2017 NEWS & EVENTS

westwood academy AUTUMN competition 2017

We had just over 100 entries for our autumn competition. Full results can be seen below, and all the photos can be seen on our Facebook and Flickr pages.
Ind KUMITE
1st
2nd
3rd
9th-6th kyu U5ft Boys
Fynn Alone
Freddy Vinton
John Bowers
9th-7th kyu U5ft Girls
Isabelle Durrant
Lacey Leaver
Carly Croft
8th-6th kyu 5ft+ Boys
Tom Johnson
TJ Superville
Jack Wright
6th-4th kyu U5ft Girls
Megan Henley
Brooke Kent-Webster
Avyi Robinson
5th-4th kyu U5ft Boys
Joshua Gershinson
Jack Murray
Anushan Kugathasan
5th-4th kyu 5ft+ Girls
Grace Durrant
Victoria Turner
Hannah Rubbert
3rd-1st kyu U5ft Girls
Mya Francis
Gracie-Lee Fisher
Sienna Keenan
3rd-1st kyu 5ft+ Girls
Ella Kempton
Alyssa Hall
Jessica Ashton
3rd-1st kyu U5ft Boys
Brandon Aguinaldo
Harley Nash
Finn Tyrell
Dan Grade Junior Boys
Justin Price
Daniel Allen
Joseph Porter
Dan Grade U5ft Girls
Megan Allen
Autumn Winstanley
Charlie Strickland
Dan Grade U5ft Girls
Caitlin Day
Hannah Mitchell
Erin Jackson
Dan Grade Cadet Boys
Harrison Gill
Reece Ward
Steven Beavis
Ind KATA
1st
2nd
3rd
9th-8th kyu U11 years
TJ Superville
Carly Croft
Sofia Chaston
7th-6th kyu U11 years
Isabelle Durrant
Fynn Alone
Ryan Beavis
8th-7th kyu 12-15 years
Tom Johnson
Harriett Turbin
Reece Whaley
5th-4th kyu U11 years
Rio Patel
Jack Banthorpe
Brooke Kent-Webster
5th-4th kyu 11-13 years
Grace Durrant
Brandon Thomas
Victoria Turner
3rd-1st kyu   U11 years
Mac Oats
Finn Tyrell
Mya Francis
3rd-1st kyu 11-13 years
Ella Kempton
Luke Mitchell
Alyssa Hall
3rd-1st kyu 14-15 years
James Harris
Jessica Ashton
Abigail Portway
Dan Grade Junior
Daniel Allen
Caitlin Day
Autumn Winstanley
Dan Grade Cadet
Brandon Gill
Harrison Gill
Reece Ward

TSKUK course & black belt grading

On the 5th November 2017 more than 500 students attended our association course in Norwich. The second of two free courses held every year by the TSKUK, the students were divided into grade and age related groups taught by six of the association's senior instructors, led by sensei Alan Parrish 6th dan, and sensei Jason Hitchings, 6th dan.
A black belt grading is held, after the training, for students grading for 1st and 2nd dan. We are pleased to announce that the following Westwood members passed 1st dan:
William Morgan, Benjamin Collins, Nizle Biju, Justin Latimer, Tim Shephard, Alexander Forster, Charlie Strickland, Holly Sigournay, Edouardo Bayly-Gonzalez, and the successful 2nd dan passes were Reece Ward, Jimmy Webb, and Caitlin Day.
Congratulations to them all.

FSKA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017

Twenty Members of Westwood Karate Academy were selected for the TSKUK team to represent England at this year’s FSKA World Championships, held over three days, 27th to 29th October 2017 at the K2 in Crawley.
Between them, they were placed in 30 events, including becoming world champions in five of them. Full results are below.
SENIOR EVENTS
Bronze - Mens 24-29yrs 1st dan & above Individual Kata - CHARLIE TARR
Silver - Mixed 18-29yrs Team Kata - CHARLIE TARR, MASON GILL, BETH STANSFIELD
Silver - Mens 24-29yrs 1st dan & above Individual Kumite - CHARLIE TARR
Bronze - Mens 18-29yrs 3 man Team Kumite - CHARLIE TARR, MASON GILL, HARRISON GILL
Silver - Mens 18+yrs 5 man Team Kumite - CHARLIE TARR, MASON GILL
Bronze - Womens 18-23yrs 2 dan & above Individual Kata - BETH STANSFIELD
Bronze - Mens 18-23yrs 2 dan & above Individual Kata - MASON GILL
Bronze - Mens 18-23yrs 2nd dan & above Individual Kumite - MASON GILL

