EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR HULL JUDO CLUB STARS
Six players from Hull Judo Club have been able to start their Christmas celebrations early after winning medals at the recent Goole Under 16’s Judo Championships.
Hull Judo Club was represented by ten players spanning its junior squad – both in age and experience, including some players for whom it was their first competition.
Oliver Postill had a good day throughout, showing both good judo and a calm temperament. Postill returned home not only with a big smile on his face but with a gold medal in his hand.
Training partners Adam Mortimer and Shannon Maltby returned home with silver medals after showing good judo skills despite coming up against competitors who were bigger and more experienced.
The medal tally was rounded off with Thomas Booth, Thomas Lowe and Natasha Wright winning bronze medals.
Hull Judo Club was also represented by Kieran Denton, Harvey Green, Paul Rodley and Jack Marsham, all of whom fought well at the start of their competitive judo careers.
All players were a credit to the club and the coaching team are looking towards building on the Goole results as we move into 2010.
Kent International Judo Championships
Adam Mortimer recently returned from the Kent International Judo Championships with a Gold Medal to add to his growing number of medals. Representing Hull Judo Club Mortimer demonstrated some wonderful technical Judo as he made his way through to the final: these included winning his first two fights in a combined time of 9 seconds. Mortimer's Judo continued to flow throughout the day through to the final, which again he won with a perfect example of O-Ouchi-Gari into Ko-Uchi-Gari combination, despite the referee making a mistake at first when awarding the fight.
Club mate Jack Claxton fought well throughout the day to add another Bronze Medal to his collection. Claxton came up against some difficult opponents. However, he did show glimpses of the Judo excellence that has come to be expected of him.
Both Matthew Neal and Shannon Maltby showed great advances in their Judo. Neal fought well during his first set of fights, showing a massive improvement in both technical skill and in the thought processes of Judo. Sadly, after a long break before a second set of fights, Neal was unable to continue his previous winning form and after some hard, but very well fought fights, had to setting for coming away empty handed. Maltby, still a relative new comer to the Judo competition scene, demonstrated a new approach to competition and has started to look like a competitive Judoka. She had mixed fortune during the day, winning one of three fights, which meant that she also came away empty handed.
Jack Sawyers and Tom Booth fought in the same category during the day and both fought hard with some good results and some bad results. Sawyers progressed to fighting for the Bronze medal, but sadly after a momentary lapse of concentration lost out after a very close fight.
Also representing the club was Tamsin Hartley who again after showing some classic Judo lost out in the fight for the Bronze Medal.
The club's final fighter after a long weekend at the Crystal Palace National Sport Centre in London was Adam Sawyers. Adam fought well as he starts to make the transition from Junior and Youth Judo to Senior Judo and came across some experienced Judoka. He fought hard in his second fight which he was leading until his opponent executed an excellent example of O-Ouchi-Gaki.
All players fought well throughout the weekend at a difficult competition attended by international Judoka and were all a credit to the club.
MEDAL SUCCESS AT THE BRITISH SCHOOLS' CHAMPIONSHIPS
Six players from Hull Judo Club represented both the club and their schools at the British Schools' Judo Championships.
Tamsin Hartley (South Holderness Technology College) brought home gold after competing in a combined weight category. Showing a return to previous form she showed dominance in her group.
Jack Claxton (Kelvin Hall) fought well throughout the day to bring home the silver medal. Showing that he could use a range of Judo techniques, he made his way through to a tough final, where he only narrowly missed out on returning home as champion.
Sam Raper (South Holderness Technology College) had four fights on his way to returning with the bronze medal. He showed his ability in standing work but also in work from the floor. Starting the day with an injury, he showed a determination to succeed as the day progressed.
Also competing were Shannon Maltby (David Lister), Thomas Booth (South Holderness Technology College) and Jack Sawyers (Endeavour High School).
Maltby, fighting in a new category, came up against the eventual gold and silver medallists and despite coming home without winning a contest, showed a positive attitude towards her Judo throughout the day, an attitude that has the potential to eventually blossom into great things.
