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2023 in review

nataliebottcher

As we slowly come towards the end of 2023 looking back on this year and  what  an incredible year of training,  gradings, seminars and competitions we have all had, the improvement we have all achieved is outstanding! I’m so proud of every member at Sonchō Karate Club and grateful for all the support we received from senior instructors who travelled all the way to Gloucestershire this year to share their knowledge with us. I would also like to say a massive thanks to all our amazing parents, grandparents and everyone who has supported us this year - Sonchō Karate Club is your club and you make it great!


Kyu Gradings

We had 2 kyu gradings this year, everyone worked incredibly hard in preparation for these. Extra training sessions and mock gradings allowed everyone to test themselves under pressure and provided us with constructive feedback. It was the best reward for me to see everyone successfully passed their belt test.


Seminars

As you all know, I always say train with everyone and anyone. This year myself and Maryse have been to seminars in Guildford, Liverpool, Basingstoke, Dundee, Cambridge, Faversham, Winchcombe, Bristol, Blackwater, Oxford, Brighton and Birmingham, many times more than once a month! I will need a new karate licence next year as I’m running out of space to record these!

 

We also hosted several seminars in Cheltenham and it was fantastic to see that these were always well attended! We are very lucky to have such great support network of senior instructors, and we are already planning a few dates for 2024. Very exciting!


Competitions

It has been an incredibly busy year full of competitions, EKA Open, GB Open, Ireland Open, Wales Open, WUKF World Championships, to name just a few, as well as national and regional squad training sessions.

 

Very proud of every single one of you who represented Sonchō Karate Club at the HDKI Nationals. Everyone pushed themselves out of their comfort zones and performed in front of hundreds of people.

 

FairFight Kata Buddies was a great success and I am pleased to say that this will be our annual event. The funds we raise every year will go towards different FairFight projects, supporting girls and women from challenging backgrounds in Zimbabwe, Zambia and India.


We finish off 2023 in style!

We held a special fun Christmas session in Gloucester and 2 martial arts presentation and training sessions in Cheltenham. Lars Sensei shared some of his knowledge with us at our Balcarras dojo where we learned how the most subtle movements can transmit and absorb the energy from the attacker. We worked on flow by learning CHI no KATA, we explored different locks and throws and of course we had an opportunity to work (slowly and safely!!) with weapons where we disarmed the attacker. And I learned that for an attack to be effective you need to be more like water :-)


Annual Awards

Congratulations to:


Sophie - our student of the year at Abbeydale dojo

Sophie, your commitment to training this year has been phenomenal and I want to thank you for being such a great student and an inspiration to all at Abbeydale dojo.


Eliza - the student of the year at Balcarras dojo.

Eliza, your dedication to training and support you give everyone at Balcarras dojo has been outstanding. You’re a delight to share the sessions with!


Charlie - our senior student of the year.

Charlie is the most curious member who will challenge me in ways that no one else does and this unique approach helps me develop my own karate. Thank you Charlie, keep those questions coming.



What will 2024 bring?

Next year will be a little special for our club as we will have a few attempting their Dan gradings, these are scary but with consistency comes excellence. We will have extra weekly training sessions which will concentrate purely on Shodan, Nidan and Sandan syllabus. They say, train with the best and learn from them, therefore we have arranged special training sessions with other karate clubs to complement our training.


Sonchō Karate has signed a community agreement with No Child Left Behind and I am really looking forward to working with the local communities, clubs and organisations supporting children and families in 2024.


As usual, you can come to train at both dojos, and there will be plenty of opportunities to attend seminars and competitions. See our events page, more dates will be published later.


Last but not least, you may be aware that Sonchō Karate Club is a not-for-profit club, and all funds raised are invested back in our members and the local community. You can help us and support our cause by signing up to easyfundraising and everytime you shop online the retailer you shop with will send us a free donation based on your spending and with no additional cost to you (it really does not cost you a penny). See the video how it works here. Any funds raised help us provide equipment, workshops, social events, opportunities to compete in local, national competitions - all funded by the club's resources. These opportunities support our members and local communities to build confidence, personal growth, mental and physical health, build social skills, new relationships and connections.


Have a wonderful Christmas break and I shall see you on

  • Friday 5th January at Abbeydale dojo 

  • Saturday 6th January at Balcarras dojo   


OSU,

Natalie

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