to expect as she has not had much experience in international competitions. Her first fight was very good and she won comfortably, but her second match was a lot harder and Emily found it much more difficult to score points against her opponent. She was very happy to come away with a bronze medal; a huge achievement for a competitor in the early stages of her TAGB sparring career! Emily's family added: 'It was very nice to have Grand Master Choi presenting the medals, however the presentation area wasn't set out very well as it was a bit of a free for all, and we couldn't get near to the front to get a decent photograph.' We did however manage to get a nice group photograph of Vince's students with Grand Master Choi before the tournament started (which can be viewed on the World Champs page). In conclusion it is fair to say that it was a good day out for the Rotherham family!'
Competing in the pee wee division was Miss Georgia Doohan-Smith from Bewdley who entered both the pattern and sparring division. Georgia is a perfectionist so worked hard with instructor Katie Billingham to ensure that her chosen pattern was of the highest standard and although only young she performed with confidence and power reminiscent of someone at a much higher grade. In the sparring category, Georgia gave her best effort but was beaten by students with lots of point stop sparring experience who were able to outpoint her with fast movements. However, although not winning a medal, it is Georgia's participation in the World Championships that is the biggest achievement. Georgia has gained lots of experience from this event and will no doubt put what she has learnt from the competition into practice at future tournaments.
Pippa Lock was another of Miss Billigham's students competing in the world championship division. A hard working student, she entered the sparring category fighting against other juniors for a chance to win 'the world'. Pippa attacked and defended with her usual sharp eye but was outpointed by her opponents. However, for one so young to enter the Championships and put up a fight against the best Tae Kwon Do students in the world, Georgia has achieved what many would not dare to do and will improve her technique with time and practice. To conclude, she gave a superb effort and tried her best- this is all we can ask of our students.
Representing the Hagley Club was Miss Hannah McCreedy, who competed in the blue belt category. Hannah has not got much international competition experience so entering the World gave her a new challenge. Hannah did extremely well on the day showing both good technique and sportsmanship. She was a great ambassador for our club and at only fourteen years old looks sure to have a bright future in the TAGB tournament world.
After recently taking over the Bloxwich club, Mr Meese worked extra hard training his student George Mason to prepare for the fight by showing him various combinations to use on the square. George competed in the boys middleweight blue belt division, putting a lot of effort into his fight. This was his first international fight and although he lacked experience, George threw accurate kicks and punches, fighting with great speed. George did not score highly as he threw mostly punches being outpointed by stronger competitors in his division. However, Mr Mason can learn from this event and use the experience to strengthen his tactics for the next tournament. The World Championships was certainly a learning curve for George.
Perhaps the greatest achievement at this world championships was earned by Ashlee Whale, a regular tournament competitor, she decided to enter the World Championships and represent her country. Ashlee competed in the Girls Blue Belt division, and had to fight numerous opponents which saw her reach the final in the division!
CK Choi 9th Dan Grand Master
To get anywhere near winning a medal is difficult for anybody in an international competition, but to actually win one is near impossible. Ashlee took home silver in her category, and with her left leg side kicks and brilliantly timed punches, she scored well against her rivals. Ashlee made her name in world Tae Kwon Do Championships history this weekend by sparring with great speed, focus and power, she put a lot of effort into her rounds going the distance to represent her club. Instructor, Miss Billingham said of Ashlee: 'she is a good student, always giving everything 1 million percent. Ashlee is a hard working pupil who is dedicated to her club, she has made us all proud winning silver. Miss Whale trained hard for this event and thoroughly deserved to place second!' Ashlee commented that she found the competition 'hard but really enjoyable' ,she went on to say that 'the atmosphere on the day was great' This was a brilliant achievement for Ashlee who is a great sparring technician, and with many more tournaments to come, Miss Whale looks set for greatness in her TAGB sparring career.
On day two of the tournament, adult competitors from across the West Midlands group competed in their respective weight divisions in the Men's category. Competitors including: Alex Page, Tom Smith, Will Brown and Simon Whale all trained extensively for the fight, having been trained and coached by Miss Katie Billingham. Fighting to grade, the West Midlands Men faced tough competition in their categories as there were numerous opponents from across the world who all wanted the world championship title and were not going to let it slip away easily to English competitors.
