------------------------------------------- 12/12/2010-------------------------------------
Shaolin Tigers win a haul of medals at the WUMA (World United Martial Arts Federation) British Open down in Cheltenham on
Sunday 12th December 2010.
In the pic Left to right
Dan Facey, Caz Eristedt, Frank Bowen (Chief Instructor), Dan Eden, Vicky Benham & Danny Sukwong.
Shaolin Tigers team won a haul of medals at the WUMA British Open Kickboxing and Martial Arts Tournament down in Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire last Sun 12th Dec.
Dan Eden won Gold in the Men's Advanced >85 kilos Kickboxing category destroying his opponents with ease due to his super
fast combos and brute strength which proved that you can never judge a book by it's cover. Dan's usual 75-80 kilos Super
Middleweight category was amalgamated with the 80-85 kilos so he went up against a lot heavier opponents. In the final
Dan competed against Tim Osborne from club Zheng Daolo Southampton who was a 3rd degree black belt with vast experience
in the combat arena with many previous kickboxing and MMA/cage bouts to his name. The final proved to be a real battle for
both fighters. Despite Tim's clear weight advantage Dan did not make the common mistake that many fighter make of sitting
back to let the heavier opponent dominate and fire off his moves. In fact he did the complete opposite as his aggressive
front foot style really spoiled his opponent's strategy and stopped him from being able to get off any power shots. Dan's
shear strength proved to be too much for Tim to handle. The judges still could not decide between the two after normal time
so indicated for an extra round. By this time both fighters were showing signs of fatigue however this was time for Dan to
step up and be counted. He immediately went into 5th gear to give that extra last push to able to win the bout and defeat his
opponent, he was then crowned the new WUMA British Open Kickboxing Champion >85 Kilos.
Dan has had a phenomenal year after winning Gold in ISKA International Kickboxing Tournament at London's Excel Olympic
Arena back in May and also winning the WAKO British Open down in Bristol in October. He now holds three British titles in three
different associations. Dan is off to train in Thailand over Xmas/New Year and will be getting ready for the next big full contact Cage
event which should hopefully be held at Liquid nightclub, Windsor in March of next year.
Dan Facey came 3rd in the same category after being defeated in a very close bout also against Tim Osborne. However Dan Facey
has previously won the WUMA British Open >85 kilos MMA Grapple & Strike event although this time had to settle for 2nd place against
a very strong opponent. Dan did extremely well though considering he has not trained much in this style throughout the last year and only
entered the event at the last min.
Danny Sukwong and Roman Drobchak both came joint 3rd place (Bronze) in the <65 kilos Kickboxing category although they both did
very well to get this medal in one of their first few competitive tournaments. Both fighters have gained valuable experience from this and
with time on their side I am sure will move on to win many future tournaments.
Martin Walker won Gold in the <70 kilos Kickboxing category. Nobody deserved to win their category more than Martin as he had to
have multiple fights to get to the final after every round went to extra time. In the end his combination of fast flashy kicks and rapid punches
prevailed and he was also crowned the new WUMA British Open Kickboxing Champion >70 Kilos.
Caz Eristedt was also another Shaolin member to win Gold, this time in the Ladies >62 Kilos category. Caz fought her way to the final and
went up against a fellow club mate Vicky Benham who came 2nd (Silver) which is a massive achievement considering it was the first ever
tournament event Vicky has entered. Caz showed an aggressive front foot style and would not let her opponents settle which proved to be
very effective. I am sure both fighters will gain a lot of confidence from this show and move on to new heights next year.
If you are interested in competing in similar events in future then please contact your relevant club instructor or speak to Si-Fu Frank Bowen.
------------------------------------------- 26/11/2010-------------------------------------
SHAOLIN TIGERS Interclub held on Friday 26th November 2010
The Xmas Bash Interclub held at The Post Club Reading was another great success. The spectator turn out was lower then
the last event held in September which was probably due to this one being staged on a Friday however the atmosphere and
the standard of the competition was as good as ever. The main objective was to have fun and gain valuable experience and
from the feedback received it seems to be working.
The Male Adult Category was well attended (the fresh air must be good in the shires) as our Super Heavyweight category is
particularly strong with over six of the competitors being 100 kilos plus.
