News

On Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August, Washinkai held its last event of the 2019/20 season.

The two day Gasshuku was held at our Dover dojo, hosted by Pete Saunders 3rd Dan and Calum Mendham 4th Dan.

The event could easily have been a Washinkai Yudansha course, as the vast majority of participants were Dan grades, with a few Brown belts.

We were lucky with the weather as both days were sunny and warm, allowing some students to train outside with senor instructors.

Washinkai Karate held its annual summer Gasshuku at Milton Abbey School from the 22nd July to 25th July this year.  The School has been our regular home since Sensei Chris Thompson established karate there in 1988.  We were blessed with beautiful weather all week in record breaking temperatures.  Training was challenging in the heat, but with frequent water breaks, everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves!

BTKA Referees and Judges officiated at the 2019 Interservices Championships hosted by the Army in Aldershot, Hampshire.

The Championships are held over two days with the karate events on Saturday 13th July.  Due to the current state of affairs in Iran, many of our armed services personnel were deployed and unable to compete.

Sensei Chris Thompson took a squad of nine officials:  Neville Smith, 7th Dan; Shaz Shahid 6th Dan; Neil Benton 6th Dan; Andrew Newman 5th Dan; Mike Beasley 5th Dan; Chris Wateridge 5th Dan; Calum Mendham 4th Dan and Sara Benton 2nd Dan.

On Thursday 16 May 2019, both Shihan Chris Thompson and Sensei Alison Thompson 6th Dan, travelled to our Javea Club in Spain, to hold the Spring Gasshuku.  Sensei Andrew Newman 5th Dan and Sensei Steve Hensman 4th Dan had travelled there the previous day.