2013 - The year in review

2013 was a busy year here in the IKK.

We held our annual clicker tournament and our Junior Clicker Coach Sensei Steve Quaile used this to pick the team for the Severn Challenge later in the year. We had an absence from this event for a couple of years so it was good to be back in 2013. Sensei Steve is planning for 2014 and the Junior World Tournament in 2015. Senpai Dave King was appointed Assistant Junior coach this year. Sensei Jon Maher was appointed Kata coach and held several Kata Sessions in preparation for the forthcoming World Tournament in Belgium in 2014 and beyond.

Sensei Ken Fitzpatrick and Sensei Shane Mulhall worked tirelessly throughout the year as our Knockdown coaches. Together they entered teams into 2 regional tournaments, 1 national tournament and 2 World Tournaments. And those teams brought home a total of 13 trophies. Special Mention to Senpai Aneta Meskauskiene who won 5 of those trophies including 2nd place at the World Tournament. Looking ahead to 2014 it looks like the coaches will be busy as ever with the usual tournaments and a European Knockdown in November.

Our referees were busy in both Clicker and Knockdown. We held 2 referee courses and had officials at our own National Clicker tournament and at 4 Knockdown events in Greece and the UK. Sensei Shane Lalor and Sensei Jon Maher received their International Judge certificates from the IFK Chief referee Shihan Alex Kerrigan.

Throughout the year each Dojo held there own Kyu gradings and this meant our panel of grading instructors were kept very busy. We also held two national gradings for Brown belt and above. This year saw one new member of the IKK Yudansha - Senpai Niall King of Galway dojo. Also this year we saw the promotion to Rokudan of our Chief Instructor Shihan Kevin Callan.

All in all a busy 2013. We look forward to an even busier and action packed 2014.

Osu

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