Stoke Gifford TKD at the Imperial British Championships
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Martial artists at a Taekwondo club in Brisol have marked their tenth anniversary with a haul of medals at the British Championships.

Competitors from Stoke Gifford Taekwondo, ranging in age from seven to 51, brought home a whopping 21 medals from the competition in Reading.

Last weekend''s contest featured more than 750 fighters, but failed to intimidate the pupils of fifth-degree black belt Kerry Burridge who runs the club.

The haul of six gold, four silver and 11 bronze medals was a fitting tribute to the work of full-time instructor Ms Burridge, 33, who founded Stoke Gifford TKD in November 2000 with Mike Frost, who died in a motorbike accident in 2003.

"I was originally training in Yate and looking to start my own club and there was nothing in Stoke Gifford, so I started it up and ten years on we are still going."

She caters for people of all ages at the club, based in the Stoke Gifford Trust Hall on North Road.

The youngest fighter representing the club in Reading was seven-year-old Lucie Robert- shaw from Stoke Bishop, who won gold for sparring and silver for patterns in the Kids Kickers Class for fighters aged seven and under.

At the other end of the spectrum was 51-year-old wood turner Jay Heryet, from Shirehampton, who picked up a bronze for sparring in the women''s seniors category for over-36s.

"It''s the biggest championships the Imperial Association has held so far and was very well run," said Ms Burridge.

"All the kids had their own photograph passes and numbers on the backs of their suits.

"And there were competitors from Italy, Spain, Ireland and South Africa."

Ms Burridge holds two world championship titles and has trained students to national and international titles over the past decade.

Previous assistant instructor Brad May achieved two bronze medals at the 2007 world championship, student and team leader Billy Smith won six medals at the 2008 European Championship as well as three team medals at the 2010 World Championships and student Josh Wellman won an individual gold and silver medal as well as three team medals at the 2010 World Championships.

The club are holding a series of events to mark their tenth birthday, including an in-house competition so even their youngest members, aged three, can join in.

Club participants at the British Championships were:
Jay Heryet: Bronze Sparring; Jess Thomas: Bronze Patterns, Bronze Sparring, Gold Special Technique; Billy Smith: Gold Sparring, Gold Patterns; Rae-Anne Elson: Bronze Sparring; Phoebe Grandfield: Bronze Sparring, Bronze Patterns; Joseph Elson: Bronze Sparring, Bronze Patterns; Kieran McDermott: Gold Sparring, Silver Patterns; Ollie Robertshaw: Bronze Patterns; Ben Chapman: Silver Sparring; Lucie Robertshaw: Gold Sparring, Silver Patterns; Dave Colvin: Bronze Patterns, Gold Sparring; Sarah Baker- Attwood: Silver Sparring; Chloe Baker-Attwood: Bronze Sparring, Ben Baker-Attwood, Callum Brown.

Written by: Kerry Burridge - 19th October 2010
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