Sadly, both Sawyers and Booth were forced to retire from the competition due to injury. Before retirement Booth had fought well, coming up against club mate Claxton in the semi-final. Speaking for the club Peter Barley said "Booth's performance today was the best I have seen him fight".
Sawyers also fought well but came up against the eventual champion in his first contest, which rocked his plans and sadly, after his second fight, he was forced to withdraw through injury.
All players could be seen building on previous experiences and training and used the event as a stepping stone on the way to future competitions.
Annual Awards Celebration
Hull Judo Club has recently held its Annual Awards evening to celebrate achievements during 2008. The evening held at Ennerdale Sports Centre rewarded achievements both on and off the mat.
The awards were divided by age into the under 8s, 10s, 12s, 14s, 16s, 18s categories and then the senior players.
Awards were made for Novice of the Year which was for the best newcomer to the sport and also the Person of the Year Award to the player who has been outstanding in their own weight category .The Player of the Year award was given for achievements in competitions.
This year the awards went to the following people:
Novice of the Year: Deniss Samsonovs, Harriet Haynes, Jessica Baggaley and Laura Williams.
Person of the Year: Jack Towse, Kieran Malon, Fern Mortimer, Jack Sawyers, Meg Gibson-Gibbs and Gerald Barley
Player of the Year: Tegan Hartley, Shannon Maltby, Adam Mortimer, Adam Sawyers and Fay Horsfield.
The club also presents the Players Player award which is voted for by fellow club mates and this year this award went to Sam Raper.
The final award of the night for Club Person of the Year, awarded for exceptional contribution was given to Peter Barley. This was a reward for his work with the media, the coaches, the development of the club website and statistics.
Members of the club, coaches and club officials had a wonderful night as they celebrated all these achievements and looked towards the future.
Medal success for Hull Judo Club at Yorkshire and Humberside Championships
Hull Judo Club players Adam Sawyers, Jack Claxton and Tamsin Hartley brought home silver medals at the recent Yorkshire and Humberside Championships in Bradford with club mates Adam Mortimer, Sam Raper and Matthew Neal picking up bronze medals.
Sawyers, who fought hard throughout the competition, beat local rival Jack Smith of Haltemprice twice on his way to silver, which also saw him involved in a three way re-fight for the silver and bronze medals.
Sawyers showed an ability to use different techniques during his six fights.
Claxton started the day against club mate Jack Sawyers and using a variety of judo techniques made his way unbeaten to the final. He lost a hard fought final, but still returned home with another medal to add to his collection.
Hartley used some varied judo, showing potential, with a positive return after a time away from the sport.
Adam Mortimer fought well on his way to the semi-final, putting into practice techniques he has been working on, showing his ability to change his way of fighting and also his ability to react based on his opponents' fighting style. Mortimer fought well in the semi-final but was unable to fight 'his' fight against a tougher and stronger opponent and had to settle for the bronze medal.
Matthew Neal returned with a bronze medal after putting in a sterling effort and some positive judo whilst having to fight in a weight category above his normal fighting weight. Neal was both a credit to himself as well as to the club, with coaches from other clubs commenting on the technical ability which he demonstrated throughout his fights.
Sam Raper showed fighting spirit and determination throughout the competition, which mixed with some good Judo saw him returning to Hull with the bronze medal.
The club was also represented by Jack Sawyers, Thomas Booth and Tegan Hartley. These players fought well but on this occasion were both forced to return home empty handed.
In a good day for Hull Judo Club, all the players were a credit to the club and showed a passion and drive to succeed.
WELCOME RETURN FOR HART-FISHER
Jacob Hart-Fisher of Hull Judo Club made a welcome return to competitive Judo at the recent Goole Championships. Competing in the 'open' weight group, Jacob showed fighting spirit, along with a new lease of technical Judo, putting into practice ideas from training sessions. Winning all his five fights through a variety of standing and floor based techniques Jacob returned home with the Gold medal.
Oliver Postill in his first competition showed great ability. Winning one of three fights, but performing throughout the competition at a level not expected of a first time competitor. Oliver showed great technical Judo, sporting ability and a desire to do well.
