BackHSTS INTER CLUB COMPETITION & SPONSORED PUNCH & KICK A THON

ITF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS CANADA 2012 FUND RAISER

HSTS INTER CLUB COMPETITION & SPONSORED PUNCH & KICK A THON 7^th JULY 2012

HSTS Taekwon-Do saw a resurgence of indomitable spirit and perseverance throughout the interclub competition and sponsored Kick-and-Punch-athon fundraiser held on the 7th of July. Combined with the cash collected during the previous interclub competition in Letchworth in May, HSTS looks to have amassed a current total of just over £6000 once all the sponsorship money is collected. The money raised will go to help the safe arrival, accommodation and entrance fees of the UKITF squad of which three young competitors from our region are hoping to bring back gold medals from the ITF World Championships in Canada: Gemma O''''Connor, Tom Flavell-McNeilley and Sophie Donnelly.
 
Aside from monetary gain, the weekend was a great display of the camaraderie and friendships that have developed amongst this local sporting community. Whether volunteering to umpire, assisting friends with their patterns or finding the time to munch down a delicious burger from the (rain-sheltered) HSTS BBQ, the day was a refreshing glimpse into the relationships and experiences that may never have been, were it not for the students'''' reciprocated love for their club and its art.
 
The day saw many successes for its large alumni of students, with great opportunities to gain experience for first-time entrants from Little Dragons to Black belt seniors and to those who have not previously umpired many competitions. As always with the smaller, local events, the competitive pressure and combatant tension is immediately released as soon as a winner has been decided: both winner and loser share a handshake and hug, possessing enough humility to know that the next time may not end the same and, even if it does, they are grateful for the chance to take part.
 
Once the competition had reached its conclusion, the time came for what many of us had been waiting for: The 40,000 Kick-and-Punchathon. The 21 students (including two young cadets dividing 1000 between them) set themselves the goal of achieving this huge tally in three hours. Dividing into 5 groups of 4, the group surpassed all expectation, reaching the desired total of 40,000 in 1hour 3mins. Once the goal was achieved, everyone gathered for celebratory photos and cake.
 
To round the day off, 6 students donned body armour for a mini ''''HSTS WTF'''' competition, in order to gain and provide an insight into Olympic-style Taekwon-do. This proved an interesting and entertaining spectacle, as it saw competitors grasping with the alternative sparring fundamentals and tactics. Considering the students had all already competed in a full ITF-style competition and delivered their 2000 kicks/punches each, it was inspiring to witness such strong examples of perseverance, as they continued to employ steady and precise attacks and defensive moves against their opponents. 
 
I know I speak for many among us that day when I say that it was an honour to take part in such a humbling and inspiring event in the company of such great friends. The day simultaneously reminded us of the power of teamwork and cooperation, as well as the immeasurable determination of individuals.  
 
MARTIN DUNNE 1^st degree

HSTS INTER CLUB COMP RESULTS LITTLE DRAGONS

WHITE/YELLOW/GREEN

1^st – FREDDIE CARTER

2^nd – JAMES MACHIN

3^rd – JOSHUA PAGETT  

LITTLE DRAGONS BLUE/RED

1^st – DECLAN BEEL

2^nd – FREDDIE CREE

3^rd – SONNY WESTON  

CADET YELLOW/GREEN BELT PATTERNS

1^st – JACOB FLEET

2^nd – DANIEL CRONIN

3^rd – FINLAY DAVIS-PLUMMER  

CADET BLUE/RED BELT PATTERNS

1^st – KETAN GAHIR

2^nd – VIKRAM SINGH LEHIL

3^rd – CAMERON HERBERT  

CADET BLACK BELT PATTERNS

1^st – ELLIOTT CALLAHAN

2^nd – LEE BROWN

3^rd – LEWIS LAVERY  

CADET YELLOW/GREEN BELT <130cm SPARRING

1^st – JACOB FLEET

2^nd – AGRIS JUSKEVICIUS

3^rd – ALEX MORRIS  

CADET YELLOW/GREEN BELT <150cm SPARRING

1^st – FINLAY DAVIS PLUMMER

2^nd – HENRY CROFT

3^rd – DANIEL CRONIN  

CADET BLUE/RED BELT <145cm SPARRING

1^st – EUAN SOUTHERN

2^nd – JOSHUA FULLER

3^rd – JADE OAKLEY        

CADET BLEU/RED <160cm SPARRING

1^st – EMILY FROST

2^nd – ALEX BURTON

3^rd – OLIVER GARSIDE  

CADET BLACK BELT <15cm SPARRING

1^st – LEE BROWN

2^nd – ELLIOTT CALLAHAN

3^rd – NIALL MISTRY  

CADET BLUE/RED/BLACK >160cm

1^st – LEWIS LAVERY

2^nd – KETAN GAHIR

3^rd – ISABELLE BAKER  

ADULT/SENIOR YELLOW/GREEN BELT PATTERNS

1^st – JANA SALKOVA

2^nd – KALVINDER WHITAKER

3^rd – LINA PORECHA  

ADULT/SENIOR FEMALE BLUE/RED/BLACK BELT PATTERNS

1^st – GEMMA O’CONNOR

2^nd – JADE ADAMSON

3^rd – LISA OAKLEY  

JUNIOR/ADULT/SENIOR PATTERNS

1^st – PATRICK DION-FEHILY

2^nd – THOMAS FLAVELL-MCNELLIEY

3^rd – WILLIAM SOUTHERN  

ADULT/SENIOR FERMALE SPARRING

1^st – GEMMA O’CONNOR

2^nd – LEANNE VATON

3^rd – LISA FROST  

JUNIOR/ADULT/SENIOR SPARRING

1^st – THOMAS FLAVELL-McNELLIEY

2^nd – MARTIN DUNNE

3^rd – PATRICK DION-FEHILY