Dojo members win gold at WTKA World Championship

The DOJO WTKA Champions

Five members of The Dojo Karate Centre on Castlemere Street, Rochdale, returned from the World Traditional Karate/Kickboxing Associaton (WTKA) World Karate Championships this week with amazing results.

The training paid off for the Dojo members who beat fierce competition as five members returned with nine medals.

Zain Ul-Abedin beat last year's world champ in the semi-final play-off for the bronze in the -140cm Shobu Sanbon Fighting, and narrowly missed and lost in the Point Fighting at the quarter-final stage.

Jack Jolliffe got bronze in the 10-12 years Kata, gold in Shobu Sanbon and gold in Point Fighting for -150cm categories.

Natalie Dean performed excellently in the finals, after taking a knock to the head, eye, jaw, throat and ribs in the earlier rounds she went on to win gold in the girls 13-15 years Shobu Sanbon and gold in Point Fighting.

Jamie Ellis got gold in youths 16-18 years +60kg event for Shobu Sanbon and silver in Point Fighting. Thomas Bates won gold in the mens +19 years Junior Grade Kata event. 

Their pre-competition training was directed by the Dojo chief instructor, Irfan Ansari, who led the group to Italy with help from Lee Jolliffe who helped with administration duties, and Suli.

Sensei Ansari said: "The behaviour of the children was impeccable, and there were no problems at all.

"When the performance is right, the results always speak for themselves! So much so that when other national coaches and judges make remarks in their broken English like 'England Coach. - your kids are very very good', we know our coaching method is the best in the area because it is proven. A big well done to everyone who went to the world championships.

"We would like to thank councillors from the Action and Resources Committee, and Rochdale Township for supporting Zain and Jack to attend the Championships, without their help we would not have been able to attend."