• Perth Students Make WKA History . . . . . . ... .. . . . . . . . .. . .
• Black Belt Success
• Michael Page Seminar
• Good Luck Natasha
• Fundraising

Competition News. . . . . . . . . . .

In recent years the WKA World Championships have brought some fantastic moments for several Perth Temple Students. In 2005 Ryan Lyall claimed Silver in Canada in Light Contact, Spain 2006 brought Bronzes in Light and Semi Contact for Brianna Walker, with her older sister Natasha claiming Silver in Semi Contact. In 2007 Natasha went on to become the first Scot to win Gold in Semi and Light Contact at the same Championships, in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Last year more history was made! At the 2008 WKA World Championships, held at the Disney Resort, Florida, 12 year old Amber Shearer became the first Scot ever to take Gold in Kata, of any type, at any age. She became WKA World Champion in the “U13 Kids Soft Forms” division. Incredibly, Scotland had two medallists on the same podium, as Perth’s own Catriona Beattie accompanied Amber by taking Bronze in the same category! Amber had a particularly fantastic Championships, where she also took Silver in her Semi Contact division, only losing out by a couple of points after 2 rounds and extra time. Superb!

Although departed from Temple in the summer, after nearly 10 years, special note is made of Natasha Walker’s achievement of successfully defending her 2 xWKA World Titles in the USA, and becoming the first Scot to ever do the successive Double Double!

Kickboxing is not an Olympic sport, yet. It does not get any bigger in Kickboxing than representing your Country at the World Championships. The WKA (World Karate & Kickboxing Association) is the oldest kickboxing association in the world, and one of the most respected. For those of you who have been at Temple a while, you will be aware that last year we had a bit of a set-back when our Chief Instructor decided to take a much lesser “hands on” role, for personal reasons. However, it is prudent to point out that as well as Ryan, Brianna, Amber and Catriona, all of our other Senior and Junior Instructors; Billy Beattie, David McAlpine, Michelle Macguire and Adam Shearer have also represented Scotland at previous WKA World Championships! The future is bright!

Good luck to Perth Instructor Natasha Walker, who will be travelling to fields anew shortly, when she takes her “gap” year before taking up her University place in 2009. Natasha started at Perth nearly 10 years ago and in that time, and under the tutelage of Chief Instructor Robert Smith, she has become World, European and British Champion. This year she will be travelling to Florida with the Scottish National Team to compete at the WKA World Championships, as well as representing Great Britain at the WAKO World Championships in Italy.

Natasha is leaving Perth in August, and travels down to London, where she will be training and working with Master Curtis Page and the Great Britain Martial Arts Academy (GBMAA). Temple and GBMAA have been “friends” for many years, and Natasha is looking forward to being able to train at a full time academy, particularly with the two World Championships in mind, later in the year. Natasha is looking upon this as a sabbatical, and intends to return home to Scotland next summer.

Keep in touch at www.natashawalker.co.uk

• 12th - CIMAC Super League World Cup, Maidenhead.

August

• 23rd IAKSA Ayr Open.

September

• 13th - CIMAC Super League UK Open, Maidenhead
• 20th - MAI Open British Championships, Manchester.

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Black Belt Success

Congratulations to David McAlpine & Michelle Macguire for recently passing their Senior Kickboxing Black Belt grading. Both instructors at Perth, they travelled all the way up to Elgin, Morayshire on the 25th October 2008 to sit their grading at the Wright Freestyle & Fitness Club in Elgin, with Temple Chief Instructor, Robert Smith, heading the panel.

Well done guys!

 

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GBMAA Elite Venom Seminar

Many thanks to GBMAA's Michael "Venom" Page and Kevin Baldwin for putting on a semi contact seminar at the Douglas Sports Centre, Dundee, on Saturday 13th September, 2008. Along with Great Britain Martial Arts Academy's Master Curtis Page and members of their Elite Fighting Team (including Perth's own Natasha Walker), the guys travelled up from Surrey for a whistle-stop visit, especially for the seminar.

Michael Page is a 10 times World Champion, and is widely known as one of the best points fighters in the world, if not the best. This was a fantastic training opportunity for any fighter with any interest in semi contact. Along with large contingencies from the Rivals Gym, Allanton, and Kaizen Karate, Elgin, there were several other clubs represented on the day, including Temple. Perth's William Wallace & Brianna Walker both attended and found it a very hard, but thoroughly enjoyable training session. This was the opinion of all those who attended, and with many of those present representing Scotland at the WKA World Championships, it was considered to have been a huge benefit in attending.

Master Curtis Page was delighted with the attendance, and GBMAA are hoping to put on another Seminar in Scotland early in the New Year. Watch this space!

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Fundraising

Click on image to enlarge

Congratulations to all those who took part in the fundraising bag-pack at Perth ASDA on Saturday 31st May, 2008. The event was arranged to give some financial backing for our Students who are representing Scotland at the WKA World Championship, to be held in America this year, as well as raise some funds for some new equipment for the club. Additionally, £100 was also donated by Temple to local charity "Children 1st".

The five students travelling to Florida later in the year can be seen here receiving their cheques - from left to right: Kyle Young, Michelle McGuire, Catriona Beattie, Amber Shearer & Natasha Walker. It was a long day, but everyone should be very proud of their hard work.

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