Our Teenage category was also well attended - however the Junior category was poorly supported this time which was a
great shame as there are some excellent Junior classes. The Juniors who were there have put out a friendly challenge to
all our Si-fu’s – bring your best Juniors to the next interclub, they are ready! Mason (Ironfist) Hammond, Jayke (The
Hammer) Zaremba, Paige (K.O) Swanston, Joe (Lightening Legs) Mitchell and Jay (Rocky) Welch are all ready and waiting.
What can I say about the Ladies Category (The gentler sex) Yeah Right! Victoria Keep, Caz Eristedt and Vicky Benham.
Victoria fought twice against Caz and Vicky. The technique, power and aggression not to mention the illegal techniques were
phenomenal - we are going to have to put them in a cage next time.
Victoria and Si-Fu Ian Keep are emigrating to Australia, everyone at the club will miss them and we wish them and their son
Blaine all the best for their sunny future.
It was great to see Si-Fu's Ian, Dan Facey and Dan Eden (Ninja) competing, showing the skills that can be attained by hard,
regular training.
A big Thank You to Pete (The Viking), Andy Lyng, Si-Fu Dan (Ninja) and Peter Blake who turned up early to set up and also to
Alex Wright. Alex is a larger than life character, soldier trained paramedic and Met Police Armed Response Officer who stepped
in to save the day along with neighbour and club mate Gary Foster (Fireman) who attended as his driver. Our booked paramedic
Martyn Bowie was driving to us from Kent when and accident on the M23 meant he unfortunately could not attend.
Congratulations to all the Si-Fus's - Steve, Ian Jason Dan Facey, Dan Eden (Ninja) and Nadia who put forward competitors
and out timekeeper Clifford (Mr Guinness) Austin and of course to all our students that competed and represented their cub branch.
Please remember we are a club and senior grades are expected to help nature and motivate new students. The same thing
applies to all lower grade club members, you are expected to support your club mates wherever possible.
DOWNLOAD COMPETITORS LIST
Remember to train hard leading up to Christmas to that asfter the Christmas Festivities you return fighting fit!! You will need to be
ready as we have one hell of a year planned.
Regards,
Si-Fu & Chief Instructor/Promoter Frank Bowen (6th Dan)
------------------------------------------17/10/2010-----------------------------------------
In the Pic above - Top left to right:, Caz Eristedt, Martin Walker, Danny Sukwong,
Bottom row: Dan Eden, Dan Facey & Chief Instructor Frank Bowen.
On Sun 17th October Shaolin Tigers took 5 members to the WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organisations)
British Open held in Bristol. There were 72 fighting divisions in total with a mixture of points fighting as well as
light continuous events. The Shaolin team consisted of Si-fu Dan Eden, Si-fu Dan Facey, Caz Eristedt,
Martin Walker and Danny Sukwong, lead by the head Coach Si-fu Frank Bowen.
Dan Eden won Gold (1st) in the Mens Advanced 74-79 kilos Light Continuous Category. Dan did very well in the final
to avoid his opponents several superman punch attempts and unorthodox double legged sweeps. His showed his
experience by stepping back and countering his opponents combos with several round kicks or side thrust kicks
to the stomach which was clearly troubling this opponent. He also demonstrated good ring craft as he knocked his
opponent off the mated area 4-5 times although he never went off the matt's once. Overall Dan was technically the
better fighter which paid off in the end to win him his second major tournament in six months after he win Gold at the
ISKA Men’s <79 kilos Continuous Event at London Excel Arena in May 2010.
Caz Eristedt won Silver (2nd) in the + 60 Kilos Ladies Beginners Light Continuous division against the young but
vastly experienced Tori Willetts who has had numerous previous fights including Full Contact bouts. Tori's
direct approach walking forward whilst firing straight punches down the middle seemed to pay off in the end but Caz
can take no shame in losing to a fighter of this quality and will learn from this and take the experience into her next fight
for sure.
Danny Sukwong thought his way to the quarterfinal of the +l 65cm boys (under 17 years) continuous Aaron Crawley.
He did very well considering Araon was almost 7 stone heavier so was only in the same category due to his age
and height. Therefore he did extremely well to hold his own against a clear miss match.