Also competing for the first time where Olivia Nendick, Rheann Nendick, Jessica Baggaley and Harvey Green. They all performed well and were a credit to the club. Rheann and Jessica came away with Bronze medals, which is an excellent achievement for their first competition.
Tegan Hartley rounded off the clubs entry, fighting hard throughout the day, showing potential.
WELSH GOLD FOR CLAXTON AND MORTIMER!
Six members of Hull Judo Club travelled down to Cardiff to compete in the Welsh Age Banded Championships.
All players fought well and were a credit to the Club.
The weekend started with Adam Sawyers fighting in the U66kg category, winning his first two fights in quick time, firstly with a throw in 5 seconds and then with a strangle after 18 seconds. He then came up against two more experienced competitors which gave Adam more of an opportunity to show off his fighting skills. His third fight went into a "Golden Score" situation which he lost to a huge throw. In a difficult fourth fight, he fought well before being beaten by an impressive 10 point throw.
On Sunday the rest of the members fought. Matthew Neal in the U34kg had two hard contests against much more experienced players, and sadly was forced to retire from competition due to injury before being able to win a fight.
Shannon Maltby in under 44kgs fought hard throughout the day, yet disappointingly was unable to win any of four fights. Despite this she showed some good judo and levels of determination that will stand her in good stead as her judo career continues.
Jack Sawyers and Jack Claxton fought in the U50kg category, both players fighting for the first time in this weight group. Sawyers fought hard throughout, showing a refreshed fighting spirit, winning his first and third fights with impressive, well practiced techniques. In his second fight he showed some good technical ability, but sadly lost this fight on his way to collecting the bronze medal. Claxton won three consecutive fights to bring home the Gold medal. Showing his ability to use a range of techniques that have been practiced back at the club, and demonstrating his ability to assess and fight according to his opponent.
Adam Mortimer fighting in U66kgs had two fights on his way to Gold, winning his first fight by holding his opponent on the ground for 25 seconds and then winning his second fight with an superb example of the throw tai-O-toshi.
The club and players are now looking forward to competing in Walsall and St Helens in the coming weeks.
Sawyers and Mortimer take up places on England Squad Programme 2008-09
The Club's Adam Sawyers and Adam Mortimer have both been selected to join the England Squad Programme. The English Squad Programme is a development programme, which aims to prepare players for progression up the BJA's World Class Performance pathway, with the ultimate goal of winning medals at the Senior World Championships and Olympic Games.
The goals of the England Squad Programme are:
TO IDENTIFY young judo players with long term potential.
TO DEVELOP these judo players, both physically and mentally, by using the right training at the right time.
TO EQUIP these players with the skills, experience and knowledge needed to build a strong foundation for future achievements and long-term success.
The two Adams will now have the opportunity to train with the squad at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield and also the BJA's centre of excellence down in Dartford.
Hull Judo Club is pleased to have these players amongst their ranks, will continue to support their development and looks forward to seeing them reach their potential.
2008 British Championships
Adam Mortimer and Adam Sawyers returned home from the 2008 British Championships with Silver and Bronze medals respectively as part of a 10 member team from Hull Judo Club.
Mortimer, who has been competing for little over a year, showed confidence and determination to win his first three fights in the under 55kg category on his way to the final. Mortimer fought in such a way that meant you would not be aware that he was one of five members of the team to be competing for the first time at this level.
Sawyers had five fights on his way to picking up the under 69kg Bronze medal, coming up against the eventual champion in the third round. Showing a range of judo techniques Sawyers fought well throughout the day.
Thomas Booth and Jack Sawyers both fought in the under 46kg category, showing the determination that the club nurtures and both continue to show development in their judo. Sawyers showed a good range of technical ability; whilst Booth showed that he was able to build on one of the fundamentals of judo - the initial grips and stance.
Abigail Chambers came up against some difficult opposition as she returned from injury. Chambers showed signs of what the future holds when she has the opportunity to prepare fully for competition.
Meg Gibson-Gibbs showed great talent and positive thinking as she fought against much more experienced players.
