Good luck to the Rye young people who will be travelling to Australia to compete in the karate world championships later this year. So how did they qualify?
It comes after the SKMA (Sean Kinsella Martial Arts) team travelled to the Oxstalls Sports Park in Gloucester on Sunday, September 6 to attend the ISKA English Championships, hosted by the always professional and friendly Joe Hallett.
Sean commented: “With a team of five competitors we took two Gold, four Silver, and three Bronze medals, everyone qualifying for the ISKA World Championships being held in Australia later this year. Lewis Hubbard became ISKA English K1 Champion 2025 (under 60kg) and Sebastian Rawlins ISKA English Kickboxing Champion 2025 (under 35kg)
We are extremely proud of our whole team against a very high level of competition throughout the day.
“Thanks to SKMA coaches Stace Davies and Robert Cook and to our amazing parents for believing in what we do and travelling hundreds of miles to make their children’s dreams a reality.”
Luca Drummond was one of the lucky students chosen to represent GB. Caroline, his mother, explained his remarkable and remarkably short journey to this point. “Luca had always wanted to do karate but somehow we never really followed it up. It’s not a sport any of us is familiar with. Instead he did years of gymnastics and trampolining, in between other things.
“Finally last September he really insisted that he wanted to start karate and kickboxing. He had his first lesson with Sean Kinsella on September 9, so just a few months ago. Straight away Luca loved both karate and kickboxing. He seemed to pick it up very quickly as he was going through the different colour belts quickly, but we thought that was normal…
His trainer said Luca was talented and Luca received an excellence award from Sean Kinsella a couple of weeks ago.
“Sean selected him to enter the English championships for the kata category of karate (it’s like a routine, a sequence of movements) even though Luca had never entered a competition before. We were surprised and genuinely didn’t think he could get a medal. We thought that perhaps his trainer wanted to show him how it worked, to motivate him.
“The young man who won gold (in front of Luca’s getting silver) is a black belt second Dan. Luca is still only a green belt: so there’s a huge difference in experience and the gold winner’s routine was amazing, more complex and overall fantastic. Still, Luca did ever so well: he has a wonderful presence and focus on the tatami. He’s now keen to learn a more complex Kata for the world’s championship in Australia. Just mentioning Australia sounds a bit unreal. We’re still working out how we can organise it all.
“Doing karate and kickboxing has given Luca a focus and helped with his confidence too. He goes to the gym twice a week and trains in karate and kickboxing two evenings a week, too. He practises all the time at home, walking around our house doing Kata movements, throwing his feet up in the air.
“It’s just so nice to see Luca enjoying himself so much. He really likes how Sean teaches them. Sean’s team did so well at the championship, winning many medals, but also supporting and cheering each other. What a fabulous group of young people they are!!”’
Caroline has set up a Go Fund Me page if you would like to help with travel costs: each contestant has to self-finance.
Sean Kinsella is welcoming new students, so why not start your child’s journey to success?
Mondays:
Tilling Green Community Centre,
Mason Road,
Rye,
TN31 7BE
5:30pm, Children’s Karate (4yrs-11yrs), 6:30pm, Adult Karate (12yrs-Adults), 7:30pm, Kickboxing ((Teens-Adults)
Fridays:
Playden WI Hall,
Houghton Green Lane,
Playden,
Rye,
TN31 7PL
5pm, Children’s Karate (4yrs-11yrs), 5:45pm, Children’s Kickball (5yrs-12yrs), 6:30pm, Adult Karate (12yrs-Adults), 7:30pm, Kickboxing (Teens and Adults).
Image Credits: Janine Robus , Kt bruce , Caroline Drummond , Caroline Drummond .
Congratulations! Very impressive