The brand new Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell was packed out with eager and nervous competitors from all over the UK and Europe for the UK ITF Scottish Championships on Sunday 27th March 2011, including 3 of our very own, namely club chief instructor Mr Walkinshaw, assistant instructor Miss Walkinshaw, and club prodigy Emily Oakes.
The days events got underway with the Senior Male Black Belts taking centre stage, and for the 2nd time in a month Mr Walkinshaw won a Bronze medal, only beaten by the eventual gold medalist in the 3rd degree patterns section. Next up was Miss Walkinshaw in arguably the hardest of all the patterns categories, 2nd degree junior females, and after a couple of rounds she followed in her dad’s footsteps and claimed herself the bronze medal, once again being beaten by the gold medalist in the semi final. This paved the way for Emily to step up to the mark.
Battling through against girls higher graded than her, Emily managed to win each round of the patterns competition to claim her first ever patterns medal, and her first Gold of the day. With very little time for respite it was straight onto sparring and again Emily was on the front foot from the start, winning comprehensively against the other girls, so much so that each fight was a unanimous decision in her favour, and she picked up another Gold to add to the one from earlier, making her both Scottish and British Champion.
The long day wasnt over yet and there was still another medal to come for Miss Walkinshaw who, with a leap to kick a target almost 7 1/2 feet in the air took Silver in the Special Technique section for Junior Black Belt Females.
All in all an incredible and very proud day for all involved, and a massive thanks to both the Oakes and Walkinshaw family members who spent the weekend supporting the competitors.
