Lockdown has been hard for a lot of our students and instructors. It was a long winter but instead of sitting back and waiting for Spring, Kenbu Dojo decided to jump into action and enter the IKKA, Virtual European Kenpo Karate Championships 2020!!
It was the perfect challenge to refocus our minds and try something we have never done before. We started by some outdoor lessons in the park to prepare our Forms and Weapons forms, then when permitted we went indoors to record our entries.
We recorded our videos in the hall over a whole weekend, one by one all 17 students, from white belts to black and from age 5 to old age, took their turn and performed to their absolute best abilities. Competing in a mix of Forms, Weapons and Team Forms. We filmed into the late hours of the night. Then it was time for Shidoshi Sinead to upload all the videos online along with filling out all the application forms. Which took a few days.
It felt like a lifetime as we waited for the results, as we got closer to Christmas we finally heard the results after they were published online. It was an amazing celebration as each student found out how they had done. Shidoshi Sinead was incredibly proud of each and every student. Not so much for winning medals, but for standing up to a challenge and for re-focusing their minds during a difficult time. Everyone showing some true warrior spirit in giving it a try.
But it was to be a long wait until the medals arrived, with postage at snails pace, Christmas approaching, postal systems were struggling to say the least. Then right as we planned to reopen there was another lockdown which meant waiting even longer. But being a ninja is all about patience, and so we waited.
In the meantime, while everyone waited patiently, Shidoshi Sinead wore everyones medals every day, all at once, just to make sure they did not get lonely! lol
The results where as follows:
7 Gold Medals (7 European Champions!)
10 Silver Medals
7 Bronze medals
Who would have thought our little Gloucester based Dojo, could achieve such a fantastic result. Each and every person involved should be so incredibly proud. On May 8th 2020, with government restrictions easing, we finally got to have a special awards ceremony and celebration.
Individual Results were as follows (in rank order):
Forms & Weapons:
Lucas 2nd Forms
Rhys Participation Award
Seren 3rd Forms
Xander 2nd Forms
Josh 3rd Forms
Eddie 1st Forms and 3rd Weapons
Nathan 1st Forms and 2nd Weapons
Alyssa 2nd Forms
Grace 1st Weapons
Jasmine Participation Award
James 1st Forms and 2nd Weapons
Finley 2nd Forms and 1st Weapons
Gabriel 3rd Forms
Jay 1st Forms
Lucy 3rd Forms and 2nd Weapons
Eden 3rd Forms
Sinead 2nd Forms and 2nd Weapons
Team Forms:
Gabriel and Lucy 3rd Place (Junior Brown Belts)
Jasmine and James 2nd Place (Adult white - green)
Sinead and Eden 1st Place (Adult Brown and Black)
A big thank you goes to all the judges and organisers at IKKA Europe who put so much time and effort in, to make the tournament virtual and a great experience for all our junior students.
Now our sights are set on competing at the next European Championships in Utrecht Holland, October 2021. Where covid permitting we hope to travel as a team and compete in person for the first time ever!
Watch this space.
Kenbu Dojo
www.kenbu.co.uk
Members of IKKA Europe
Members of British Martial Arts and Boxing Association