Blue belt Simon Whale represented the country as he fought in the heavy weight men's division. Simon attacked his competitor by throwing powerful techniques along with kicks that hit his opponent hard. Utilising his hands and feet whilst putting up a brilliant guarding position, Simon fought well in the category but with little international experience, his competitors beat him to the world title. Although strong in spirit, the West Midlands men failed to score enough points in their individual divisions which comprised of numerous competitors from different countries who all had their own individual fighting style and method of employing techniques.
Fellow club members Alex Page, and Tom Smith also competed in the Heavyweight Men's category for Yellow and Green Belt respectively. Both students train with Katie Billingham who ensured they were put through their paces during class sessions so as their level of fitness and sparring ability improved. They were joined by Hagley student Will Brown who fought in the Men's Green Belt Welterweight category. All men gave the tournament a superb level of effort and persevered throughout their rounds.
Alex competed in the Men's Yellow belt Heavyweight division putting in the usual 120% effort to take Bronze in his category! Alex threw powerful hand strikes, and side/ turning kicks at his opponent and fought well to reach the quarter finals. In this competitive division Alex proved that he is world championship standard and along with his fellow West Midlands competitors made TAGB Tae Kwon Do proud!
Mr Farquharson was given the hard task of refereeing the final rounds of the Men's Black Belt Heavyweight division. An experienced international referee, Vince ensured that all TAGB rules were obeyed by all competitors. In the Quarter Finals, Polish entrant 'Vishna' came up against Australia's Jack Hasckitt. On area three, the tournament arena became crowded with spectators all supporting their countries as the experienced fighters battled for the coveted World Belt. Cheers from the Polish and Australians bellowed throughout the stadium as both men fought relentlessly with accuracy and control to score as many points possible in the continuous division as referee Vince kept contact at a minimum. Mr Farquharson gave an official warning to one competitor for excessive contact and ensured both fighters were penalised for travelling outside the area.
Vince reffed an efficient fight and as both fighters were equally matched the scores were close as kicks flew in every direction, and powerful hand combinations were tactically employed by both fighters. Jack pushed his Polish competitor to the limit as Tony Curtis coached him through the rounds. However Polish 'Vishna' was a strong contender for the world title, and by charging at his opponent with powerful moves, Jack was outpointed in the final round. The fight was a challenge for both men as they fought the world's best competitors to reach the quarter finals. However, with an experienced referee on side, as Mr Farquharson yelled : 'hechyo' and the judges chose Vishna as the winner, the sportsmanship between both teams was phenomenal, with no hard feelings, the Australian shook hands with the winner, as both teams clapped and cheered for each other. There was mutual respect for both the runner-up and the winner; a feature which defined these men as Tae Kwon Do Champions.
Mr Farquharson commented: 'It was a fantastic tournament, organised and run effectively, there is nothing that compares to a TAGB World Championship event! We are so proud of all the West Midlands students who entered. Congratulations everyone.' Miss Billingham added 'The competitors are all champions in my eyes'
Members from West Midlands Tae Kwon Do are now in training for The British Championships in November where they will compete in sparring and pattern competitions. For more information about the clubs, or if you would like to join please visit: www.westmidstkd.co.uk
Contact Mr Vince Farquharson 5TH Degree Black Belt (Instructor): 07971003079
North Midlands Championships 2010 (Derby) Results
This years North Midland Championships was held on Sunday 15th August 2010.
Pupils from the West Midlands Tae Kwon Do entered the tournament in a number of categories, giving over 100% effort on the day, Bringing home Gold and two Bronze for the Club.
Dudley
| Jivean Clair | Middle Weight Sparing - Black Belt | Bronze |
Willenhall
| Emily Rotherham | Patterns - Green Belt | Bronze |
| Emily Rotherham | Middle Weight Sparring - Green Belt | Gold |
Competitors were
• Chelsey James (Dudley): Patterns/Sparring red belt pee wee
• Jivean Clair (Dudley): Sparring black belt middleweight
• Brandon Gamble (Willenhall): Sparring blue belt middleweight
• Emily Rotherham (Willenhall): Patterns/Sparring green belt middleweight
The Midlands Championship 2010 Results
This years Midland Championships was held at the Kettering Leisure Village on Sunday 27th June 2010. Pupils from across the West Midlands Tae Kwon Do clubs entered the tournament in a number of various categories, one again displaying accurate techniques and giving over 100% effort on the day. The tournament also gave our qualified umpires and referees a chance to practice officiating a number of different divisions across the day.