JUNIOR & CADET EVENTS
Bronze - Boys 15-17 3rd kyu & above Individual Kumite - HARRISON GILL
Bronze - Girls 11-12yrs 7th to 4th kyu Individual Kata - GRACE DURRANT
Gold - Girls 11-12yrs 7th to 4th kyu Individual Kumite - GRACE DURRANT
Bronze - Boys 13-14yrs 3rd kyu & above Individual Kata - DANIEL ALLEN
Bronze - Mixed 13-14yrs Team Kata - DANIEL ALLEN, CAITLIN DAY, HANNAH MITCHELL
Bronze - Boys 13-14yrs 3rd kyu & above Individual Kumite - DANIEL ALLEN
Silver - Boys 13-14yrs Team Kumite - DANIEL ALLEN
Bronze - Boys 15-17yrs 3rd kyu & above Individual Kata - BRANDON GILL
Bronze - Mixed 15-17yrs Team Kata - BRANDON GILL, HENRY STOKES, ERIN JACKSON
Silver - Boys 15-17yrs 3rd kyu & above Individual kata - REECE WARD
Gold - Girls 15-17yrs Team Kata - ERIN JACKSON, ELLIE WORTH, HANNAH WINNING
Bronze - Girls 15-17yrs 3rd kyu & above Individual Kumite - HANNAH WINNING
Silver - Girls 15-17yrs Team Kumite - HANNAH WINNING
Silver - Boys 15-17 3rd kyu & above Individual Kumite - HENRY STOKES
A mention too for BRANDON THOMAS, who reached the bronze medal play-off in his kumite event.

11 YEARS & BELOW EVENTS
Bronze - Girls 9-10yrs 7th kyu & above Individual Kata - MEGAN ALLEN
Bronze - Girls 11-12yrs Team Kumite - MEGAN ALLEN
Gold - Boys 9-10yrs 7th kyu & above Individual Kata - BRANDON AGUINALDO
Gold - Boys 9-10yrs Team Kata - BRANDON AGUINALDO, MAC OATS, FINN TYRELL
Silver - Mixed 9-10yrs Team Kata - BRANDON AGUINALDO, MAC OATS, AUTUMN WINSTANLEY
Silver - Boys 9-10yrs 7th kyu & above Individual Kata - MAC OATS
Bronze - Boys 9-10yrs 7th kyu & above Individual Kumite - MAC OATS
Gold - Boys 9-10yrs Team Kumite - MAC OATS

HALLOWEEN FUN CLASS

Every school half term we run a fun class for the children, and October's is a chance for the students to dress up. Here is a selection of our favourite photos.

TSKUK AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL COURSE 2017

L to R. Parrish Sensei TSKUK, Trachsel Sensei, Amos Sensei, Ota Sensei, Hitchings Sensei TSKUK
Westwood Karate Academy hosted day 1 of the TSKUK International Course in Southend. There was a fantastic line up of instructors from around the world this year. From Switzerland, Mario Trachsel Sensei, 4th dan, 5 times Swiss champion. Richard Amos Sensei, 7th dan, Based in New York, USA, WTKO chief instructor and Japan Karate Association instructor program graduate. From Japan, Hiroshi Ota Sensei, 7th dan, kata instructor chairman at Keio University, the oldest in Japan.
Over two days, TSKUK students experienced some of the best instruction in the world, as the instructors rotated to teach each grade level their own unique techniques and insights into Shotokan karate-do.

