FOUR fighters and their families from the Phoenix Karate Schools travelled to Dublin last weekend to compete in their toughest competition to date. Accompanying them to the Irish Open Karate Championships were chief instructor and AMA squad coach Charlie Trorey 4th Dan and instructor and AMA judge Wayne Trorey 1st Dan.

FOUR fighters and their families from the Phoenix Karate Schools travelled to Dublin last weekend to compete in their toughest competition to date. Accompanying them to the Irish Open Karate Championships were chief instructor and AMA squad coach Charlie Trorey 4th Dan and instructor and AMA judge Wayne Trorey 1st Dan.

The competition opened with the katas and the AMA started well, taking three golds and one bronze.

The first Phoenix student to compete was Charlotte Fisher in the 14-15 girls' open weight team event where she teamed up with Emily Carpendale and Henna Shah. They reached the finals where they lost to the Scottish A team.

In the girls' 10-13 open weight team Sophie Stephenson, Phillipa Earnst and Shannon O'Brien came up against the Ireland A team in the first round. Sophie won her fight with ease with two punches and a Jodan kick (head kick) to win 5-3 on pointse, Phillipa won her fight 6-1.

In the semi-finals they lost when Shannon had to retire in the last fight with a broken big toe, and had to settle for a bronze medal.

In the individuals Charlotte took a bronze medal in her weight category, Frasier Thompson was unlucky in both his individual and team events, narrowly missing out on a medal after going out in the quarter-finals in all three sections.

James Allan was in good form taking a third place in the Male

16-17 under 61kg section losing in encho sen (extra time) by just one point. He then went on to take another bronze medal in the adult under 60kg.

Following her success in the team kumite, Sophi, five hours later was out on the mats again to win her first fight 8-1, scoring two superb head kicks in a space of 30 seconds. In the final she was up against an Irish opponent who she took out with an amazing display of precision techniques. Her timing was perfect as she executed a jodan heel kick to finish the fight and make her the IWKA Irish champion.

Sophie then competed in the last section of the day, the girls' open weight section. All eyes were on the competitors including those of England Karate Federation coach, Wayne Otto.

In her first fight she took her opponent out by a clear three points. She beat her AMA team mate Phillipa Earnst on the way.

In the semi-finals she came up against an Irish international team member and despite putting up a first-class fight she could not pull back the points deficit by the bell and had to settle for a well-

deserved bronze medal.

Charlie said: “I was pleased with the performance of all the AMA squad, from Phoenix James and Sophie performed exceptionally well and I was proud when Wayne Otto approached me about Sophie's performance.”

To train with a club of champions in classes at Acle, Martham, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, Hopton, Oulton Broad, Beccles, Halesworth and their new club at Caister High School, contact Charlie on 01502 730171 or Vivianne on 07895 550168 for details.