Five players from Bridgeview Judo club recently competed at the Sussex Red & Yellow Belt Championships. Held in Ashington and attended by clubs from across the county and further afield, this was a great event for some of the club's up and coming judoka.
Freddy Bloeman had a tough day, with some very good players in his group. However he developed through each round, listening to coaching advice and improving in each fight. He tried varied techniques and did not make it easy for his opponents. He was unlucky in a couple of his matches not to take scores but ultimately was not able to gain any wins. He was awarded a runner's up bronze medal for his very valiant efforts.
Elsie Riggs also had a tricky group of more experienced players to contend with and found herself outmatched in her bouts. She continued to fight on with a smile on her face and will now move forward, looking to improve her competitive techniques in future competitions. She also came away with a runners up bronze medal.
Brothers Oliver and Emmett Prokopy (affiliate members from Brighton Judo), both had an excellent day of judo in their respective categories. They had really strong opposition but in both cases, the boys were determined and showed some real skills on the mat. They won all but one fight in their groups, and that contest, for both boys, could have gone either way. They used a variety of techniques, did some excellent groundwork and didn't give up, even when faced with a loss. Both Prokopy brothers came away with a well earned silver medal.
Lastly, but by no means least, was Emily Charman. After a slightly shaky start, Emily dominated her group, showing some fantastic development and real skills. She was tactical, used several very strong techniques on the ground, and showed her abilities when faced with some very good opponents. In one fight in particular, she used a combination technique which completely took the other player by surprise, giving Emily an excellent win. Overall, she came away with a closely fought silver and narrowly missed out on gold.
All in all, this was an excellent day of judo for the club, especially with the Sussex County Judo Trials just around the corner.