Easter Opening

The Pill Dojo will be closed on Good Friday, and there will be no training at Abbeywood on Easter Monday.

There will be Ju-Jitsu on Good Friday at Kingswood.

Tora Judo Kai Invitational Competition - results

Congratulations to everyone who fought today in a great day's competition, and thank you to everyone who came and supported, all the officials and people who helped to set up and pack up afterwards.

The results were as follows:

Under 25kg Boys:
Gold: Alistair Fusco, Ronindo Judo Club
Silver: Jake Richards, Sakura Bana Kwai
Bronze: Zach McMurray, Kingsley School
Bronze: Finton Connor, Kingsley School

Under 30kg Girls:
Gold: Lauren Hill, New Star
Silver: Phoebe Belton-Simmons, Shepton Mallet
Bronze: Alisha Bowls, Shepton Mallet
Bronze: Felicity Barkley, Kingsley School

Under 30kg Boys:
Gold: Ben Bassett, Ronindo Judo Club
Silver: Joshua Hembra, Caversham
Bronze: Josh Shipp, Devon Judo Club
Bronze: Joe Beard, Ronindo

Under 35kg Boys:
Gold: Toby Reed, Shepton Mallet
Silver: Ollie Holman, Devon Judo Club
Bronze: Elliot Deave, Yatton/Nailsea
Bronze: Travis Power, Devon Judo Club

Under 40kg Girls:
Gold: Lauren Hill, New Star
Silver: Gabrielle Sawyer-Parker, Tora Judo Kai
Bronze: Charlotte Simmons - Sakura Bana Kwai

Under 40kg Boys:
Gold: Ozzy Gowen, Patchway
Silver: Finn Headley, Caversham
Bronze: Cameron Lavelle, Kingsley School
Bronze: Donald Holiday, Windsor Judo Club

Under 45kg Girls:
Gold: Alesha Cole, Windsor Judo CLub
Silver: Amelie Reynolds, Team Bath

Under 45kg Boys:
Gold: Roo Daley, Ronindo Judo Club
Silver: Austin Harling, Sakura Bana Kwai
Bronze: Kolya Schwinge, Ronindo Judo Club
Bronze: Ryleigh Jefferies, New Star

Under 50kg Boys:
Gold: Harvey Ironside, Devon Judo Club
Silver: Lewis Evans, Devon Judo Club
Bronze: William Butler-Green, Devon Judo Club
Bronze: Zach Holman, Devon Judo Club

Under 55kg Boys:
Gold: Tom Jenkins, New Star
Silver: Connor Thomas, Sakura Bana Kwai
Bronze: Tyler Silvester, Nailsea
Bronze: Aaron Llewellin, Tora Judo Kai

Under 60kg Girls:
Gold: Brooke Hamblin, Koi Judo Club
Silver: Adriana Giles, New Star Sea Mills
Bronze: Kristy Hill, New Star Sea Mills
Bronze: Anna Hargreaves, Devon Judo Club

Under 60kg Boys:
Gold: Josh Goldman, Devon Judo Club
Silver: Infaz Mohammed, Windsor Judo Club
Bronze: Jamie Judd, Tora Judo Kai
Bronze: Freddie Clare, Bath Judo Kwai

Under 65kg Girls:
Gold: Clara Gawlas, Kingsley School
Silver: Sadie Harriott, Devon Judo Club
Bronze: Millie Orledge, Team Bath

Under 65kg Boys:
Gold: Connor Santo, Sakura Bana Kwai
Silver: Louie Brown, Windsor Judo
Bronze: Hamish Bogle, Team Bath

Under 75kg Boys:
Gold: Harvey Speckleson-Brown, Bath Judo Kwai
Silver: Tom Griffiths, Sakura Bana Kwai
Bronze: Robert Ellis, Windsor Judo Club

Over 75kg Boys:
Gold: Aaron Burnham, Devon Judo Club
Silver: Maxi Simms, Windsor Judo Club
Bronze: Jake Burnett, Shepton Mallet

Women's Youth Lightweight:
Gold: Chloe Roybns-Landricombe, Tora Judo Kai
Silver: Brooke Hamblin, Koi Judo Club
Bronze: Kristy Hill, New Star
Bronze: Rebekah Brown, Windsor Judo Club

Women's Youth Midweight:
Gold: Corinne Foot, Shepton Mallet
Silver: Lizzie Foley, Tora Judo Kai
Bronze: Beth Withers, Tora Judo Kai
Bronze: Clara Gawlas, Kingsley School

