The Boy Dan Good

Summer course 2010

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.

The Boy Dan Good....

One of Tyne and Wear Ishinryu’s senior members saw months of hard work pay off after picking up his second Dan grading at Ticky Donovan’s 2008 Summer Course.

Senior instructor, Mark Allenby achieved his 2nd Dan after a grading with Sensei Donovan.

Mark prides himself on his high standard of karate - maintaining the traditions of his art as is the ethos of the Tyne and Wear club.

As those who have ever trained under sensei Donovan will know, Dan grades are never just given away.

Anyone who has earned their Dan grading from Sensei Donovan, the head of Ishinryu and one of the world's most renowned karate figures, is certainly worthy of the award.

For the club this is a huge achievement, and one everyone at the club is proud of, none more so than chief instructor Eddie Gillespie.

Sensei Gillespie, 5th Dan, said: “For Mark to achieve this grade at the summer course was fantastic. He's worked so hard in training he deserves it.

“But he also prides himself on maintaining the traditions of this club, Ishinryu and our art. I’m very proud of him, the whole club is.”

The club also picked up a string of trophies in both kata and kumite competitions on the course, with some junior students adding to many recent accolades and following in the footsteps of those before them.

Eddie added: “The club is going from strength to strength. We’ve had some fantastic achievements in the past and I’m sure the new crop of talent will go on to do the same.”