November will be a busy month! As well as teaching the new patterns to our recently promoted students from October’s grading we’ll be getting our competitiors ready for the GTI British Open Championships on November 22nd. Please speak to your instructors if you are interested in competing at this one.

We have a Squad Training session on Saturday 7th November at 2pm where we will be focused on competition prep but this is also great training for any of our sparrers even if not competing.

For our senior grades we have also been invited to join the training hosted by BLTSA on 14th November in Cambridge. All blue belts and above should have received an email about this. Please let us know if you are planning to attend.

Please check the Club Newsletter and Members’ private group on Facebook for latest news updates, as well as dates and entry deadlines relating to gradings, squad training and tournaments.

After a Covid-enforced break of two years, Summer Camp is back. It takes place on the weekend of 12th to 14th August, and is hosted by our sister club, TSA, in Kent. Full details on the Club Newsletter.

Congratulations to Miss Daisy Johnson (3rd dan) and Dimitri Perricos (2nd kup) who have both been selected for the BUTL national squad.

What a marvellous day at the GTI English Open Championship. We won six medals; three silver and three bronze. Congratulations to our medal-winners: Mr Oxley and Dylan Walker won silver in continuous sparring, Keslyn Nawrattel won silver in point-stop sparring, Ollie Verrian won bronze in continuous sparring, Keslyn also won bronze in patterns, as did Tobias Carter, who was competing in first tournament.

Congratulations to our award winners;

Most Improved Student – Tobias Carter, Perseverance – Lili Butler, Leadership – Lulu Oram-Tooley, Student of the Year – Rachel Nawrattel.

Due to Covid and the lack of competitive Tae Kwon Do, there was no patterns award, no sparring award and no Competitor of The Year award.

We took a much depleted squad at the GTI British Open Championship but it was great to be back! Due to Covid, this was our first tournament since February 2020 and we had a fun day.  Dylan Walker won silver in sparring and Keslyn Nawrattel won bronze in sparring.

Following the black belt grading at TSA in Sittingbourne, we’re delighted to announce the following promotions: Miss Daisy Johnson is promoted to third degree black belt – ¨ Miss Nicole Oxley is promoted to first degree black belt -¨ Mr Will Oxley is promoted to first degree black belt. The award for The Best In Grading was won by Miss Johnson (her third black belt grading award).

Congratulations to all our annual award winners. Here’s the Roll of Honour;

Theory: Monty Warner, Perseverance: Gethyn Jones, Most Improved Student: Sam North (junior grades) & Harry Collins (senior grades), Best New Student: Scarlett Mann-Smith, Top Ninja (5 to 7 year olds class): Freddie Porter, Student of The Year: Tyla Nawrattel. Well done too, to all those who received an attendance award for continuing to train online during the lockdowns.

Due to the pandemic there is no Competitor of The Year Award, Sparring Award or Patterns Award.

What a performance from the squad: nine competitors shared 12 medals, comprising three gold, eight silver and one bronze.

Daniel Lee – gold in sparring and gold patterns; Will Oxley – gold in sparring and silver in patterns; Tyla Nawrattel – silver in patters and bronze in sparring; Dylan Walker – silver in sparring; Will Bryan – silver in sparring; Melissa Oxley – silver in patterns; Nicole Oxley – silver in patterns; Daisy Johnson – silver in patterns; Rachel Nawrattel – silver in patterns.