THE Mizukara Karate team from Ards and North Down secured 11 titles at the Ulster Karate Federation’s Open Championships in Donegal at the weekend.
The team also claimed 10 silvers and nine bronze medals at the event.
The top performer for the team was Megan Benson from Bangor. Megan won gold in her individual kata, age 14-15 team rotation kumite (sparring) with her training partner Freya Grindle, and gold in team rotation age 16-17. Finally, Megan added silver in the team kata with Harrison Stitt and bronze in her individual kumite.
Her sister Rachel proved that she is constantly improving by winning her individual Juraken, taking silver in team rotation kumite with teammates Helena and Sydney Murdoch, and adding a bronze in her individual kumite.
Helena then personally added two more gold medals for each of her individual kata and kumite, and three silvers, one in the family kata with her brother Harrison. Sydney added a gold in her individual kata and two more silvers, one in her step-up kata and another in another in a second team rotation event with teammate Helena. Freya added to her personal collection with a bronze in her individual kata event.
In the cadet boys events Harrison shone. In addition to the two silvers in team kata, he claimed gold in his kata, gold in team rotation kumite and a bronze in individual kumite. His teammate Ben Ritchie, from Newtownards, took the full set, gold in his individual kata, gold in team kata with Amy Adair and Levi Kane, silver in his sanbon kumite, and bronze in ippon kumite.
In the junior boys individual kata event Lewis Grindle brought home another bronze medal for the team.
In the adult sections, in addition to their team kata gold Amy, Levi and Kath Stevenson took silver in team rotation kumite. Then Amy followed up a silver in her Sanbon kumite losing out to world champion Lily Sheeran in the final, and adding another bronze in her Ippon kumite.
Kath added silver in both her ippon and sanbon kumite events. Finally, Levi added two more bronze to the team’s collection in both of her individual kumite events.
Newcomer Phoenix Murdoch gave spirited performances but did not make the medals on this occasion.
Mizukara karate clubs are based in Ards, Holywood and Bangor. For more information about karate for all and Tai Chi for adults’, please contact David on 07760 337578 or message Mizukara on Facebook.
