Thundersley karate club going from strength-to-strength

Three Stock Shotokan Karate Club members entered the Kaizen Cup Karate Competition in Ilford, with all finishing in the top three in each of their individual events.

Winning first place in the Kyu grade kata event was 16-year-old Eliose Platt, while

Sensei Adam Purkiss won a silver medal for the black belt kata event and 17-year-old Samuel Campbell came third in the mens kumite.

The Under-16s Shotokan Tigers came away with 12 medals in a particularly successful event at South Woodham Ferrers.

In the white, orange and red belt kata event, eight-year-old Henri Goddard won gold, nine-year-old Lucie Smith won silver and Connor Coleman, aged six, took bronze.

In the yellow, purple and white belt category, nine-year-old Skye Taylor won the gold medal and also won a silver in the Under 10`s Ippon Kumite, along with Henri Goddard who came third.

Annalisa Marano, 15, won a silver medal in the black belt kata event and also won a silver in the 12-15 years Ippon kumite event, with Lee Brittney 12, taking bronze in the same event.

The Stock team kata of 15-year-old Bethany King, Harry Russell, 14, and Lee won third place medals.

It was a weekend to remember for Sensei Adam Purkiss as well as he passed his 5th Dan grading with flying colours.

The 41-year-old is now the youngest karate-ka in the KUGB organisation in Essex to have achieved this prestigious award.

And Chief Instructor and founder of Stock SKC Sensei Terry Irving was full of praise for his efforts.

“There is a lot of preparation that goes into taking this high grade in the Karate Union of Great Britain,” he said. “Adam has had to attend many courses over the last few years as well as being a member of the Central Region Kata Squad.

“He also had to write and submit a 2,000 word thesis which he did on Teaching Karate to Children. He deserves his success.”

Anyone interested in starting karate can phone Ann Purkiss on 01702 557 874 or visit the club’s website at stockskc.co.uk.