Martial Arts Club – Fourth in Europe and First Surrey Black Belts

A local martial arts club has returned from the European Championships in medal glory, placing 4th in the whole tournament, as well as having the first Surrey promotions to Black Belt.

The Kuk Sool Won martial arts team which has classes in Great Bookham, Oxshott and Claygate, took 43 students to compete in the Kuk Sool Won European Championships in Kings Lynn on 4th and 5th June.  The team of all ages, many from the Dawnay and Polesden Lacey Infant School, competed in a variety of disciplines including sparring, wood breaking, demonstrations of traditional forms, sword and staff, and the execution of self defence techniques against the 700 other martial artists from all over the continent.  Most competitors achieved success in at least one division; some even got a place on the podium in every category that they entered.  The overall point accumulation resulted in the club achieving an outstanding 4th Place out of the 77 European clubs that competed at the event, despite the club begin open for under three years.

The weekend also saw many of the higher graded students being tested for their Black Belts under the watchful eye of the Grandmaster and his two sons, who are also both high ranking Masters.  Instructor James Barker successfully achieved his 4th Dahn Black Belt following over eighteen years of training and two years of testing.  Four of James’ students also achieved Black Belt status; Phil Bowden, Simon Linsley, Vicki Gasston and Stan Bannister from Dawnay School, completed their final four hour testing and were presented with their 1st Dahn Black Belts by the Grandmaster himself after three years of hard training.  Stan is now the first Junior Black Belt in Surrey and has already been involved in demonstrations at Bookham Village Day, the Dawnay and Polesden Lacey Infant School!

James said, "Achieving fourth place in the European Championships is an amazing achievement for all of the students considering the quality of the competition.  Even those who didn’t win any medals competed fiercely on the day, showing impeccable attitude and etiquette throughout.  The four newly promoted Black Belts thoroughly deserve what they have achieved following hours of hard training.  To say I am a proud instructor is an understatement - words cannot express the emotions I experienced in watching my first students achieve their Black Belts and all the competitors trying their hardest at the tournament."

Please contact James on 07973 173892 if you are interested in signing up for a FREE TASTER CLASS or if you would like to find out more about Kuk Sool Won which is still a relatively unknown martial art in the area but is now beginning to find its position in the community.