SAMURAI Judo Club entered the New Year confident of a bright future after the previous 12 months had seen a host of silverware won and a new exciting generation emerging.

The club’s membership continued to steadily rise – it is now around 140 – and there were some outstanding competition results.

An excellent group of new junior boys came through, led by Brendan Crummy, Tom Richardson, Hamish Beaumont, Alex Johnson, Jack Hinton, Robin Powell, Brandon Lewis and Jordan Rosewarne.

In the girls, Hannah Smith topped the newcomers list, but the real story for the girls was at the experienced end, with another fine year for Kate Walker and Sarah Biles and the emergence of a whole squad of potential top fighters such as Charlie Price, Gemma Edwards, Millie Hancocks, Charis Hancocks, Emily Watson, Frankie Marston and the Moon twins, Sally and Rachel.

As well as celebrating their 30th anniversary in June, the Kidderminster club enjoyed a host of success in competition.

London 2012 Olympic hopeful Walker kicked off 2009 by being named the Shuttle/Times and News' sports personality for the previous year.

Biles gained her black belt, while Kate's brother Tom Walker earned at the British Junior Closed. He and Frankie Marston lead the Samurai medal charge at the Welsh Junior Open, both taking gold.

The family team of Paul Jones, his sons Grant and Richard, Richard’s broth-in-law Ryan Pitcock, and Ben Newbury also won gold at the Warwick Open Team event, as did Aimee Hodson, Biles and Katherine Lloyd Jones.

Biles and Pitcock won gold in the Midlands Age Bands competition in February, while Tom Walker won his weight at the North-West Age Bands tournament.

Meanwhile, Kate Walker won her first gold of the year at the Hambury Open.

Greg Adams had a March to remember as he earned silver at the Ingelmunster Open in Belgium, while Kate Walker had double success in the British Universities and won silver in the English Senior Open.

In the Sasakawa Open, Marston and Chloe Bustin helped the club win six golds, while Stefan Newbury clinched his blackbelt and became one of five new junior grade three referees.

In May, Charis Hancocks won the 61 Open in High Wycombe, with Sally Moon winning a double gold.

Tom Walker secured gold at the Northern Ireland Junior Open, while Biles impressed the British Olympic management with silvers in both the junior and senior sections of the event.

Andy Marston finished ninth at the World Veterans Championships.

June saw Hamish Beaumont made his competition debut and earned the first of his three gold medals for 2009 at the Samurai Open Minimon.

There were also other golds for Ben Jordan, Danielle O’Neill and Lauren McCredie. Kate Walker won bronze at the Turkish Senior Open and seventh at the Italian Open.

In July, Biles defeated a fifth dan to win gold at the West Of England Senior Open and won all seven contests at both junior and senior level at the British Team Championships as part of the Midlands team.

Meanwhile, at the annual Midlands Open Kata Championships, twins Sally and Rachel Moon took the junior gold in the flagship kata of throws, while Biles partnered Ben Newbury to take gold in the senior section.

There were silvers and bronze medals for Biles and Millie Hancocks at the Alicante Open in August, while Sarah Newbury was named British Competition Organiser of the Year.

Biles won silver at the UK School Games, while Tom Walker was successful at the Heart of England Championships at the NIA.

Samurai ended the year with impressive performances by Tony Leroux and Rob Alloway in the British Veterans Championships in October.

Millie Hancocks won an impressive gold at the High Wycombe Senior Open.

November saw Tom Walker securing bronze at the Senior Welsh Open and sister Kate repeating her seventh place at the European under-23 Championships in Turkey.

She bounced back with ninth place in the world-renowned Japan Grand Slam in December, while the Samurai girls won a brace of gold and silver at the Leicestershire Open Teams.