Men's Youth Lightweight:
Gold: Renz Vallerjera, Tora Judo Kai
Silver: Chris Edwards, Kingsley School
Bronze: Louie Brown, Windsor Judo Club
Bronze: Infaz Mohammed, Windsor Judo Club

Men's Youth Under 72kg:
Gold: Andrew Serdega, Kingsley School
Silver: Kieran Peacock, Patchway
Bronze: Samuel Foulser, Kingsley School
Bronze: Joseph Milne, Shepton Mallet


Men's Youth Under 80kg:
Gold: Michael Edwards, Kingsley School
Silver: Chris Field, Patchway
Bronze: Kern Foot, Shepton Mallet
Bronze: Aaron Burnham, Devon Judo Club

Senior Women Under 60kg:
Gold: Chloe Robyns-Landricombe, Tora Judo Kai
Silver: Rebekah Brown, Windsor Judo Club
Bronze: Megan Dunster, Devon Judo Club
Bronze: Lisa Williamson, Windsor Judo Club

Senior Women Over 60kg:
Gold: Danielle Batt, Windsor Judo Club
Silver: Corinne Foot, Shepton Mallet
Bronze: Lizzie Foley, Tora Judo Kai
Bronze: Beth Withers, Tora Judo Kai

Senior Men, Low Grade Lightweight:
Gold: Dan Kendall, Tora Judo Kai
Silver: Robert Ellis, Windsor Judo Club
Bronze: Matt Bucknell, Devon Judo Club

Senior Men, High Grade Lightweight
Gold: Andrew Serdega, Kingsley School
Silver: Ian Pring, Tora Judo Kai
Bronze: Samuel Foulser, Kingsley School
Bronze: Renz Vallejera, Tora Judo Kai

Senior Men, Middleweight
Gold: Jon Whittingham, Tora Judo Kai
Silver: Alex Bright, Patchway
Bronze: Kern Foot, Shepton Mallet
Bronze: Michael Edwards, Kingsley School

Senior Men, Low Grade Heavyweight
Gold: Andy Baker, Tora Judo Kai
Silver: Ben Sarkka, Tora Judo Kai
Bronze: Christopher O'Neil, Windsor Judo Club
Bronze: Tom Wells, Windsor Judo Club

Senior Men, High Grade Heavyweight
Gold: Martin England, Devon Judo Club
Silver: David Giles, New Star
Bronze: Joe Perry, Windsor

Newsletter - February 2013

The February issue of the Tora Judo Kai newsletter

Western Area Kata Course - 24 March

Sensei Steve Chappell 3rd Dan, Western Area Kata Coach will lead a session at the Tora Judo Kai Pill Dojo on Sunday 24 March. This session is designed to help you develop Nage No kata skills and look at coaching methods for introducing Kata at club level.

Prior registration is required please book in using the entry form on the Western Area website http://www.wajudo.org.uk/Calendar.html

Places are limited. For further information please contact, Sandra Klinger BJA Technical Officer - e-mail: sandra.klinger@britishjudo.org.uk or call mobile: 07854215654

Venue: Tora Judo Kai – St John Ambulance Hall, The Poplars, Easton-in-Gordano, North Somerset, BS20 0DH
Date: Sunday 24th March 2013
Session: Sunday 10.00 – 3.00pm   (9.30am Registration)
Cost: £15.00
Closing date: 20/03/13

New Tora Judo Kai club in Filton launches 18 March

Tora Judo Kai is launching a new club at Abbeywood Community School in Filton. As well as a 10 week beginners' course, regular training nights for intermediates and seniors begin on Monday 18 March.

Abbeywood Community School, New Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8SF

7-8pm: 10 week beginners' course starts 18 March 2013

8-9.30pm: Seniors age 14+, all levels welcome
(Mat fee £5 for adults, £4 for 14-17 year olds, £4.50 students)

10 week beginners' course
Under the expert and careful instruction of experienced senseis, try out judo with a 10 week beginners' course. The course fee of just £60 includes all your tuition, club membership of Tora Judo Kai and insurance through our assocation, Bushido Budo Kai, a judo suit and and end-of-course grading. A fantastic way to try the martial art in a safe and enjoyable setting.

Click here to book your place on the beginners' course

Regular training sessions for intermediates and seniors aged 14+
All aspects of Judo from technical studies and kata to randori and contest training are featured at the new Abbeywood club. A warm welcome is given to anyone interested in studying judo whatever your level, experience or association.

