Ulster boys at it again
Gerard McLean of Antrim Karate Club along with two of his team mates from Dromore Karate Club, Reece Robinson and Bradley Montgomery, competed in both disciplines of Kata (form) and Kumite (fighing). Having not achieved medals at the Europeans in Switzerland in November 2016, all three boys were wanting to bring home some silverware.
All three boys obtained a bronze medal in their Kata; something Gerard amd thr boys have been working hard on in recent months. Gerard was only beaten by the overall winner who performed a senior dan grade (black belt) kata.
Unfortunately when it came to the fighting, the boys were not victorious; that does not mean that they were beaten easily… far from it…
Gerards fight started well, he controlled the area, was throwing many combinations, it was when his opponent turned to avoid a combination that Gerard capitalised and scored a 3 point head kick, with all four judges raising their flags in confirmation of the points. The fight continued and Gerards opponent showed skill, determination and experience by gaining back to points to win the fight 4-3.
The other two boys on the team fought extremely hard fights, with Reece fighting someone twice his size, going down one point in the early stages of the fight, and with the heart of a lion bringing it back to a draw. Reece demonstrated his tenacity of ‘it aint over until the bell rings’… very proud of how he fought.
Bradley fought strong and smart, using the massive reach of his arms and legs to his advantage, keeping his opponent at distance, unfortunately time got the better of Bradley and the match was deemed a draw.
Both Reece and Bradley lost their fights with their opponent being awarded victory on the majority of 3-2 from the panel of judges.
All the boys gracefully accepted their defeat and held their heads high, knowing they had put in a performance, it just wasn’t their day for the fighting.
All three boys continue to work hard towards the World Karate Championships in Belgrade, Serbia in June this year by attending extra training and squad sessions in Belfast, Derry and Limavady on a fortnightly basis.
