Bristol Karate Academy

Bristol Karate Academy came away from this year's KUGB National Karate Championships with Silver in the Senior Team Kata event.

Over the last few years Bristol Karate Academy has continuously performed well in Team Kata, with medals - often gold - in most championships. The 2016-2017 team was forced to change at the beginning of the year however, following the departure of Ashley Hall from the team, after he moved university to continue his studies. This led to the introduction of Academy instructor Dan Salter to the existing duo of Tim Griffiths and Steven Connell. It was a fantastic achievement, therefore, to go into the championship and take away a silver medal.

The elimination rounds were a tense affair, with the Academy team setting the early standard, after being first up in the very first category of the day. When all teams had performed, the Academy’s joint third place finish was just enough to make the cut.

The evening’s finals were to be just as challenging. The Bristol trio’s performance of their kata ‘Sochin’ once again set the benchmark and kept them in the lead after three teams had gone. It was only in the final performance that Sunderland’s Sendai Kushiro team topped Bristol, meaning a Silver winging its way back to the West Country.

This was the Academy’s third Team Kata medal at the event in five years and their joint highest position at the event, having previously picked up silver in 2014, again beaten by a dominant Sendai Kushiro team that have won the category in four of the last five years.

Aside from the Team Kata event, Bristol Karate Academy took a team of ten competitors, who all performed well at the first ever KUGB National Championships to be held at the Morningside Arena, Leicester. Congratulations to the following competitors that represented the Academy: Wayne Baker, Steven Connell, Tim Griffiths, Josh Mashford, Kevin Mashford, Liam Mashford, Dylan Mateer, Dan Salter, Jack Salter and Alfie Teague.

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