Bungay Taekwon-do Club News

Another successful medal haul was brought back from the 2008 GTUK British Taekwondo Championships at the weekend, although there were more bronze medals than before the fact that students had fought so hard to achieve a medal at all was recognised.

14 competitors from Bungay Taekwondo do club based at Bungay High School travelled the 175 miles to Stratford Upon Avon in order to compete at the largest ever GTUK event and standards and competition were again really high.

Students who won bronze medals for sparring were Rushanth Patirakiri (aged 16) Logan Bedingfield (19) Mark Porter (27) Nicole Sommerville (16) and Club Instructor Clinton Gillett (36) George Crickmore (14) won a Bronze for Patterns, whilst Clinton also achieved a Silver medal in the Senior Black Belt patterns division.

Freya Dodd (16) gained a fantastic silver medal for sparring in her 1st black belt event, only having gained her black belt last weekend.

Fiona Larter (36) once again proved her dominance in the ladies sparring event and achieved a thoroughly deserved gold medal.

All the other competitors only very narrowly missed out on a medal having often got through several rounds before being knocked out. Daniel Ferridge (14) was especially unlucky to come 4th!

Clinton Gillett the club instructor and Director of Design Technology at the High School said “the achievements of those at the championships reflect the diligence, commitment and talent that is apparent in the club, everyone supports everyone else and there is a really friendly atmosphere which is always commented on by other instructors from around Great Britain.”

Now is a great time to get fit for summer so if you would like to see the club train or have a go at this Olympic martial art come along to the high school on Tuesday or Thursday evenings from 7pm or contact Clinton Gillett on 07970 664965 for further details.

Freya Dodd aged 16 from Beccles has become the 3rd black belt to graduate from Bungay Taekwondo club after passing her gruelling black belt examination at the weekend.

Freya put in a 120% effort throughout the 8 hour GTUK grading held in Coventry in the Midlands. She has been training at Bungay Taekwondo Club based at Bungay High School for nearly 4 years and started in the free Wednesday class run as part of the schools extra curricular programme for students at the school.

Clinton Gillett the club instructor and head of Design Technology at the school said that “Standards at the grading were very high and Freya shone over the other juniors taking their grading”, this was reinforced when one of the senior grading examiners came up to me at the end and asked if she was one of my students and when I replied positively he said that Freya was the best student he saw grade all day!

Saturday, 9 February 2008

Bungay Taekwon-do Club participated in the East Anglia inter-club competition, held in Raunds, Northants, 2008.

A fantastic result at the end of the long day saw Bungay finish a creditable runner-up to Wellingborough, beating the much larger towns of Northampton, Kettering, Boston and Raunds.

A club spokesman said: “Well done to everyone who entered or supported the club. It was a great day with a good team ethos and ended in a super result.”

Results: Sparring patterns:
Chloe Florido, junior 5th-1st kup silver
Elliott Ross, junior 10th-5th kup bronze, silver
Amy Barker, adult 5th-1st kup silver, silver
Ivy Lau, adult 5th-1st kup gold
Nicole Somerville, junior 5th-1st kup gold
Kerri Warman, junior 10th-5th kup gold
Lianne Hatcher, junior black belt gold
Ryan Hatcher, adult 3rd -1st kup, bronze, gold
Rushanth Patirakiri, junior 10th-5th kup gold, gold
Mark Porter, adult 10th-5th kup bronze
Adam Casey, junior 10th-5th kup silver
Gary Peck, male veteran gold
Fiona Larter, adult 5th-1st kup gold
Clare Sloan, adult 10th-5th kup silver, gold

Commiserations went to George Crickmore, Freya Dodd, Petitia and Rory Larter and Jordan Peck who all were fantastic competitors but just missed out on medals.

Thanks also went to great supporters, Mrs Casey and Kevin, Mickey for driving one of the buses and Martin Sloan for excellent impartial refereeing (also Lianne).