Dudley
| Jivean Clair | Team Sparring - Black Belt - Middleweight | 1st Place |
| Chelsey James | Sparring - Red Belt - Pee Wee | 2nd Place |
| Laim Lewis | Sparring - Blue Belt - Heavyweight | 3rd Place |
Bewdley
| Ashlee Whale | Girls - Sparring - Blue Belt - Heavyweight | 1st Place |
Competitors were:
• Chelsey James (Dudley): Patterns/Sparring red belt pee wee
• Jivean Clair (Dudley): Sparring/Team Sparring black belt middleweight
• Liam Lewis (Dudley/Bloxwich): Sparring blue belt heavyweight
• Brandon Gamble (Willenhall): Sparring blue belt lightweight
• Simon Whale (Bewdley): Sparring blue belt heavyweight
• Ashlee Whale (Bewdley): Sparring blue belt heavyweight
Officials were:
• Mr Vince Farquharson: senior referee (red shirt): in control of ensuring tournament divisions run smoothly and the rules of the tournament are adhered to.
• Miss Katie Billingham: referee: able to referee matches, carried out administrative duties, ordering results, and sorting categories.
• Miss Emily Haslam: umpire: Carried out administrative tasks, ensured all squares were given different divisions and results were recorded.
• Miss Claire Southall: umpire: Helped run Area 13, recorded results, umpired announced medal winners and gave out trophies, runner, kept score in the Mens Heavyweight Black Belt Sparring, Boys Green Belt Patterns, Boys Blue Belt Team sparring and acted as press officer for West Midlands Tae Kwon Do.
• Mr Michael Meese: umpire: Umpired various categories across the day, working on area 10, recorded results, acted as official timekeeper, and runner.
First to compete was 8 year old Chelsey James from Dudley. Miss James was confident when performing her chosen pattern Hwa Rang to the panel of judges and showed accurate stances and techniques in the hotly contested girls red belt pee wee division. Chelsea came fourth in this category after displaying good power and enthusiasm. She has gained a lot of experience from this event which will be to her advantage when perfecting patterns for future competitions.
Chelsea also entered the sparring division in the Midlands Championships making it through to the final round of the difficult competition! After performing a measured high turning kick and attacking her final opponent with a number of punches, Chelsea narrowly missed out on first place after taking a fatal side kick to the stomach from her opponent. Chelsea defended well, and gave 110% effort in the competition earning her a silver medal to add to her collection. Not a bad achievement for someone in the early stages of their sparring career; Chelsea has the potential to gain further success in future competitions by working on her technique.
Next to compete in the boys black belt middleweight division was Mr Jivean Clair, an experienced tournament fighter from the Dudley Club. In his first fight, Mr Clair showed his skill, scoring three well-earned points from a reverse hook kick and further points for accurately timed side and turning kicks knocking his opponent out of the area. Jivean attacked well with his hands disorientating his opponent with a brilliant hooking punch to the head. The match was temporarily stopped which gave Jivean a chance to consult with Coach Vince Farquharson and take advice from club member Claire Southall. After this encouragement had finished the match continued; although he was penalised for excessive contact (losing him one point), Mr Clair fought spectacularly well in this large category of over fifteen competitors!
In his second fight Mr Clair came up against a much more experienced fighter, Jivean defended himself well and gave a great head kick followed by a number of powerful punches. After scoring well using his signature move- the hooking punch, Jivean took an early lead. However, his competitor fought back and with piercing side kicks earned his place in the semi-finals.
Also sparring on the day was Brandon Gamble, from the Willenhall club, who fought in the boys blue belt lightweight division. Brandon executed a middle side kick leading with his left leg and defended well against his opponent who attacked with his hands. Brandon blocked well despite being caught by a side kick and followed by attacking with a high jumping turning kick followed by a punch to the head. As the tension mounted, Brandon fought hard moving vigorously to try and confuse his opponent however after giving his best effort; Brandon was unfortunately knocked out by his competitor. He is now training hard for his next fight and is gaining experience by practicing sparring techniques in the dojang.
