Christmas is over for another year, and the new years resolutions have been made. If yours include getting fit or losing some weight, then the Kesgrave and Northgate Karate Club can help. Karate helps to keep you fit, and the regular exercise can help burn off that seventeenth helping of Christmas pudding. We hold regular classes in the Kesgrave area and at Northgate school, including specific classes for ladies and children – see below for details. Everyone is welcome, just turn up and wear loose fitting clothing.

The club has been very busy over the Christmas period. We attended a number of competitions, and took home a good share of the trophies. Winners included Bill Williams, Steve Holland, Hardeep Minhas, Mary-Anne Sherwood-Clarke, plus Joshua and Graham Hunt, all from the Kesgrave area. We are becoming a real hot spot of Karate Talent! Some of our team are pictured below, with club sponsor Graham Leach, of Im-Press Promotions Ltd. Graham (on the right) can be seen shaking hands with EKKA National champion Gerry Turner.

Other events included our annual Christmas Dinner at the Marlborough Hotel, Ipswich (chops were not on the menu!), and a grading session at Northgate School on December 22^nd. The results were as follows:

12th Kyu- Red Belt: J Bolton, M Corrigan, C Corrigan, R Steel, M Hare,

R Archer, S Aherne, S Williams, L Anderson, A Anderson, H Evans, D

Aherne, L Chilver, V Breadman (Distinction), K Jeffrey, F. Rostron, D

Cowell,(Distinction) O Evens, J Edwards, T Castle, G Hunt, D Grinham, C Dundas, O

Smith, S Chilver, C Dadson, B Rostron, H Rostron, N Williams, S

Suchocki, S Francis-Graham.

11th Kyu-Yellow Belt: J Aldous, B Frank, L Claydon, S Daines, H Odam,

E Whitmore, V Revell, L Baker, D Earl, C Gissing, A Moseley, A Stagg,

N Chima, K Chima, [mother & daughter], M Davies, J Sach, T Hayfield,

S Ellis, M Howe.

10th Kyu- Yellow Belt - Orange tab: M Russell, T Russell, A Russell, [father, son & daughter] 3 Clarke, B Golding, C McAlister, T McAlister (brother & sister) A Tooth, M Quinton, C Bugg, S Buck, P Castle, A Dewar, G Bones, J Moseley, P Kimberly.

9th Kyu-Orange Belt: T Smith, C Grant, K Spall, J Eustace, J Hayfield. A Bassingthwaigthe, D Lea, C Brook, D Brook, [father & son] R Kimberly, S Burrows, J Cornforth, S Bryan, P Summers, S Ledieu.

8th Kyu-Orange Belt-Green Tab: J Saddler, H Saddler, [brothers] D

Summers, D Jessop, B Grinell, M Cornell, R Kay, T Hazelton, I

Temoleton.

7th Kyu-Green belt: B Keeling,

6th Kyu-Green belt-blue tab: S Colver, P Mole,

M Sherwood-Clarke, (Distinction). P Garcia, L Garcia [father & daughter]

K Douglas, J Wilding, P Harris [see next section for his son]

5th Kyu-Blue belt: J Harris, L Cooper, D Alley (Distinction), J Hunt, M Holland.

4th Kyu-Purple belt: P Leczycki, L Steed.

Congratulations to all those who passed the grading, and commiserations to those who failed.

Karate is a great sport for all the family. From the grading results above, you can see there are a good number of family entries, including mums and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and sons. Karate is one of the few sports where the whole family can take part, in a friendly, non-competitive environment.

We meet at the following times

Tuesdays – Heath School, Bell Lane, Kesgrave

Kesgrave Juniors 6:30 – 7:30PM

Kesgrave Ladies 7:30 – 8:30PM (Karate and self defense)

Wednesdays – Northgate Sports Centre, Ipswich

All 7:00 – 8:00PM

Thursdays – Gorseland School, Deben Avenue, Martlesham

Kesgrave Juniors 6:00 – 7:00PM

Sundays – Northgate Sports Centre, Ipswich

All 11:00AM – 12:00

Our instructors are Bill Williams, and the EKKA national champion Gerry Turner. If you would like any further information, feel free to call Bill, or email me at the address below. Alternatively, come along to a lesson to watch or participate, and meet some new friends. Just turn up, and wear loose fitting clothing!

Contacts

Wishing you a happy and prosperous new year, from all at the Karate club.

© Dave Alley, Kesgrave and Northgate Karate Club, 2001.