TSKUK OPEN SHOTOKAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017
The Traditional Shotokan Karate U.K. Open Championships were held at the Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre this year.
As it was a local competition, Westwood sent along a large contingent of competitors, and many of the team won multiple medals, bringing the Academy’s total to 96 medals in all.
In the Under 11 years individual events, gold medals were won by Isabelle Durrant, Brandon Aguinaldo, Fynn Burgess, Megan Allen, and Mya Francis. Mya became double champion by winning both her kata (forms) and kumite (sparring) events. Silver medalists were Megan Allen,  Finn Tyrell, Troy Szymiec, and Autumn Winstanley, who also won a bronze, while more bronze medals were won by Mac Oats, Isabelle Durrant, Te’Juan Superville, Emelia Plummer, Weronika Slomka, Jasmine Harmon, Tiago Piexoto, and Joshua Gershinson who won two.
Brandon, Finn, and Mac also teamed up for the team kata and kumite events. They won bronze in kumite and finished as runners-up in the kata. Megan, Jasmine, and Autumn also teamed up for the girls events and were runners-up in the team kumite.
In the 11-14 years individual events, gold medalists were Grace Durrant, Mariana Martins, and Tom Johnston and George Somers, who both also won individual silver medals. Other silver medalists were James Death, Brandon Thomas, Annabelle Jarrett, Caitlin Day, Henry Stokes, Nizle Biju, Eduardo Bayly-Gonzalez, Hannah Winning, and Daniel Allen and Harriet Turbin, who also won bronze medals. Finley Highfield, Reece Whaley, Holly Sigournay, Abigail Portway, William Taylor, Hannah Winning, Hannah Mitchell, Joseph Porter, Brandon Thomas, and Eleanor Worth, also won individual bronze medals.
Eleanor also teamed up with Caitlin and Hannah Winning to win silver medals in the team kumite event and bronze in the kata. Daniel and Henry also won team silver medals when they teamed up with Justin Price. Grace and Isabelle teamed up with Alyssa Hall to win bronze medals, as did the team of Olivia Stone, Holly Sigournay, and Hannah Mitchell.
The championships was an under 18 years competition, and the final categories were the 15 to 17 years brown and black belt events.
Ana Catarina Martins won the female brown belt kumite title, and was runner-up in the kata. James Harris won the brown belt kata event with Dexter Goward finishing as runner-up, and in the Kumite event, the positions were reversed. Erin Jackson won the female black belt kata title and finished third in the kumite. She also teamed up with George Carson and Henry Stokes to win bronze medals in the team kata event.
Westwood’s most successful competitor of the day was 15 year old, Brandon Gill. He teamed up with his brother Harrison, and Reece Ward to win the team kata title, and also to win silver medals in the team kumite. Harrison and Reece also both won individual silver and bronze medals. Brandon won a bronze in the individual kumite, but won his second gold in the individual kata event.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS 2017
Fifteen members of Westwood Karate Academy formed half of the TSKUK team which were crowned European Champions at the JSKA Championships held in Hungary on Sunday 28th June 2017
The TSKUK were awarded the trophy for most successful team and Westwood members contributed 15 Gold, 11 Silver, and 10 Bronze medals to the team total. A full report of our medal wins follows below.
Our youngest medallist was 9 year old Mac Oats, who won two silver medals, one for individual Kata (forms), and the other for Kihon Ippon Kumite (prearranged sparring), he then teamed up with Daniel Allen and Brandon Aguinaldo to win gold in the 10-12 years Team Kata. 10 year old Brandon also won bronze in the 10-12 years brown belt individual kata event. Daniel won a second gold medal in the 10-12 years black belt individual kata, and won his third gold as a member of the Boys Kumite Team.
Our most senior competitor was club instructor Charlie Tarr, who along with fellow instructor Mason Gill, helped the team to the Senior Mens Kumite European Championship title. Charlie also won a silver medal in the mens senior individual kumite event, and Mason rounded off his fantastic day by winning gold in the individual kata event, and also a bronze in the individual kumite.
