A squad of eight CUKC karateka travelled to Sheffield for the BUCS Karate Championships on 15-16 February. Fresh from a new sponsorship with Blitz, the team arrived with new gis, bags and pads, ready for the first major competition of the year.
Day one - kata
Emma opened in Novice Women’s Individual Kata, alternating Heian Yondan and Heian Godan on her way to the semi-finals against the previous year’s champion. She came home with a fantastic bronze medal.
Yusuf competed in Intermediate Men’s Individual Kata and progressed through several rounds with Kosokun Sho and Bassai Dai. In the final on the centre tatami he performed Jyuroku against Jion, narrowly taking silver and gaining even more motivation to pursue gold next time.
The senior category was fiercely contested. Nirmay exited in the first round, while Li Sen, Lukas and Rose progressed. Lukas advanced another round before the high standard brought CUKC’s senior campaign to a close. The club ended day one with two medals and a strong team spirit.
Day two - kumite
Nirmay won his opening matches through controlled gyaku-zuki scoring and reached the semi-final, where he lost to the eventual champion. A final, high-scoring repechage fight against an Oxford rival left him just short of the podium but provided valuable Varsity preparation.
Yusuf, Callum, Lukas, Rose and Liz all met tough opposition. Lukas took a tight first-round win before facing an experienced fighter; Rose entered repechage after drawing a finalist, and Liz showed great perseverance throughout her bout.
Thanks and medals
Congratulations to medallists Emma and Yusuf, and to the whole squad for its resilience. Special thanks go to Sensei Ken for coaching across several tatamis, to Blitz for outfitting the squad, and to Emma for photographing the team in action.