Meanwhile, on Area 10, Liam Lewis was fighting in the competitive boys blue belt heavyweight division. Attacking well, Liam executed an array of punches followed by a number of accurate kicks in his side on stance. His attacker was stunned by the power of Mr Lewis’s reverse high hooking kick which connected well and earned him three points! He poached points and continued to block his opponent’s attacks including side kicks and uppercuts. After making it to the semi-finals Liam fought well to take third place in his division. Considering this was only his second competition, Mr Lewis’s third place trophy was a huge accomplishment.
Competing from the Bewdley club were father/ daughter duo Simon and Ashlee Whale. Both fought in their respective blue belt sparring categories gaining a lot of experience from competing against opponents from across the country. Simon fought well attacking vigorously in the Men’s Heavyweight division. Using his legs effectively and targeting his opponents head and stomach with a flurry of punches. Simon battled to the end of the first round only to be outscored narrowly by his competitor. Meanwhile daughter Ashlee was competing well in the Girls division and fought her way through the first round, the second to the semi-finals and eventually reached the finals. With sparring experience under her belt, and after practicing for the event relentlessly beforehand, Ashlee was well-prepared for the physical endurance of sparring many opponents. Defending well Ashlee scored points from varied attacks and throwing accurate scoring techniques. Miss Whale was victorious winning gold in her division. Well done Ashlee!
The last event of the day was the team sparring category. Jivean Clair was determined to take home a medal from the Midlands Championships and never one to disappoint, he teamed up with fellow first Dans Cameron Web and Kamil Wocian. The boys fought under the team name the Black Assassins and truly assassinated their competition. After The Three Lions were knocked out in the first round, The Black Assassins came head to head with the Three Blacks for a tough final.
First in the area was Kamil who fought with accurately timed side kicks and powerful hand techniques. After scoring points for his team, he then swopped with Jivean allowing him tom fight another opponent from the three Blacks. Jivean defended well against his competitor never allowing him to score a point and attacking with a hooking punch he scored again for the Black Assassins. From this point in the tournament the points just kept mounting up, the Black Assassins were in the lead whilst the Three Blacks tried to claw their way back by continually attacking. However, they were no match for The Assassins who used brilliant communication and teamwork to lead them to victory. Jivean tagged team member Cameron who is an experienced fighter to come up against the final member of The All Blacks. Cameron attacked tremendously with his hands scoring two points from a combination of techniques; then quickly swapping with Kamil; who threw a high punch making the score 8/4 to The Black Assassins.
With seconds to go, Jivean entered the ring for a final time, scoring a further point for the Black Assassins and although the Three Blacks also scored with a hand technique they truly had been assassinated. The final score was 9/5 and the boys walked away with gold making The Black Assassins Midlands Champions in the boys black belt team division!
The Three Blacks took second place and The Three Lions took Third, the number three was certainly unlucky in this division! After forming on the day, the boys displayed brilliant team effort and were confident scoring points they all earned to beat the stiff competition. This goes to prove that with tactful sparring, by working together, success can be achieved and lasting friendships formed. Well done boys; it’s a shame the England Football Team couldn’t display such excellent teamwork in the World Cup!
Once again, West Midlands Tae Kwon Do Group had tremendous success in the Midlands Tournament. Congratulations to all those who took part and took home a medal and well done to all who competed on the day. Now let’s get training for the next competition!
Miss Claire Southall - Mr Vince Farquharson - Mr Michael Meese
Miss Emily Haslam
Jivean Clair - Miss Claire Southall
Mr Michael Meese
The Welsh Tournament Sunday 23rd May 2010
West Midlands tae kwon do students triumphed once again at the weekend, taking home a combined total of four medals; proving that months of preparation in sparring with coaching from higher grades has paid off!
In the Mens Executive Green Belt Middle Weight Sparring Division, Craig Mason, a student at the Bloxwich club fought well beating off all the competition in this hotly contested category to win a bronze medal.
There was also success for Mr Farquharson’s Dudley club when two of our regular tournament competitors both took home medals in their respective categories. Miss Chelsey James attended the Welsh tournament and took home Gold in the Red Belt Girls Pee Wee division. This achievement will no doubt sit among her many other medals in the display cabinet! Chelsey’s success at the tender age of only eight goes to prove that whatever age you are competitions are for everyone to participate in!
