10.07.2026
R&P Club grading - Summer 2026
Keeley - 9th kyu
Owen - 8th kyu (double grade!)
Eden - 8th kyu
Ivy - 8th kyu
Maggie - 8th kyu
Pippa - 7th kyu
Rudra - 7th kyu
Rithika - 7th kyu
Alfie - temporary 6th kyu
Ivan - 6th kyu
Xavi - 6th kyu
Clara - 6th kyu
Erron - 4th kyu
Havana - 4th kyu
Katy - 3rd kyu
Donna - 3rd kyu
Taj - 3rd kyu
Harry - 3rd kyu
Ez - 3rd kyu
Sera - 3rd kyu
Sandrea - 2nd kyu
Celine - 2nd kyu
Cera - 1st kyu
Congratulations to our club members who graded!
Our very own Sensei Richard, 7th dan, who is a grading examiner for the KUGB, led the pre-training course for all grades. Despite the very warm weather, everyone trained hard and kept their concentration levels high.
Sensei Richard then called groups forwards at a time so they could demonstrate the techniques they have been practicing over the last few months, as well as performing their katas and showing off their kumite skills.
Overall the standard was high. A special mention to Owen, who double graded, and to Clara - who was noted to have improved dramatically from her previous grading.
05.07.2026
Curry night
Left side, front to back: Tegwen, Richard, Francis, Donna, Matthew, Katy
Right side front to back: Steve, John, Phil, Russell, Keil, Keeley, Dan, Jamie
Another excellent evening at the Suhail Tandoori in Prestatyn.
What karate night out at an Indian restaurant would be complete without poppadoms, chutneys, curry, naan, beer and of course, Sensei Richard demonstrating his famous 3 man lift!
04.07.2026
Keil competes at the Shotokan Cup
Keil pictured with Donna, who came to support, and Sensei Richard, who was a referee.
A shout out to Keil, who journeyed to Nottingham to represent the Rhyl & Prestatyn Shotokan Karate Club at the Shotokan Cup. This KUGB event has only individual categories and is only open to black and brown belts. The standard is generally high. After finding his kumite feet at the recent Welsh Championships, Keil is keen to increase his fighting experience wherever possible. He competed in both the senior male and veteran male categories, and although he did not walk away with any medals he was pleased both with his performance and what he learnt during the day. Well done Keil - great attitude!
03.07.2026
Phil Marshall-Thomas receives his 40 years LSM
Congratulations to Sensei Phil Marshall-Thomas. He was due to receive his 40 years ‘LSM’ award at the recent KUGB National Championships. Unfortunately a bad back prevented him from making the trip to Nottingham. On Friday he was surprised to be presented his certificate by none other than Sensei Frank Brennan, 8th dan, who awarded it to him with the club cheering him on.
03.07.2026
Guest Instructor - Sensei Frank Brennan
We were honoured to welcome Sensei Frank Brennan, 8th dan, to teach a guest instructor session. Sensei Brennan is an internationally renowned karateka, who dominated shotokan karate in the 1970s and 80s, winning multiple championships in both kata and kumite. Following his competitive career he has played a key role training the KUGB England Team and teaching and promoting shotokan karate in the UK.
Sensei Brennan taught a junior class, where he emphasised the foot shape for keage and kekomi and ensured the class kept up their concentration and energy at all times. In the senior session there was an opportunity to train and receive feedback on a kata of choice, as well as 3 variations on a defence to ushiro geri.
20.06.2026
KUGB Welsh Championships - 2026
Rhyl & Prestatyn sent a large team to the 2026 KUGB Welsh Championships, which took place in Merthyr Tydfil. Following a (very!) early start, the 15 strong band of competitors assembled in their gis and club overgis - ready to show the world what they were made of! They were accompanied by Sensei Richard, who was chief referee at the competition, and Sensei Tegwen, who coached the team - with assistance from Francis and Matthew when they were not competing! Our competitors were also cheered on by the strong band of parents who came to support.
Junior medal winners
The junior categories took place in the morning.
Up first was Pippa in the ‘Sprite’ kata and ippon kumite. Focused and unruffled performances saw Pippa sail into the finals, where she walked away with 2 very well deserved gold medals!
Check out the photos to see Pippa in action and receiving some last minute coaching from Sensei Richard.
Henry, Celine, Erron, Sera and Havana all competed in the ‘Pee Wee’ kata, which was a large category.
Erron performed a spirited kihon kata in the first round, and a confident heian nidan in the second, resulting in a draw. Unfortunately his rendition of heian shodan was not enough to take him further.
Havana also started off with kihon kata, but in her second round came up against Sera, who triumphed with a superior heian yondan, but sadly went out herself in the next round.
Henry had a tough passage through the eliminations. He held his first round opponent to a draw with heian nidan, before winning with Heian yondan. The second round was just as challenging, drawing on with Heian nidan and winning with heian sandan, but this was enough to reach the finals. Here Henry performed a solid heian godan to secure a silver medal!
