2024 was always going to be a big one with the 60th anniversary of summer school and we invited friends new and old from all over the UK and the continent to the biggest summer school since the pandemic. We had attendees from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA. They all made a phenomenal contribution to the week, with particular mentions for La Belle France, the wonderfully unconventional Finns, and the ‘snake hips’ Swiss for running training sessions. The diversity of ideas was fantastic, and a credit to all involved. While summer school was, as ever, the undoubted highlight, I want to take a moment as we move into 2025 to mention the fabulous work going on around the UK.
Up here in the ancient Kingdom of Northumbria, we held our 2nd annual Durham course in June, where we hosted some intrepid southerners (and the odd Welshman) alongside our fabulous neighbours from ‘tha Toon’ (Newcastle). We had me getting smashed about (“Daddy, you are very very good at falling over”) and Sai and Ben getting even bloody faster, all under the watchful eye of Sonny and dear old Timothy Calvert Swan esquire. A particular heartfelt thanks goes out to my latest training partner and possessor of the heaviest hands anywhere, Kelvin “Tinkerbell” Jaggs.
Across in the Land of the Dragon, amazing scenes from the Welsh group. Despite what was without question the coldest ‘Spring’ School since Donald Trump only had a reputation as being a bit of a liar by the standards of 80s boxing promoters, it was absolutely bloody phenomenal. Amazing hospitality from the Cardiff club with their incredible success and enthusiasm. A particular personal mention goes to Tariq from Cardiff, who along with Ben from Hertfordshire, was one of the main features of my Friday morning at summer school practice/tear up. They were both just awesome: giving absolutely everything to the point of exhaustion because they just would not give in. The definition of what karate is all about.
A word too on the incredible force of nature that is Phillippe Halsall. It would be fair to say that we have had our differences across the year, mainly because of a profoundly unfortunate mismatch in competencies. Phil is extremely competent; I am, well, a bit less so. Phil and Rich have built an amazing and growing success in Hertfordshire, with able support from the riff raff (and Peter) over the border in Essex. As much as I hate to admit it, Southerners can in fact be quite good at things, with a similar example of strength in 2024 from the fabulous Bethnal Green club under the inspirational leadership of Stacey and their ‘breakfast afterwards’ training culture. As Keele continues to go from strength to strength with all sorts of depressingly fast and young people, Norwich, Oxford, Penarth, Ascot and London all did some great stuff in 2024. It was wonderful to finish off the year back in sunny Keele with some fantastic Kumite and some variable quality singing. Loved it. What a year.
A massive thankyou to the rest of the management committee on what has been an amazing year, with new initiatives, new marketing (Indre, Rich, and Lindsay – heroes!), sensible voices (former and current VPs Peter and Susannah), and new/expanding clubs all over the place. And of course a big thankyou to the technical executive for their continued guidance and leadership. In a year where the summer school T-shirt was actually cool, we welcomed Southampton back to Canterbury, and had the best membership year since the pandemic. 2025 is going to be awesome. See you at Spring school!
Take a quick look at the 2025 course calendar for upcoming courses: