Saturday 26th June 2010 saw students from Tyne and Wear Ishinryu attend the Ticky Donovan Summer school in Clacton on Sea. 9 students attended to train with Sensei Donovan, Sensei Dave Hazard, Sensei Jon Mottram, Sensei Lee Smith, Sensei Bruce Hyland and our own Sensei Eddie Gillespie.

The weeks training was made up of numerous daily karate classes starting at 7-30 am every day. Strudents were split up into their respective grades and worked under the guidance of some of the best Karateka in the country!

Monday was the first of the annual competitions with the adult Kumite competition. Here Chantelle Riley took silver losing out to Jenny Westgarth in the final in the girls under 21yrs competition. Steve Pickard took bronze in the adult 4th and 5th Kyu Competition. Joe Wright took gold, winning the Adult 1st and 2nd Kyu competition. Finally Dave Westgarth came first in the U21 kumite, and second in the Mens Blackbelt, beating both current and former senior England International competitors on the way!

Tuesday saw the annual fun run. Again Dave Westgarth was outstanding winning the Mens Competition. Joe Wright came 3rd in the same competition. Shani Ratnayake from our sister club Noth Kent, won the ladies event witrh Jenny Westgarth coming third.. Sean Lishman came 3rd in the boys run and 6th overall!

Wednesday was the Kata competition. Here our students also took medals. Joe Wright took a creditable 2nd place narrowly beating Chantelle Riley into 3rd in the 1st and 2nd Kyu competition. Again from North Kent Saj de Silva came 3rd in the mens blackbelt.

Thursday came round and the boys and girls kumite competition began. Matthew Wright won the boys brown and black belt competition after and exceptional performance. Sean Lishman was unlucky not to meet him in the final of the same competition, but did take a hard fought 3rd place.

The week was finished off with the gradings, and we saw Joe Wright awarded his black belt 1st Dan. Well done Joe!

Out of the dojo a great time was had by all, and the photographs are now on the website in the galleries.

MORE than 60 students turned out for the fourth Ishinryu Open Winter Course in Sunderland on November 29 and 30.
Karate enthusiasts from across the country gathered on Wearside for the rare opportunity to train with champions past and present.
Leading the line up was course organiser Eddie Gillespie, 5th Dan, a former England international and national champion.
Fresh from the 2008 World Karate Championships in Japan, was Jonathan Mottram, 4th Dan, who picked up 5th place in the kata event in Tokyo – narrowly missing out on the bronze medal.
Ishinryu coach Lee Smith also formed part of the line up with former England international and European bronze medallist Gavin Foster, 3rd Dan and world bronze medallist Tony Smith, 2nd Dan.
It was a rare to have the talented five instructors gathered together – and those who took part were treated to some fantastic displays of talent which showed why each of the instructors has gained such recognition on the international stage.
Practitioners from across a range of styles trained – all enthused by the course and eager to take what they had learned into their own clubs.
Eddie Gillespie said: “It’s always humbling to see people come from across the country to train and learn from the experience we have gathered over the years.
“Everyone seems to have been thrilled by what they saw and were taught and will take that on to their own club and own students. It was a great weekend of karate.”
Awards were also given out to students for effort and determination and a lifetime achievement award was given from the instructors to Liz Fraser, from Sunderland, for her tireless contribution to karate.
Eddie is hoping bring the course back to Washington next year.
Course details for 2009 will follow early in the new year.