Celine found a new level at the competition, excelling through the rounds with both Heian godan and Heian nidan. In the final her Heian godan earned her a very well deserved gold!
In the boys and girls kata Tilly, Cera, Jaiden and Sandrea all represented the club. Cera gave a strong performance of heian sandan in the first round, but went out in a split flag decision in the second with heian nidan. Sandrea performed a spiritied heian yondan, but it was not enough to take her through. Jaiden also excelled through the first round with heian sandan, but failed to progress with heian nidan. Tilly also drew and won with heian sandan in the first round, but went out with heian nidan. Good performances all around however!
In team kata, our newly formed team managed to earn a place in the final with a well coordinated heian nidan. A fine rendition of heian sandan awarded them 3rd place!
In the Pee Wee ippon kumite 4th kyu and below the Rhyl and Prestatyn club dominated the category with Sera in gold, Havana in silver and Erron in bronze medal positions! In the above 3rd kyu Celine achieved a bronze.
In the ju kumite categories, Cera, Sandrea and Jaiden all fought bravely. Sandrea came away with a silver medal, and special mention to Jaiden who advanced through several rounds to take home his silver in a close run match where he dominated from the outset.
The senior competition took place in the afternoon. Matthew, Donna, Katy and Francis all competed in the senior kata, with Katy and Matthew also venturing into the veterans category. Everyone did themselves proud, but Francis was the star of the show, making it through to the final where he earned a silver with sochin.
In the kumite, Matthew and Keel entered both senior male kumite and the veterans comeptition. Despite brave performances Matthew was defeated. Keel saw his way to a bronze medal in the veterans however! Sadly Francis’ category was cancelled!
The team kumite saw our team of 3 giving spirited attacks and utilising techniques in training, but sadly they could not prevail and walked away with bronze.
Overall a spectacular day for the Rhyl & Prestatyn Shotokan Karate Club and their supporters. Well done all.
14.06.2026
Guest Instructor - Sensei Petre Nicolescu
We were delighted to welcome Sensei Petre Nicolescu, 4th dan with the KUGB, to our Rhyl dojo. Petre’s specialty is kata, and has won the Romanian Nationals on 2 occasions, as well as winning gold in Team Kata at the KUGB Nationals. He has competed for Romania, taking 4th place in an international competition with over 1000 entries.
His class focused on the performance of kata, with an emphasis on shifting body weight to bring power to the moves, and the use of the leading hand and hikite to create dynamism.
09.05.2026
Sensei Steve - 50 years LSM award
Congratulations to Sensei Steve Peters, who was awarded his 50 year ‘LSM’ award at the National Championships, to recognise his long term commitment to the KUGB.
Photo shows Steve (right) receiving his certificate from Jon Bruce, Chairman of the KUGB.
01.05.2026
Guest instructors - Holly & Jon Bruce
We were delighted to welcome Jon and Holly Bruce, both 6th dan, to give a guest instructor session.
The first class was for more junior grades, white belt to 4th kyu (purple and white stripe). The kihon focused on foot position and correct stance, building up to demonstrate the use of twisting forces to generate power. For kata and kumite, the class was split, with the lower grades applying self-correction techniques to kihon kata, before performing their own katas, whilst 7th kyu and above focused on heian sandan. The lower grades had the opportunity to practice more basic kumite with the higher grades trying out new movements with gyaku tsuki against partners.
In the senior class there was a focus on maewashi geri, moving through a series of attacking and countering sequences. In addition, the blackbelts had the opportunity to learn Wankan, one of the more rarely performed senior dan grade katas.
Both sessions were fun and informative, and we look forward to building on these skills in our regular classes.
18.04.2026
Liverpool Youth Championships - 2026
On On Saturday 18th April, 6 competitors set out from Rhyl & Prestatyn, to compete in the Liverpool Youth Championships.
First up was Team kata, where Theo, Taj and Harry performed a spirited Heian Nidan. They were the most junior competitors in their pool and gave a strong performance of which they should be proud, sadly not scoring high enough to proceed to the final.
The children’s kata aged 9-11 was a large category with 4 pools. Theo performed a sharp kihon kata but lost in a close call by the judges - 1 flag to 2. Taj gave a fast and strong performance of Heian nidan, but unfortunately also went out. Harry had a by in the first round and proceeded to round 2, where he drew Heian yondan against a black belt rival. Again it was close with Harry losing in a split decision, 1 flag to 2.
Francis, competing in the 18-20 years higher grade kata, drew with his first round opponent with Heian nidan. A rematch meant Francis’ superior rendition of Heian godan gave him the victory. In round 2 he gave a sharp and powerful performance of Heian sandan which won him the round and a place in the final. For the final the competitors chose their favourite kata and Francis’ sochin was strong with impressive low stances, though a slight misstep cost him top marks and he was awarded 4th place.
