progress is slow
It's been a while since posting to this blog...
I entered the British Master 2008 event in the end. Glad I did, it was a good experience and felt I put up a good scrap. Good enough in fact I came away with the gold for my group (<100Kg 30-35 age group). Guess that makes me a national champion! Haha!
As it happens there was only one other guy in my group, he was a 3rd dan so a worthy victory none the less (I'm currently 2nd dan). Winning by Waza-ari means I got 7 points closer to 3rd dan, which put me on 37 total (I need 100).
Yesterday (19/10/2008) I took part in a dan grading at the Richard Dunn leisure centre in Bradford. First fight against Matthew Clempner. For those that don't know the name he is in early 20s and competing ragularly at national level. Credit to him though, he could have flattened everyone at the event but he was quite restrained, rather than putting us all through the floor he threw everyone for ippon but without being too nasty!
My 2nd match was a masters squad player. Found myself on the defensive all the time, eventually sucumbing to a strangle - another second I'd have been out cold I suspect.
Last match was against Archi Shrimpton. Archi used to practice at Sheffield Uni club where I teach. No way I could let him win. I won the match and gained 5 points taking me up to a total of 42 getting rid of the risk of being stuck on 97 points, but as Archi kindly pointed out I could now end up on 99 :/
I only got 5 points rather than ten as Archi is 1st dan and I am 2nd so can't win full ten from him. Unfortunately for Archi, he has 90 points towards his 2nd dan, my beating him stopped him getting his 2nd on the day.
Sorry Archi! :(
I entered the British Master 2008 event in the end. Glad I did, it was a good experience and felt I put up a good scrap. Good enough in fact I came away with the gold for my group (<100Kg 30-35 age group). Guess that makes me a national champion! Haha!
As it happens there was only one other guy in my group, he was a 3rd dan so a worthy victory none the less (I'm currently 2nd dan). Winning by Waza-ari means I got 7 points closer to 3rd dan, which put me on 37 total (I need 100).
Yesterday (19/10/2008) I took part in a dan grading at the Richard Dunn leisure centre in Bradford. First fight against Matthew Clempner. For those that don't know the name he is in early 20s and competing ragularly at national level. Credit to him though, he could have flattened everyone at the event but he was quite restrained, rather than putting us all through the floor he threw everyone for ippon but without being too nasty!
My 2nd match was a masters squad player. Found myself on the defensive all the time, eventually sucumbing to a strangle - another second I'd have been out cold I suspect.
Last match was against Archi Shrimpton. Archi used to practice at Sheffield Uni club where I teach. No way I could let him win. I won the match and gained 5 points taking me up to a total of 42 getting rid of the risk of being stuck on 97 points, but as Archi kindly pointed out I could now end up on 99 :/
I only got 5 points rather than ten as Archi is 1st dan and I am 2nd so can't win full ten from him. Unfortunately for Archi, he has 90 points towards his 2nd dan, my beating him stopped him getting his 2nd on the day.
Sorry Archi! :(
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