Judo family plan course

10:30am Thursday 24th July 2008

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THE Hancocks family is keeping busy in judo with sisters Charis and Millie both taking silver medals at the Birmingham Open Championships, whilst mum Sue is about to take her first steps in coaching by fronting a new session at Kiddderminster based Samurai Judo Club.

At the competition in Castle Vale, Birmingham, 14 year-old Charis demolished the opposition on her way to the final, where she came up against an old rival. After several exchanges of scores, she got a strong grip ready to attack but then hesitated slightly too long and was countered for a winning score.

Her 15 year-old sister Millie also reached the final after a series of emphatic wins, but this was an open weight category and in the final she was up against a girl more than 20 kilos above her own weight. Even then the contest was very close, with a single low score against Millie deciding who got gold and who silver.

Twins Rachel and Sally Moon were also doing well at the competition and added two more silver medals. A bad refereeing error in the final cost Sally the gold medal, whilst Rachel, for once in a different category to her sister, lost in a minor score in her final. However, in the senior ladies Nicola Haywood took the gold with an excellent display.

Meanwhile, Charis and Millie’s mum Sue, who trains alongside and often with her two daughters, is the lead coach in a new session the Samurai are setting up for younger children, targeting ages from 6 to 8. “We wanted a session that would cater specifically for the needs of those ages, rather than just dumping them in with the mainstream beginner group,” explained Sue. “We’re planning a course that will be more suited to their age, so that in the long term they’ll become better players and also get more out of it in the short term. It’s my first time as a lead coach for a session, but the club’s chief coach is helping me plan it all and we’re looking at movement, balance, spatial awareness and co-ordination work from other sports to supplement the judo. My third and youngest daughter, aged 6, is raring to start and we’ve got quite a few other youngsters interested.”

The session will run on Thursdays from 6.20 p.m. to 7.20 p.m. at the Samurai clubhouse in Lisle Avenue, starting on August 14th. For details or any other information about the Samurai club and its activities, telephone 0776 1122977 or visit the Samurai website on www.samurai.org.uk.