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(Source: Ilkley Gazette)
Karate Club members won a massive 130 trophies in 2009 – both at home and abroad.
Georgia Breadley was Ilkley club champion for the second year running. The breakdown was 37 first places, 39 seconds and 54 thirds in what proved a celebration of the club’s founding 21 years ago. Georgia Breadley, Elly Field, both 11, and Jade Miller were the top trophy gatherers, each managing to win 18, many of them being winners’ prizes. Meanwhile, internationally, Ilkley Grammar School pupil Connor Thatcher, 12, retained the world title he won in 2008 in Italy to round the year off on a high.
In club gradings, Breadley – together with adult Robert Toole – managed to skip grades with near-perfect marks under the watchful eye of sensei and ninth dan Stan Knighton. New black belts in 2009 included adults Keeley Hall, Patrick Walton and Toole, while Giles Blackburne – who also holds black belts in taekwondo and kendo – and Mark Outterside passed the senior rank of second and sixth degree black belts.
All black belts gained by Ilkley students are at national level and are judged by three of the most distinguished chief instructors in England, which is why the shukokai dan grades are so highly regarded in the karate world. Ilkley Karate Club instructor Outterside also arranged enjoyable seminars for his students with nine-times world champion Wayne Otto OBE, Iain Abernethy, a combat and bunkai specialist, and BBC TV’s martial arts expert Chris Crudelli.
The icing on the cake was Outterside’s recognition by Ilkley Rotary Club. He was presented with a community award for his service over the years to the youth of the Ilkley area.
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