Karate students win medals at club tournament

On April 26 12 students from Red Tiger Karate clubs in Lancaster and Morecambe entered the Red Tiger Karate annual inter-club tournament, held in Bolton.

This is one of the club’s most popular events, and this year attracted nearly 250 students from all across Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

The day-long event year saw five lower-grade students enter for the very first time from Lancaster and Morecambe, alongside their fellow karate students, many of who have had their fair share of success at tournaments in the past.

Amidst the inevitable nerves, the classes’ instructor, Sensei Jonathan Longden, 2nd Dan black belt, took the classes through several weeks of intense competition practice in preparation for the big day.

Students from the area entered events in all categories including team and individual events in kumite (sparring) and kata (patterns/routines).

Many of the students saw themselves drawn against slightly older and more experienced students, in many cases beating them to gain a medal in the event.

In total, the team managed to bag four bronze medals, eight silver medals and a gold medal, courtesy of adult student Catherine Clarebrough, who fought her way to the final to win her event in front of a large crowd.