Write a commentShinken Shobu Ryu Judo Club have had a very successful year with medals won at many different championships in the second half of the year.
The club was founded over 45 years ago by Martin Savage Sensei, 4th Dan, a teacher in St Marks Secondary school in Warrenpoint. The club has occupied a number of premises over the years but now has its dojo based in Warrenpoint Enterprise Centre. Martin has recently retired but still remains involved with technical aspects of the clubs progression.
Current club coaches, Dermot McCaul, 4th Dan, Nigel O’Neill, 3rd Dan and Olegas Gajosinkas, 2nd Dan have continued Martin’s work in developing player abilities towards competitive judo and their knowledge of judo kata. 2019 has been a busy year for club members.
Awards
June 2019
Club members won three gold medals in the All Ireland Kata Championships hosted by the Dublin School of Judo. Kata is a formalised sequence of judo techniques.
October 2019
- 20th October, at the Shori Judo Club Open, on their first outing, club members Rory Hillen won gold, Martin Fearon won silver and Conor Yendall won bronze medal in the senior competition categories.
- 26th October, at the Irish Judo Association Veterans Open held in Finglas Dublin, Dermot McCaul won Silver in the U90 Kg Masters category and Bronze in the U90 kg Masters Open category.
Shori Seniors. From left: Dermot McCaukl, John Finnegan, Martin Fearon, Nigel O’Neill, John McKinney
November 2019
- On 13 November, Dermot McCaul and Nigel O’Neill competed in the British Judo Association Kata Championships held in Kidderminster, hosted by Samurai Judo Club. They won two silver, for Katame no Kata, Goshin Jutsu kata and a bronze medal for their Kime no Kata.
- On 17 November, Dermot McCaul and Nigel O’Neil competed in the British Judo Council Closed National Tournament held in Kettering. Hey won silver medals in Goshin Jutsu kata and Kime No Kata.
- 23 November, at the North West Internal Open Tournament held in Derry, six club members won 7 medals. Rory Hillen won gold in snr U81kg, Dan Campbell won bronze in snr U81kg, Conor Yendall won gold in the U90kg senior, Gearard O’Mora won two bronze medals in the U90 kg Senior and Masters category, John McKinney won gold in the Adaptive section and Dermot McCaul won silver in the Masters U90kg category.
Dermot McCaul, left, Irish Judo Association Veteran Silver Medalist
December 2019
- 1 December, Olegas Gajosinkas and Dermot McCaul receive level 1 certification in Go No Sen no Kata at in Omah, hosted by Omagh judo Club.
A busy but very fruitful six months for Shinken Shobu Ryu judo club. It can only get better for 2020. If you want to share in the club’s success, try something different, gain new skills and develop a new approach for 2020 then check the club out on twitter @SSRjudo or on Facebook.
