KUGB Kyu Grades Championships 2019

The KUGB Kyu Grades Championships is held each year in Wales and is open to kyu grades from all KUGB clubs.

Photos

View photos of the competition.

Competition Report

This weekend CUKC travelled to Prestatyn on the North Wales coast to compete in the National Kyu Grade championship of the KUGB.

Given that this is the 3rd consecutive weekend of karate championships for Dao and Bence it was just 'business as usual' whilst for Liming and Jean this was their first competitive experience.

Our first cultural experience in Wales was in the seaside town of Prestatyn in the company of 100+ drunk Welsh men and ladies in a sports bar watching Wales beat Ireland for the Grand Slam title (rugby if you were wondering), followed by a visit to a 13th century castle (overlooking the river at sunset) and then a rather less exotic (but essential) training session in a Sports Centre car park before an Indian meal in a converted church.

On Sunday, following a very substantial breakfast, in the company of one of the competing South Wales teams, Liming and Jean competed in Kata and Liming in ippon kumite. Both gave a good account of themselves but did not reach the finals.

Dao and Bence however advanced to the finals, Dao winning Individual kata (with a score substantially higher than his fellow finalists), ippon kumite and losing very narrowly in the final of the Men's individual kumite to a giant from Liverpool. In an all CUKC final Bence gained the silver medal in Kyu grade ippon kumite, losing to Dao. Bence also competed with great success in individual kumite advancing through three rounds before sucumbing to the same giant from Liverpool.

Dao was awarded the perpetual trophy, presented to the best competitor in the championships for their performance in both kata and kumite. This trophy is especially familiar to CUKC members having been won by Cambridge on 5 previous occasions.

This team lifted the reputation of CUKC to new heights and should be congratulated on a magnificent performance.



Photo of the team
Left to right
Back row:
Mingxue Du (Jean), Richard Poole, Liming Li
Front row:
Bence Kasza, Dao Qian