For more information about the club or beginners' course please contact Sensei Steve Chappell on 07920 157348 or Ian Llewellin on 07836 619600.

Bristol County training - Saturday 26 January

On Saturday 26th January I headed for Patchway Judo Club to take part in my first Bristol County training session, run by Sensei Chris Mockridge expertly supported by Tora Judo Kai's very own Sensei Rebecca Maslen. 

It was great to see some friendly faces from our own club as I arrived – Mark and Judy Maslen, Steve Chappell, and our British Championship medalists fresh from the rostrum, Renz Vallejera and Natasha Maslen. Following a surprising amount of man hugging evident in the foyer, training began with a warm up and some uchikomi-inspired drills. 

Teaching began with a chance to practice everyone's preferred combinations with some great guidance from Chris Mockridge, reminding us that what we're taught in the grading syllabus is the same as what everyone else learns too, so a bit of ingenuity is a good thing. Some ground work gave the opportunity to work with a variety of different partners. 

The session finished with a standing randori session in which I gave my breakfalls a good work out, and which reminded me once again of the need for relaxed arms, plenty of movement and not allowing your partner to get their favourite grip! The training session finished with a round-up from Sensei Mockridge of the impressive number of judoka present who had taken part in the national competition the previous weekend. 

I remain astonished at, and grateful for, the opportunity that judo gives to train with and alongside people for who judo is a way of life, and those who take part at a giddying level of competition. 

Judith Ogden

National success for Tora Judo Kai competitors

Two members of Bristol-based judo club Tora Judo Kai fought their way to places on the rostrum at the prestigious British Championships in Sheffield at the weekend. Picking up three medals between them, 19-year-old Natasha Maslen won silver in the under 21s competition for her weight category on Saturday, followed with a bronze in the Senior Women's competition on Sunday.

Renz Vallejera took bronze in the under 21s in his weight category with a spectacular throw for ippon, judo's maximum score, in the bronze medal fight.

Natasha’s day in the senior competition saw her come through the group stages comfortably after four fights, winning two by throws for ippon, the first in just over a minute. In her final pool she won one fight and then lost out to a current GB squad member with whom she trains. Natasha commented, " I've been working really hard during my first year at Bath and the results are now starting to come for me."

Natasha has trained at the Tora Judo Kai club in Pill since the age of 12 and is currently a student at Bath University, studying for a degree in Sports Performance. She trains 6 days a week for up to 5 hours a day, and is a member of the England Talented Development Squad. Last year she represented GBR at the Hungarian European Cup, finishing seventh, followed by a bronze medal at the Spanish Senior European Cup. Her ambition for the coming year is to represent GBR at the European and World Junior Championships.

17-year-old Renz Vallejera started the day with a hard fought contest in which he managed a win. He was unlucky to lose his second contest by a narrow margin and to the eventual silver medallist, and fought back through the repechage finishing the day with the bronze. He started judo when he was 8 years old, is currently studying for A-levels and is then hoping to join Natasha at Bath University. He also is a member of the England Talented Development Squad and was specially requested to train with the GBR judo team in their preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games last summer.

Tora Judo Kai was also represented by 17-year-old Chloe Robyns-Landricombe who fought well and was unlucky to be thrown towards the end of a close-fought match in her first round. She came through the repechage with a beautifully executed throw in her second fight of the day, but lost out to a much more experienced player in her third missing out on the medals on this, her first event at this standard of competition.

Chloe's instructor, Sensei Caroline Hooker, said "Through hard work and dedication Chloe has gone from an inexperienced judoka only 2 years ago to one who has shown she is capable of competing and winning contests at national level. The British Championships was only her second point-scoring competition, and she should be very proud of her performance."

The fighters were coached on the day by Sensei Judy Maslen, who said, "I am so proud of all three players, they are getting the results for all the hard work they are putting in."

All three competitors train with Tora Judo Kai, which runs clubs in Pill, Filton Abbeywood, Hanham, Kingwood, Shirehampton and Launceston in Cornwall. The club has been running for 19 years and trains over 100 children from the age of 6 years and adults in judo and ju-jitsu each week. Principal Steve Chappell said, "It’s a great club with a team of instructors who are able to facilitate its members judo requirements from beginner to competitors of the highest level. New members are welcomed into a positive and friendly environment."