South Brent Judo Club

Fifteen South Brent Judo Club players excelled at the recent Western Area Age Band Championships held at Weston-super-Mare.

Unusually the cadets were first onto the mat. Cerys Callard (under-40kg) fought up a weight group and came away with a well-deserved silver medal. Kolya Schwinge (U66kg) and Adam Whitfield (U73kg) fought brilliantly in very competitive groups and finished just outside the medals. Libby Daymond (U57kg) showed great determination and won a bronze. Lewis Widdicombe and Max Gregory both fought in the U81kg ­category, with Max gaining a bronze and Lewis a silver.

Next came the turn of the pre-cadets. Josh Shipp (U42kg) won three out of his four fights to win bronze. Pierre Michelin (U66kg) also won bronze. Adam Vosper (U46kg) and Cordelia Gregory (U57kg) both won all their fights and therefore golds.

Finally came the A bands. Jamie Shipp (U30kg) won a bronze, as did Zoe Butler (U52kg). Lara Butler (U28kg), in her first-ever competition, won an incredible bronze. Maddox Callard (U42kg) and Kiya Butler (U36kg) fought well to finish just outside the medals.

South Brent Judo Club was delighted to place sixth out of 98 clubs at the Western Area Open with a total of 11 medals.

Thanks go to Pete Whitfield and Gary Gregory, the club’s tireless coaches, who skilfully mentored the players through some very tough bouts.

If you are interested in taking part in judo, classes are held for all ages, from seven to 70. Come to learn the art of judo, build self-reliance and feel part of a team. Visit the website at http://south brentjudoclub.weebly.com for more information on the club’s activities.