Report submitted by Samurai Judo Club

Over 60 members of Kidderminster’s Samurai Judo Club have received grading promotions, with the technical assessments having been done before the lockdown started.

Promotions to and within the black belts can only be done at special gradings, which are currently on hold because of the pandemic, but the senior players up to brown belt and the junior players can be graded within the club.

Top of the senior results list were Cerys Jones, aged 15, and Megan Skillern, who were both promoted to senior brown belt.

Cerys is the current British Kata Champion and double British National medalist in contest judo, whilst Megan took a silver just before the lockdown at the British Schools Championships.

Maddi Haywood and Maddie Averill were amongst six players moving to senior blue belt, as were British medalists James Harrison and Callum Spencer, along with parent player Emma Martin and veteran Trevor Connolly.

There were four senior green belts too, for Katy Jennings, Chris Houghton, Simon Cunningham and Sam Smith.

Senior orange belts went to Alex Collins and Toni Waugh, whilst senior yellow belts went to Sonia Cunningham, Gail Alloway, Sarah Hartwell and Mark Dewhirst. Finally, Chris Westwood, another parent player, Alfie Thomos and Finlay Fitton all gained their first senior grades, senior red belt.

Top of the junior grades was Harry Ashen, who was promoted to top blue belt, just one grade below brown.

The Ashen family contains three British Champions, as Harry has previously won the British Minors Championships whilst older brother Jake was British Schools Champion in 2018 and father Nick was British Veterans Champion a few years before that.

Sophie Davis was promoted to top green belt, whilst Mateo Allen attained his green belt.

Isaac Sobolewski and Scott Hulbert both moved to middle orange belt, whilst Edward Martin became an orange belt.

Top yellow belts were awarded to Alex Spencer, Anna Baddeley, Max Baker and Maya Osborne.

Middle yellow belts went to Zac Westwood and Lathan Spackman whilst five players were promoted to yellow belt.

They were Nick Deeley, Hannah Palmer, Elliot Harris, Jasmine Southern and Megan Burford. Top red belts were awarded to Emilia Lane, Archie Minkin, Hannah Houghton, Finn Doherty, Ethan Lorriman, Luke Vessey and Alyssa Westwood. A middle red belt went to Imogen Dutton.

Fourteen players were awarded their first red belt grade, they were Lola Dyoss Jones, Jacob Morgan, Leah Hayes, Poppy Hayes, Sebastian Roberts, Beatrice Roberts, Jenson Cutler, Nicholas Beddoe, Eva Wharton, Verity Brown, Isla Thompson, Oliver Thompson, Hayden Ford and Joe Light.

Finally, four players under 8 years of age, Isobel Houghton, Oliver Royle, Henry Thompson and Isaac Thompson were awarded their first grade in the under 8 Sho grading system.

The Samurai club is able to continue training under covid-secure rules worked out between the Combat Sports Group of National Governing Bodies including the British Judo Association, and the government.

Whilst indoor team sports are not able to train at present, indoor individual sports are allowed as long as all precautions are taken.

As well as taking all such precautions, the Samurai are helped by their purpose-built premises, which have superb ventilation and an extremely large mat area. The club can take new members at present, but only where they are pairs or trios from the same household.

However, this can include parents and their children. For details, telephone 0776 1122977 or visit the Samurai website on www.samurai.org.uk or their Facebook page.