Both Laura Williams and Shannon Maltby had difficult draws as they competed for the first time in a competition of this calibre and despite finishing the competition without a victory, showed much potential for next year.
Sadly, Fern Mortimer and Matthew Neal had to be withdrawn from the competition due to injuries.
All members of the team competed well and were a credit to the club, both on and off the competition arena, and the coaches are looking forward to next year as the team continues to grow and develop.
MEDAL HAUL AT KNOTTINGLY
Eleven players from Hull Judo Club took part in the Knottingley Festival of Judo. They returned home with ten medals. The results where:
In the Under 16's age band: Jack Claxton (under 46kg) - Gold, Adam Sawyers (under 66kg) - Silver, Thomas Booth (under 46kg), Adam Mortimer (under 55kg), Laura Williams (under 48kg), Shannon Moltby (under 44kg) and Meg Gibson (under 63kg) - Bronze.
In the Under 12's age band: Fern Mortimer (under 44kg) - Gold, Jennifer Tong (under 44kg) - Silver, Tegan Hartley (under 40kg) - Bronze.
Jack Claxton in a performance which demonstrated his growing ability to make the right decision during a fight, twice dominated fights against the national champion, losing the first controversially and winning when it mattered in the final. On his way to the final Jack defeated club mate Thomas Booth in the Semi-Final. Thomas worked had all day and stuck to the task in hand as he found his way to the bronze medal.
Adam Sawyers started the day in fine form as he won his first two fights in 30 and 24 seconds respectively. He continued to impress on his way to a hard fought final where he lacked the edge displayed in earlier fights.
Adam Mortimer in his first competition at this level fought in a manner which belied his inexperience and gave glimpses of what might be.
Laura Williams was another player taking a bow at this lievel fo rthe first time. Her first fight was against an international player. In a gritty performance she managed to last the full length of the fight. This set he tone for the rest of her fights.
Meg Gibson not to be out done in similar circumstances demonstrated a fighting spirit which will stand her in good stead in future competitions.
Shannon Moltby stepped up from under 12s to under 16s. She demonstrated great composure as she fought hard to start establishing herself at this level.
Fern Mortimer produced some find Judo as she continued the process of establishing herself as a competitive player. On her way to God she had a hard fought close battle with club mate Jennifer Tong who had demonstrated in her other fights that she was also making the grade as a competitive player.
Not to be out done Tegan Hartley also gave a sterling performance which bodes well for the future.
Sawyers: Multi Medal Winner
Adam Sawyers represented the club at the 12th Goole Senior and Youth Competition on the 15th June 2008.
Adam had 4 fights during the day resulting in a Gold medal in the Under 60kg category in the Youth competition and a Silver in the U66kg category in the Senior event.
His first three fights all lasted less than a minute and a half each. Adam won these fights with 10 point, fight winning throws, twice using his well practised Sode technique, and also using a Seoi-nage variant.
Adam showed a determination throughout the day, with good grip fighting and good speed.
In his final fight whilst outclassing his opponent and nearly winning with a drop Seoi-nage, a momentary lapse in concentration resulted in Adam being pinned to the floor by his opponent for a 10 point score.
In summing up the day, coach Helena Webster said "Its the best I've seen Adam fight".
Claxton takes up invitation
Jack Claxton continued to show his dominance of the Under 42kg category as he returned home with the Gold medal from the Goole Invitation Judo Championships. Showing good control and never looking in trouble he won all his fights with a contest winning Ippon score. Claxton showed good grip fighting as he moved in to show good examples of Tai-O-Toshi, O-Uchi-Gari and a leg sweep.
Team mates Thomas Booth and Sam Raper came home with Bronze medals. Booth in Under 46kgs showed great grip fighting and control as he won three of four contests. In his first fight he threw for a low point score and continued to fight on till the end of the fight to win. He won his second fight in convincing style with a great example of Tani-O-Toshi - a backwards throw for a 10 point Ippon score. After narrowly losing his third fight, he returned to winning form, as he showed good control and constant attacking to win on penalties after being very unlucky not to get a score.
Raper in Under 55kgs lost his first fight against a national medallist, despite getting his grips first and being the first to attack. He won his second fight in the first four seconds with Tai-O-Toshi, and lost his final fight in the final few seconds, after getting injured whilst he was ahead.
Jack Sawyers had a tough day as he entered a new weight category (Under 46kgs) and narrowly lost out for the Bronze medal. After winning his first fight with a Wazari hip throw, he lost his second fight with only 40 seconds to go after being in a winning position. In his final fight he lost after a momentary lapse of concentration. Sawyers showed good control throughout and demonstrated his ability to switch from fighting right handed to fighting left handed.
CLAXTON TOP OF THE CLASS AT BRITISH SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Four members of Hull Judo Club competed at the British Schools Judo - Simon Hicks Memorial Championships at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on 29th March.
Jack Claxton again showed his authority in the U42kg category to bring home another Gold medal to add to his growing collection, winning all his fights in convincing form with maximum ippon scores from a range of techniques, including his trademark leg grab.
Adam Sawyers in U66kg had a difficult day in a weight category full of high quality competitors. Despite showing a good range of techniques, on this occasion the opponents proved to be just too strong.
Jack Sawyers after three hard fought contests lost out for the Bronze medal in the U42kg category, to a well executed Te-guruma sacrifice technique, having shown a determined effort in his previous fight to get an ippon with an O-uchigari.
Thomas Booth (U46kg) came up against some very difficult competitors, narrowly losing his first fight, winning his second fight with the Te-gurumasacrifice throw before being beaten in his final fight.
All the players did the club proud in their attitude to the event and their determination to succeed.
Players continue to bring home medals - The Durham Judo Championships.
Six players took part in the Durham Judo Championship on the 22nd March at the Spennymoor Leisure Centre, with all players fighting well and showing continued development.
Adam Sawyers rubber stamped his return to form by winning all his fights in convincing form to return home with the Gold medal in the Under 66Kg category. Adam showed continuing advancement in his Judo, putting into practice techniques, attitudes and ways of approaching contests which he had been focusing on recently during training. During the competition Adam used a wide variety of techniques including Te-guruma, Seoinage and O-uchi-gari.
Jack Claxton (U42Kg) returned home triumphant again, to continue his Gold medal winning form. Jack continued to show his technical prowess and his ability to adapt his way of fighting to the situation at hand. Jack won his second fight with a three technique combination, which started with a pickup followed by an attempt at Uchi-mata before finally throwing his opponent for Ippon with a leg grab.
Jack's first fight was against Jack Sawyers, who despite losing twice came away with the bronze medal. Sawyers won his first fight in 'Golden Score' (after the score was tied at the end of the two minute fight). Sawyers showed a calmer and more focused attitude to the days competition.
In the under 40Kg category Shannon Maltby fought well in three tough fights to add another Bronze to her medal haul. Shannon won her first contest with an impressive example of the Hari-Goshi leg sweep technique.
Thomas Booth had a very tough day of competition as he tries to establish himself in his new weight category of under 46Kgs. Despite coming up against players who where both larger and more experienced Tom showed good grip fighting and demonstrated that he was thinking about his Judo.
Benjamin Wong as our youngest player on the day continues to build on previous competition experience as he finds his feet in the competition arena. Ben fought well in what proved to be a higher calibre competition of than those he has fought in before.On the Gold Run
12 players spanning the clubs membership were at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford on the 9th March for the Yorkshire and Humberside Individual Closed Championships.
Joshua Williams(U38K), Etain Hampshire (Over 44K) - who was forced to retire early due to injury and Sam Raper (U55K) all put in good performances, but failed to produce a win in what turned out to be a tough and hard fought competition.
