Patrick Seaman (photo: Denise Hardy).

Karate kids do it again!

Three members of the Hastings branch of Canton Martial Arts Karate Club were victorious at the weekend when they won four  trophies between them at the NAS (National All Styles) UK Martial Arts Tournament held in Reading on 19 October, writes Chris Cormack.

The students, the youngest of whom is just six years old, have only been studying karate for a period of months, and this was only their second ever competition. The club’s dojo, based in the Summerfields Leisure Centre in Bohemia Road, runs classes twice a week on Mondays and Fridays for ‘little samurais’, aged five years and over, juniors up to 14 years and adults of all ages.

Sensei Mike ‘Spud’ Hardy, who runs the dojo with his wife, Sensei Denise ‘D’ Hardy, said: “We are immensely proud of the amazing achievements made by our students at this competition, especially given the short period of time they have been studying karate. The competition was attended by martial artists from all over southern England and beyond, and the standard was very high. We are very confident that more of our students will go on to achieve even greater successes in coming tournaments.”

Sophia Saxby and Faith McMorran (photo: Denise Hardy).

Canton Martial Arts, which has branch dojos elsewhere in Sussex and Kent, won an impressive tally of 30 trophies between them. The club is overseen by founder and owner, world champion Kigen Richard Canton, who also won an astonishing six trophies at the weekend event and is unquestionably the hot favourite to win the NAS Champion of Champions trophy later in the year.

New students of all ages are welcome. Please contact Canton Martial Arts Black Belt Academy on  01323 419799 to book your two free trial classes, or call Sensei Mike Hardy on 07799 493393.

Tournament results: Patrick Seaman 2nd place in continuous sparring. (Male Novice 10th Kyu to 6th Kyu category) and 2nd place in points sparring, same category; Sophia Saxby (aged 10), 2nd place Kata Forms (10-11 years, 6th Kyu to Black Belt, category male & female); Faith McMorran (6) 3rd place Kata Forms (Pee Wee 7 years and under, male and female); special mention for Finn Seaman, (7), who narrowly missed out in points sparring (7 years and under, male and female).

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