Newsletter #05 - 7 December 2009

2009 Quickly Coming to a Close

2009 has continued to be a successful year for Karatedo Shitokai NZ, acheiving very good results in most of the competions that students took part in. Although we may not have acheived all the results we were looking for, just being part of the qualifying team is a real acheivement in itself and I for one am grateful that I have had the opportunity to know, and at times, trained with some of these people. More detail can be read further down this newsletter, covering WSKF Champs in China and the Junior World Champs in Morocco and finally closing with an extract from Sensai Bob.

In October, Ann and I spent a week training with Sensai Bob and had the opportunity of also attending one of the club nights. With the Dan grading due very shortly, getting kata and technique right is critical. Just by changing a movement can make all the difference.

Next year is already shaping up to be an exciting year, with more competitions and I suspect some inter-club training opportunities given some of the relationships Sensai Bob has established this year.

As for Shitokai New Zealand (Palmerston North), it is back up to Whangarei  to meet up with Sensai Bob and for the 2009 1st Kyu and Dan Gradings. If it is anything like last year, it should be a bit of fun and provide a some excitment. Enjoy the Christmas / New Year break where we will be back for 2010.

WORLD SHITORYU KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, CHINA 2009

Karatedo Shitokai NZ, who are the NZ representatives for the World & Asian Pacific Shitoryu Karatedo federations, took a small team to the WSKF Champs in Beijing, China in August this year. The WSKF champs are held every three years in different parts of the World (similar to the WKF World Champs) and this year Beijing was selected to be the host country. Karatedo Shitokai took 6 people, 4 competitors Nicky Roberts, Matthew Baird, Matt Burns & Aaron Springford with Bob Dalton and Murray Burns as coaches. Bob Dalton was also headed the delegation.

The World Shitoryu Champs attract a huge field, particularly the Youth tournament (6 to 18 years) which allows unlimited entries from each countryand as all of our team was under 18, this is the division Karatedo Shitokai NZ competed in. The WSKF is a very large International organisation and there were well over 1500 entries in the various divisions with the senior divisions being limited to 2 per country per event. For instance, Venezuala and Khazakstan had over 150 entries each with China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Iran, a very strong karate country.

Kata was first, Nicky Roberts and Matthew Baird both competed in the 17-18 years category. Matthew did very well, winning bronze (as a matter of interest there were no repecharges, meaning you had to reach the semi finals to win a medal), against a big field. He had some good wins including against Hungary, who looked particularly good in training. However, Matthew performs good Shitei Kata and his Seinchin was too good for Hungary , winning 4-1. Matthew reached the semifinals, finally gaining the Bronze medal.

Aaron Springford went out first round in both Kumite and kata, but this was an experience trip for him and he performed very well in  most competitive divisions. Likewise Matt Burns, who was particularly unlucky to

lose his first fight after being up 4-3 with 10 seconds to go.

Nicky Roberts won Silver in the Female 17-18 years kata. Nicky has been improving steadily all this year and her selection as the NZ Junior Woman kata representative in Morocco has given her even more of an incentive to keep improving. Nicky was desperately unlucky not to win in the final against China, after really working hard in the preliminary rounds. Nicky beat Chinese Taipei, an excellent performer, with Seinchin against  Seinchin 4-1,  Hong Kong 5-0 with Suparinpei against Nipaipo and in the semi final beating Venezuela, the pre tournament favourite (everyone was saying Venezuela was the one to beat) 4-1 using Chatanyara Kushanku against Suparinpei. Nicky went down 4-1 Tomari Bassai to Chatanyara Kushanku to China.

Sensai Bob, along with his students can be very proud of the acheivements.

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, MOROCCO 2009

Karatedo Shitokai NZ also had a hand in the NZ Team which recently competed at the World Champs in Morocco. New Zealand finished 18th on the Medal table out of 82 countries and over 1300 competitors. The 16 strong NZ team has become the most successful at a WKF world championships.

Team Results:

* Chris Rahardja (Auckland)     Silver Junior Male Kata

* Letitia Carr (Wellington)         Bronze 18-20yr U60kg Female Kumite

* Marina Monk (Auckland)         5= Junior U59kg Female kumite

* Kosei Higurashi (North Shore Auckland) won the first two rounds of cadet male kata losing in the 3rd round

* Nicky Roberts (Whangarei) Bye in the first round, won the second in the Junior female kata losing in the 3rd round

* William Wood (North Shore) Auckland won the first round 3-0 over Poland lost the 2nd round 2-1 to Ireland with the winning Irish point coming from a second contact penalty

* James Grace (Hamilton) won the first round coming from behind with a great 3-point Mawashi geri to take the match 4-3. He lost to France but as the French competitor made the final James had another chance through the repocharge system. Unfortunately he lost to Morocco in a hard fought match

* Sarah Bryant (Hamilton) won the first round in kumite (under 54kg Female Cadets)

* Letitia Carr (Wellington) picked up New Zealands first medal winning bronze in the under 60kg 18-20yr female kumite division topping off a great year with a Silver at the world games in Taiwan in July

* Chris Rahardja (North Shore Auckland) was 2nd in the Junior Kata (16-17yrs) NZ's first kata medal in WKF competition. An unfortunate brain block meant the he was unable to finish his kata in the final, gifting the gold medal to Japan

* Kosei Higurashi (North Shore Auckland) won two rounds of kata to make the third round which made him only the 3 NZ male to win through a round in WKF kata competition

* Marina Monk (North Shore Auckland) won against Japan 4-3 in a close match to get into the 3rd round after having a bye in the first round. She lost to Belgium in overtime 3-0 after letting in an ura mawashi geri. Belgium went on to the final giving Marina a chance for Bronze through the repocharge system. Beating Germany got her a step closer. Ahead of the Netherlands 1-0 with 16 seconds to go Marina lost her footing after excellent pressure from the Netherlands while she was down she received a mawashigeri to the face which resulted in the Netherlands being disqualified. An unfortunate end to a well fought bout. This set her up for the bronze medal match against the USA after some excellent work from the doctors. Unfortunately she lost in over time but received 5= in the under 59kg division

Message from Sensei Bob Dalton

Here we are again, December 2009 and where has the year gone? Another big year for Karatedo Shitokai NZ, with many, many highs and unfortunately a few lows. The biggest disappointment of course was Nicky's result in Morocco. We went with high and reasonable expectations, but it was not to be. Nicky trained magnificently and looked tremendous going into the tournament, with no illness or injuries. However it was not to be. Nicky made the final 8, but needed one more round to gain a World ranking. I am convinced that will happen in the near future and Nicky, to her credit, has already declared that she wishes to compete at the highest level again and so we have already targeted the female kata spot at the Senior World Champs in Belgrade, Serbia next year.

The serious illness I suffered from immediately on my return did not help things. It was finally diagnosed as having Legionnaires disease, commonly picked up from faulty airconditioning units.

My congratulations to all the successful gradees to blue belt the other night. You are all looking good, and giving it 100% which is all I can ask. The next grading is the small group trying for second kyu next monday night, then a few lower gradings in the last week of club.

However the big one is Saturday 12th December when Nicky, Murray and Dave Nuku from our Palmerston North club, all work for their Nidans and Aaron and Matt Redfern try for 1st kyu. The gradings start at 10am and is open to supporters and club members so if you want to see some very good Karate come along and watch.

Well that is it for this year and time for everyone to have a break and return next year fully recharged, although our elite competitors will start again on 7th January for another big year.

Sensei Bob Dalton

Regards Dave Nuku