6 players brought home Bronze medals; Benjamin Wong (U34K) had a mixed day, winning two fights and losing two. Ben continues to show potential and is building well on previous competition experience. Jade Dunn (U44K) had three very hard fought fights, including one against club mate Fern Mortimer. Jack Sawyers (U42K) came back from a quick loss in his first fight and a loss to team mate Jack Claxton in his second fight, to win his last two fights, the first with a hold down and his last fight with an Ippon scoring pick up technique. Shannon Maltby (U40K) pinned her opponent in her third fight for an Ippon score, after coming back from disappointing losses in her first two fights. Thomas Booth (U46K) had a difficult day in a tough weight category. After showing continued development both on the ground and in standing techniques he won two of his four fights, fighting with passion throughout the day. Abigail Chambers (U70K) won a very strong contest to start the day, and then came up against some heavier ladies, which resulted in two defeats in very hard fought contests.
Adam Sawyers (U66K) won two of three fights to return home with the Silver medal, winning his first fight in 15 seconds with a superb pickup techniqueand winning his final fight with a good example of Seoi-toshi.
Fern Mortimer (U44) and Jack Claxton (U42) both fought well, and showed progression in their competition fighting to come away with Gold medals. Fern won three of four fights with a particularly convincing victory in her final fight, demonstrating a throw for Wazari, which resulted in Kesa-Gatame, which she held on for a second Wazari to win the contest. Jack continued his winning form after the St. Helen's competition again showing some good technical judo, but also including good use of groundwork techniques to win two of his contests with the Kesa-Gatami hold down, finishing the day undefeated.
CLAXTON BRINGS HOME GOLD
Jack Claxton (U42 Kilos), Jack Sawyers (U42 Kilos), Thomas Booth (U42 Kilos) and Adam Sawyers (U60 Kilos) took part in the North West Age Banded Championships at St Helens. Jack Sawyers continues to make progress at this level of competition. Although he did not win any of his fights he demonstrated plenty of enthusiasm and determination. Thomas Booth managed to put on a creditable performance, losing both his fights by the narrowest of margins, but demonstrating his potential to become a force to be reckoned with at this level of competition. Jack Claxton produced a performance which involved some excellent technical and winning judo. He managed to win all his fights convincingly with Ippon scores; this meant all his five fights finished before the allotted time. He went on and deservedly won the Gold medal finishing the day as Champion. Adam Sawyers started well by winning his first fight, but things did not go to plan after that as he lost his second fight. He then went on to win his next fights. Losing his fifth fight of the day put him out of the competition. His performance was good in light of the fact that this competition marked his return from injury.
HULL JUDO CLUB CELEBRATE.
We held our annual awards evening at the Ennerdale Sports Centre in celebration of another successful year.
It is good to know that we have about 100 active players of all ages, including some in the veterans category.
The awards were presented across the full range of ages and abilities showing our strength in depth.
Awards were made as follows:
Novices of the year - Patrick Heywood, Alexander King, Jade Dunn, Adam Mortimer, Ryan Marrazza, Fay Horsfield
People of the year - Eamon West, Benjamin Wong, Shannon Maltby, Thomas Booth, Meg Gibson Gibbs, Abigail Chambers, Peter Barley
Players of the year - Andrew Towse, Matthew Neal, Jack Claxton, Gareth Parr, John Schofield
Players player of the Year - Adam Sawyers.
Club Person of the Year. - Yvonne Brown & Janet Webster.
The Awards Ceremony highlighted to everybody that Hull Judo Club is a caring family club.
Gareth Parr took the microphone to give an unexpected speech, giving his personal thanks to the Club, its coaches, its players and its larger family for supporting him during his ongoing chemotherapy treatment and for the fundraising event which raised substantial funds to assist his family. In an emotionally charged speech, Gareth thanked all the players for getting him to peak fitness, which assisted him during his operation and in his recovery.
The evening also included the Annual General Meeting with reports from the Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Membership Secretary. Three items were highlighted:
- The Chair spoke of the Bronze Club Mark Award gained not only for the way the Club managed its business but also the execellence of the coaching staff and their work.
- The Membership Secretary reported very good regular attendances at training sessions and paid tribute to the wonderful support received from parents. The Treasurer detailed the club's healthy finances.
- The Chair then advised the meeting that the club is near to gaining the Silver Club Mark Award and also gave information that in October 2009 the Club will have been in existence for 25 years. A major celebration will mark this event and a team is being put together to organise events to celebrate this milestone.