Harrison Gill won silver in his individual kumite event, with Reece Ward winning the bronze medal. Reece then also teamed up with Harrison and Brandon Gill to win another bronze in the team kata event, he then went on to win gold in the 15-17 years individual kata, whilst brothers Harrison and Brandon were in the team which won team kumite gold in the same age category. Henry Stokes won gold as a member of the winning 13-14 years team kumite, and went on to win a bronze in the individual kata, and silver in individual kumite.
Caitlin Day was another multiple medal winning champion. She won the girls 13-14 years individual kumite event, and then teamed up with Hannah Winning and Eleanor Worth to win silver in the Team Kata, and bronze in the Team Kumite events. Eleanor also finished as runner-up in her individual kata event.
Megan Allen was runner-up in her black belt individual kumite event, and then won gold as a member of the 10-12 years team kumite. James Harris also won silver in his brown belt individual kata event, but then went on to win gold in the individual Kihon Ippon Kumite.
TSKUK FREE COURSE & BLACK BELT GRADING
The TSKUK held the first of two annual free training courses for members on Sunday 23rd April 2017, at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre. Approximately 400 students were split into six different age and grade groups for the 2 hour course. This was followed by a black belt grading conducted by the TSKUK grading panel of Sensei Alan Parrish 6th dan, Sensei Jason Hitchings 6th dan, Sensei Carol Parrish 4th dan, and Sensei Nathan Bond 5th dan.
Our congratulations go to the following Westwood Academy members who achieved the following grades:
Joseph Porter 1st dan
Thomas Miller 1st dan
Danny Faulkner 1st dan
Harry Mabon 1st dan
Hannah Mitchell 1st dan
Autumn Winstanley 1st dan
Myles Blakesley 1st dan
Carla Martin 1st dan
Megan Allen 1st dan
George Carson 2nd dan
TSKUK/WTKO INTERNATIONAL SPRING COURSE
On Sunday 19th February Westwood Karate Academy hosted day 2 of the TSKUK/WTKO Course in Southend. Our members had the opportunity to train with, and learn from three world class instructors, WTKO Chief instructor Richard Amos sensei 7th dan, Japan Karate Association instructor program graduate. Former World Champion, FSK Chief instructor Aidan Trimble sensei 8th dan, and WTKO GB Chief instructor Scott Langley sensei 6th dan.
JSKA UK CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017
28 Members of Westwood Karate Academy competed as part of the TSKUK team at the championships held in Surrey.
Westwood members became champions in three team kata events. The senior 18 years and over, team kata was won by Charlie Tarr, Mason Gill, and Ryan Cooper. The 16-17 years category was also won by the Westwood team of Harrison Gill, Reece Ward, and Steven Beavis, and to make it a trio of team gold, the team of Henry Stokes, Brandon Gill, and Erin Jackson won the 14-15 years event. In the 11-13 years event, Caitlin Day, Daniel Allen, and Justin Price also reached the final, and won the bronze medal.
Charlie Tarr and Mason Gill also teamed up for the mens team kumite event, and finished in third place. Charlie won a second bronze medal by reaching the semi-final of the mens individual kumite. Mason reached the final of the senior mens kata and finished in the silver medal position, while team mate Ryan, finished third. Another senior medal winner was Hayley Mitchell, who reached the 30 years and over kata final, finishing as runner-up.
Other team medal winners to also win individual medals were Henry Stokes, 2nd in kata, Steven Beavis, 3rd in kata, Justin Price, 3rd in kumite, Erin Jackson, 3rd in kumite.
The Allen household now has two UK champions. Brother and sister, Daniel and Megan Allen winning two medals each. 12 year old Daniel won his kata event, and also won bronze in kumite, 10 year old Megan won her kumite event, and also won bronze in kata.
14 year old James Harris is another double medal winner, becoming champion in the 14-17 years individual kata, and winning bronze in the kumite. 9 year old Brandon Aguinaldo also reached the final of both his individual events, finishing as runner-up in the kumite, with Finn Tyrell in third, and becoming champion in the kata, with Mac Oates in third. Alyssa Hall was another kumite bronze medal winner for Westwood.
" My two sons attend at the Chase Sports Centre. They absolutely love it, all the sensei are kind and helpful "
Patricia Chinelo Eriken Nkwonta