Loughborough Students Taekwon-Do ended another successful year back at the GTUK Scottish Championships in Falkirk. As well as the standard competition format with individual sparring, patterns and breaking, the competition this year also saw the introduction of an international team event, pitching the home nations against each other with some serious bragging rights up for grabs. Loughborough students took a keen interest in the event, as the entire England Mens team and half the Womens team consisted of either current or ex Loughborough TKD members. This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of not only those individual students included within the national team, but also the clubs instructor Mr Andrew Holmes, the committee and all the members past and present who have between them developed a club that prides itself on excellence. This years committee are committed to continuing this tradition, and look forward to the start of the season at the Regional Championships in November.
Team England
The end of the day saw the team competition with Scotland Vs England Vs Wales. The ladies were up first with patterns and set the bar incredibly high. The Scottish ladies came through to win the category but both sets of patterns demonstrated excellent team performances. The 5 man Welsh team contained two competitors welcomed from PUMA and one from the TAGB and they kicked off the male event with Gae Baek. Scotland went next with Kwang Gae and England finished up with Gae Baek. The patterns were marked individually by each of the 5 judges and the marks totalled to reveal an English victory.
Mr.Peacock and Mr.Needle
The sparring was next on the agenda with the ladies again competing first. The England ladies team consisted of two red tags from Loughborough University while the Scottish team contained a black tag member. All competitors fought extremely hard and well, demonstrating Taekwon-Do free sparring as it should be displayed. The Scottish ladies won through a closely fought battle in the end and made it a patterns and sparring double victory.
Suzie Gloyne lifts her opponent with a side kick
The male teams were up next and it was England V Wales. Wales came out strongly and despite great performances from the English guys it was a Wales victory. The next bout was Scotland V England and the atmosphere really picked up in the hall with the volume being turned up a notch or two by the home crowd, although the English contingent did a great job of matching the noise! Each bout was extremely hard fought and the fighters from both sides provided a fantastic display of Taekwon-Do free sparring. The crowd got behind their respective sides to really add to the event. England emerged victorious but both teams did extremely well.
Mr.Needle kicks ass!
After the events the scores were tied between the Welsh men’s and English men’s team and so to decide the result a final bout was organised. Another great display from both fighters, with the Welsh fighter edging the result to leave the overall positions as follows:
1. Wales
2. England
3. Scotland