Martin Walker and Si-fu Dan Facey also did very well but unfortunately lost very close bouts. Due to the amount of
fighters in their respected categories it was always going to be difficult to win their divisions out right.
If you would like to compete in similar tournaments then please speak to your club instructor or Si-Fu Frank
for more details of future shows.
------------------------------------------- 06/10/2010-------------------------------------
Shaolin Tigers Charity Interclub
Fun Day in aid of Help for Heroes
held on Sat 25th September 2010
The event was held at the Post Office Club (Richfield Avenue) in Caversham, Reading and was a great success.
The objective was to gain valuable experience whilst having FUN!.
The overall standard was excellent baring in mind that 85% of entrants had never competed before.
The medals which
everyone received were of excellent quality
which went down very well; as did the free food and discounted drinks at the
bar.
The fitness level was also good however you can never get too fit if you intend to compete, so keep working on getting fitter.
There are just a few points to work on which are the following:
1. Some of the competitors guards need working on. Please avoid the M4 syndrome of standing too square on.
Make sure the guard is kept high to protect against circular strikes but remember to keep side on so you do not leave yourself open
to front kicks or straight punches down the middle. All you need to do is adjust your stance slightly.
2. Make sure you learn to block low kicks correctly as when you compete without shin pads you will feel the difference.
3. Make sure you work on a variety of combinations.
The Sifu's will work on you individually within your class; they will break down your performance and work on any weak points.
See www.helpforheroes.org.uk for more info on the charity.
Above pic is of Vicky Benham (left) and Caz Eristedt (right)
This will be held on Friday 26th November 2010; once again at the Post Office Club, 6 Richfield Avenue, Caversham Reading RG1 8EQ.
This event will incorporate our annual Christmas get together, there will be food and a disco, so please come along and support
your clubmates even if you do not wish to compete.
Congratulations to all the Si-Fu's - Ian, Dan Facey, Dan Eden (Ninja),
Lee and Nadia as well as Liz who did an excellent job timekeeping! And of course to all the students who competed and represented their
respective club branch, not forgetting everyone who donated to the Help for Heroes Charity that helped us raise over £350. Big Thank You All!
------------------------------------------- 29/05/2009-------------------------------------
Dan Eden takes Gold & Dan Facey Bronze in the ISKA London International Freestyle Kickboxing Open
(at Olympic Venue London
ExCel Arena last Sat 29th May), now they set their eyes on competing
in the 2012 Olympic Games.
------------------------------------------- 22/05/2009-------------------------------------
On Sat 22nd May B.I.K.M.A held an Official's course at Pinewood Star Boxing Gym led by the vastly
experienced referee Chris Day
and his chief judge Terry Barns. This covered all the criteria needed
for participants to start helping out as junior referees/ judges at
B.I.K.M.A shows. The course included
an Official's check list for a typical martial arts competition and explained what is needed for
an event to
run smoothly/timely in the safest possible manor. The course covered everything from how to score a fight to
all the
essential safety equipment needed for typical light continuous bouts to take place.
They also went through all the official B.I.K.MA full and light contract kickboxing rules.
After going through the theory Chris held an
open question and answer session. The participants
then had the opportunity to put the theory into practice. They acted as referees
in the ring whilst
some senior grade fighters carried out typical fight scenarios designed to test how the referees reacted.
Meanwhile the
other attendees acted as judges taking into consideration what they had learned earlier in
the course. Alex Wright and Gary Foster
gained their C Grade level officials certificate.
This same course was held previously at Pinewood in March were Shaolin members Dan Eden, Dan Facey, Mark Rosewell,
Peter Warring and Martin Walker as well as several other members from Chesham Kickboxing & Martial Arts Academy such
as Karen, Becky & Bill Can all gained their C Grade Level officials certificate.
------------------------------------------- 15/06/2009-------------------------------------
Two Shaolin members fought at Gladiator Wars at York Hall,
Bethnal Green on Sun 17th May. Congratulations to Dan Eden who
won his Supper-Middleweight full contact kickboxing fight against
Esmond Francis from Tottenham Kickboxing.
Dan Facey draw his first full contact MMA fight which was a very close fight.
All the photos and results are available on:
www.cagebrawl.co.uk
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