As 2025 comes to a close it’s time to look back on the years highlights.
After a period of time more focused on our higher ranked students with a flood of senior gup and black belt gradings in recent years we are now seeing more new students coming through shifting the dynamics of our classes back towards the younger and lower grades. This is giving our trainee instructors plenty of experience with new recruits.
As usual there were four gup gradings this years, with the latest being only a couple of weeks ago with student representation in all the belt categories from white belts through to senior red.
Christmas Training / Social & Students of the Year
Following tradition our last training session in Wilburton is an oppurtunity for friends and family to come along and see an example of our training. Afterwards everyone tucked into party food and drink brought along to share.
This year we also awarded our inaugural Student of the Year trophies, voted for by all the students, this went to Susie Morris and Will Dockerill for their achievements, dedication and contributions to the club throughout 2025.
Also on display was the impressive collection of trophies and medals accumulated by our students at this year’s National, Regional and European Championships as well as last year’s World Championship. The centre piece of which was Susie’s Gup Grand Champion trophy from the regionals.
Championships
This year students attended three championships, the Nationals in Nottingham, the Europeans in Greece and the Regionals in Ebbw Vale, Wales. Everyone who attended put in a lot of effort both in the preparations and on the day, and their achievements reflect that.
Below is a hightlight video of the years championships.
Here are the results:
Nationals – Nottingham 26th April
| Name | Grade | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rich Morris | 5th Gup | Sparring | 1st |
| Kate Latimer | 2nd Gup | Team | 3rd |
| Sparring | 2nd | ||
| Weapons | 3rd | ||
| Philippa Collins | 2nd Gup | Team | 3rd |
| Sparring | 3rd | ||
| Weapons | 2nd | ||
| Susie Morris | 2nd Gup | Team | 3rd |
| Sparring | 1st | ||
| Weapons | 2nd | ||
| Nathan Morris | Cho Dan Bo | Sparring | 3rd |
| Laura Vanhulle | Cho Dan | Sparring | 3rd |
| Hyungs | 1st | ||
| Weapons | 1st | ||
| Will Dockerill | Cho Dan | Hyungs | 1st |
| Weapons | 2nd | ||
| Emily Rutherford | Cho Dan | Sparring | 1st |
| Hyungs | 3rd | ||
| Jakub Ozog | E Dan | Hyungs | 3rd |
| Oliver Russell | Sam Dan | Hyungs | 1st |
| Weapons | 1st |
European – Greece 10th to 12th October
| Name | Grade | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rich Morris | 4th Gup | Sparring | 1st |
| Hyungs | 3rd | ||
| Susie Morris | 1st Gup | Sparring | 2nd |
| Hyungs | 3rd | ||
| Weapons | 3rd | ||
| Philippa Collins | 1st Gup | Hyungs | 1st |
| Weapons | 2nd | ||
| Nathan Morris | Cho Dan Bo | Sparring | 1st |
| Hyungs | 3rd | ||
| Weapons | 2nd |
Regionals – Ebbw Vale, Wales 8th November
| Name | Grade | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rich Morris | 4th Gup | Team | 3rd |
| Sparring | 2nd | ||
| Hyungs | 3rd | ||
| Gerardo Garibay Ruiz | 2nd Gup | Hyungs | 3rd |
| Susie Morris | 1st Gup | Team | 3rd |
| Sparring | 1st | ||
| Hyungs | 1st | ||
| Weapons | 1st | ||
| Philippa Collins | 1st Gup | Team | 3rd |
| Weapons | 1st | ||
| Nathan Morris | Cho Dan Bo | Sparring | 1st |
| Hyungs | 2nd | ||
| Will Dockerill | Cho Dan | Team | 1st |
| Sparring | 2nd | ||
| Hyungs | 2nd | ||
| Weapons | 3rd | ||
| Stuart Rutherford | Cho Dan | Hyungs | 2nd |
| Emily Rutherford | Cho Dan | Team | 1st |
| Sparring | 2nd | ||
| Jakub Ozog | E Dan | Team | 1st |
Looking Forward
Every one of our students will face new challenges in 2026, junior grades will transition through the belts learning new forms and techniques, higher grades will be challenged to perfect their knowledge while passing it on to the juniors.
Championships this year will be the usual Nationals in Nottingham and the Regionals in Coventry, and not forgetting that 2026 is World Championship year with some students heading to Chicago as part of the GB team.