Arguably one of the greatest achievements of the day was the tremendous fighting technique of Jivean Clair which saw him taking home not one but two medals in the Black Belt Boys Middle Weight Division. With previous tournament experience, Mr Clair battled off numerous competitors throwing a flurry of punches and well-timed high turning kicks with some piercing side kicks thrown in for good measure to take bronze in the individual sparring division.
However, not satisfied with just one medal, Jivean entered into the team Sparring division. After immaculate techniques and amazing teamwork, the boys took gold! Mr Farquharson commented that ‘everyone who entered the Welsh tournament has gained a lot of experience and performed brilliantly. These competitors are an asset to the West Midlands Tae Kwon Do group.’ He further explained that ‘for Mr Clair the tournament was undoubtedly a success. The transition from Black Tag to Black Belt is difficult in class but on the tournament scene it is a whole different kettle of fish. Jivean is unaware of how much he has achieved at such a young age.’
Well done to all those involved in the Welsh Tournament and Good Luck to Chelsey and Jivean who are preparing to fight at the Midlands Championships held in Kettering. For all those training for the World Championships in September again good luck, keep up the hard work as further success is expected across the West Midlands group.
Results
2 x 1st Place Gold
2 x 3rd Place Bronze
Once Again well done everyone taking part.
Bloxwich
| Craig Mason | Mens Executive - Sparring - Green Belt - Middle Weight | Bronze |
Dudley
| Chelsey James | Girls - Sparring - Red Belt - Pew Wee | Gold |
| Jivean Clair | Boys - Team Sparring - Black Belt - Middle Weight | Gold |
| Jivean Clair | Boys - Sparring - Black Belt - Middle Weight | Bronze |
Results From The English Championships 28th March 2010
Well done to everyone that took part, a very good turn out for the West Midlands Tae Kwon Do.
We managed to take 9 Trophy's, 1 x 1st Place 2 x 2nd Place, 6 x 3rd Place
Once Again well done everyone.
Bewdley
| Will Brown | Middle Weight Sparring - Green Belt | 3rd Place |
| Tom Smith | Sparring - Yellow Belt | 3rd Place |
Bloxwich
| George Mason | Team Sparing - Green Belt | 1st Place |
Dudley
| Chelsey James | Sparring - Red Belt | 2nd Place |
| Jivean Clair | Sparring - Red Belt | 3rd Place |
Willenhall
| Emily Rotherham | Patterns - Green Belt | 3rd Place |
| Emily Rotherham | Middle Weight Sparring - Green Belt | 2nd Place |
| Brandon Gamble | Team Sparing - Blue Belt | 3rd Place |
| K Gamble | Heavy Weight Team Sparing - Green Belt | 3rd Place |
South Midlands Area Championships Results
Ashlee Whale got Gold in girls heavy Blue/Red sparing.
Pippa Lock got Bronze in girls middle Yellow/Green sparing.
Georgia Doohan-Smith got silver in Girls PeeWee Yellow/Green belt sparing.
Hannah McCreddy got Bronze in girls Yellow/Green heavy weight sparing.
Tom Smith got Silver in Mens welter Yellow/Green sparing.
Also great efforts from Simon Whale in mens heavy Red/Blue and Josh Sheppard in boys Middle Yellow/Green.
A big well done to Emily Rotherham, for coming 4th in patterns.
This was the first time Miss Rotherham had entered a championship, and we wish her all luck in more to come.
Willenhall in South Midlands Area Championships
A big well done to Willenhall Student of the year 2009, Emily Rotherham, for coming 4th in patterns.
This was the first time Miss Rotherham had entered a championship, and we wish her all luck in more to come.
The British Championship March 2010 and World Championships September 2010 are both in Telford.
If you like to train in Willenhall click here for more information on times.
Medals for Bewdley in South Midlands Area Championships
Just back from the south Mids Champ. Another good collection of medals for Bewdley.
Ashlee Whale got gold in girls Blue/Red Heavy weight beating a black tag in the final, Pipa Lock got silver in girls yellow/ green middle weight.
Tom Smith got silver in men welterweight and I got a fantastic black eye in the men’s blue/red heavy weights, better luck for me next time.
COME ON!! BEWDLEY!!!
Report by Simon Whale (Bewdley Student of the Year 2009)
Click here for Competitions from 2009
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