In the kumite, Taj demonstrated good footwork and spooking, pressuring his 1st kyu opponent and using the area. He threw several chudan mawashis which were just short of connecting. Unfortunately his opponent scored with a jodan and then a chudan tsuki, winning the match.
Theo had a by in the first round. In the second he fought well, catching his opponent early on with a jodan kizame tsuki. He then received a jodan punch back and they drew requiring a 1 minute extension. During this both sides scored wazari and unfortunately Theo lost on the judges decision.
Harry fought bravely against a larger black belt competitor, but was unable to score and lost by 2 wazaris.
Jaiden fought in the 12-13 year old kumite category. He drew against a black belt in the first round, but showed no fear, moving forward swiftly to take the fight to his opponent. Unfortunately he did not score and a well timed counter meant he went down by a wasari. Jaiden pushed forwards again launching a jodan mawashi which did not connect, but a further counter came under his guard and he lost the match.
Erron, our youngest competitor, was the star of the day. Unfortunately he went out first round in the kata, but in ippon kumite he came into his own. He had a by in the first round. In the second he gave a convincing victory against a taller opponent. In the 3rd he won again, with confident attacks and blocks reaching the semi finals. Erron performed with great attitude once more but unfortunately just lost to the eventual gold medalist with a split decision from the judges, 1 flag to 2, ultimately walking away with a bronze medal.
Congratulations to all 6 who took part and many thanks to Steve, Tegwen and Matthew for coaching, the parents for cheering and Richard for all his work preparing the squad.
20.03.2026
Kyu grading - Spring 2026
On Friday 20th March, Sensei Garry Harford (8th dan) visited the club to give a course followed by a kyu grading.
Well done to all those who trained and congratulations to those who graded:
Jaiden - 1st kyu
Cera Geo - 2nd kyu
Celine Geo - 3rd kyu
Sandrea Jestin - 3rd kyu
Sera Jestin - 4th kyu
Katy - 4th kyu
Donna - 4th kyu
Taj - 4th kyu
Ez - 4th kyu
Harry - 4th kyu
Erron - 5th kyu
Havana - 5th kyu
Ivan - 7th kyu
Xavi - 7th kyu
Clara - 7th kyu
Alfie - 7th kyu
Pippa - 8th kyu
Jaxon - 8th kyu
Rudra - 8th kyu
Rithika - 8th kyu
Maggie - 9th kyu
Eden - 9th kyu
08.03.2026
Rhyl & Prestatyn Club Competition - 2026
The Rhyl dojo was transformed into a competition arena, with a single central tatami. Senseis Richard (referee), Russell, Steve, Francis, Matthew (judges) and Tegwen (desk) officiated. All club members were given the opportunity to compete with a total of 4 separate categories:
1. Individual kata novice to 4th kyu
The largest category of the competition with 20 entries, our students had to perform a Heian Kata of the referee’s choice on the spot and were eliminated in knock out rounds. Harry, Clara, Erron and Pippa all made the final. Each performed a kata of their choice. When the points were in the final results were:
1st place: Harry, with Heian Nidan
2nd place: Clara, with Heian Nidan
3rd place: Erron, with Heian Yondan
4th place: Pippa, with Heian Shodan
2. Individual kata 3rd kyu and above
In the brown and black belt category the katas were judged in a single round with points. The clear winner of the category was Theo, who performed a strong and exciting Bassai Dai.
3. Individual ju kumite (shobu ippon) - 3rd kyu and above aged 13-14 years
The three competitors (Jaiden, Tilly and Cera) in this category entered a ‘round robin’ competition. Jaiden, who won both his fights was crowned the overall winner.
4. Ippon kumite 7th to 4th kyu
This category was fiercely contested with many excellent performances and good attitude throughout. The final results were:
1st place: Taj
2nd place: Donna
=3rd: Sera
=3rd: Celine
A special mention for Sera (8 years old), who performed magnificently, often against opponents nearly twice her height
25.01.2026
Senseis Richard & Tegwen are selected for Central Region Kata Squad for 2026
Sensei Richard and Sensei Tegwen travelled to Grantham on January 25th to try out for the central region kata squad, on which Richard has trained for many years and which Tegwen has trained for 3 previous years. Around 100 black and brown belts were present and each had to perform an unknown Heian kata succesfully to join the training for the year.
Following selection, Sensei Frank Brennan - 8th dan, taught an informative 2 hour session covering Heian shodan, Heian yondan, Bassai dai and Nijushiho. Richard and Tegwen look forward to continuing to improve their own performances as well as bringing extra insights to their teaching of other club members.
Pictured from left to right: Tegwen Ecclestone, Frank Brennan, Richard Poole
18.01.2026
3 generations of karateka - a true family club!
On Sunday18th January, Francis, Matthew and Michael Curtis were all training together in the Rhyl & Prestatyn dojo.
Pictured here with our senior instructor, from left to right: Francis Curtis, Michael Curtis, Richard Poole, Matthew Curtis.
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