Congratulations to everyone who took part in our first Mixed Martial Arts grading, everyone listed below has successfully passed!
High score of the day – well done to Matthew Helling 56.5%
Yellow Belt: Pass Mark – 50%
| Matthew Helling | 56.5 |
| David Knight | 55.5 |
| Marley Neville-Lister Soroush Mahdavi |
52.3 56.3 |
Congratulations to everyone listed below who have passed their grading exams.
“Well done” to Callum Casey-Clothier for the highest score of the day.
Brown Stripe Belt.
| Kirsty Mccourt | 86.7 | % |
| Jim Mullins | 80.5 | % |
| Rosalind Lidster | 87.2 | % |
| Kavanagh Jones | 83.2 | % |
Black Belt 1st Dan
| Paul Thomas | 85.0 | |
| Callum Casey-Clothier | 91.8 | |
| Eduardo Suarez | 82.0 | (Referral) |
| Tania Preece | 91.2 |
Cimac Superleague Maidenhead 11th November 2012
All highlights are available now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx-1iBv-3_M&feature=plcp
Having competed in 7 Cimac Superleague competitions in 2012 the Genesis Unleashed Fight Team have travelled to Windsor 3 times, Birmingham twice, Stoke, and Dorking racking up points racking up wins towards the Cimac Superleague Grand Championship with the final event taking place in Maidenhead.
In attendance were Archie Thompson and Kieran Johnson who have already secured their Cimac Grand Championship titles with insurmountable 25 point and 12 point leads in their respective categories.
Also in with the chance of taking home the Cimac Grand Championships titles are Waleed Bin Akram who entered the day with a 3 point lead in his category, Louise Birkett who had a 1 point lead and Armid Akram who was a single point behind the leader in his category.
Unable to fight due to injury fight team members Archie Thompson and Shannon Barlow supported their Team Mates with their attendance. Backing up the Unleashed Fight Team were Squad members Liam Blandford, Adam Spittles and Brothers Ven and AJ Gunasingham.
Having competed in the boys under 4ft 2 novice section all year Waleed Bin Akram led the Genesis Unleashed Team out to his sixth win of the year which resulting in him being crowned the 2012 Cimac Superleague Grand Champion in the Novice Boys under 4ft 2 semi contact section.
Waleed also competed in the boys advanced semi contact section under 4ft 2 which had just 3 participants, meaning Waleed was guarenteed a bronze medal. In the opening round Waleed held his own but was unable to overcome his more experienced opponent losing by several points whilst gaining an important lesson that he needs to improve and that there are stronger fighters out there to challenge next year. After a tiring set of fights Waleed was still happy with his days work and his bronze medal.
Next up in the boys under 4ft 9 novice semi contact section were Liam Blandford and Ven Gunasingham, both students were in only their 2nd competition of the year. With both winning their first round matches they were set to meet in the second round. In a close match neither classmate wanted to lose with Liam adopting an attacking strategy with Ven sitting back looking to counter. In the close match the scores were tied as time had expired in the first frame. At the end of an extended 30 second period which was back and fourth both continued to be deadlocked on points and the match went to sudden death. With both fighters looking to take the advantage it was Venathon who scored the all important point to secure the victory.
In the next round Ven unfortunately received a kick to the shoulder which left him unable to continue in the competition. Neither he or Liam are Fight Team members but they certainly haven’t hurt their chances of potentially being inducted the team in 2013 with their promising performances.
Showing true Genesis grit and looking to get more mat time and experience Liam also entered himself in the boys advanced under 4ft 9 section. In the opening round Liam was unable to execute his game plan due to the skill level of his opponent but his put on a good fight and continued to press his opponent through out.
Big brother of Ven, AJ fought in the young men’s under 60kg light contact section. Facing larger more experienced opponent a visibly nervous AJ imposed his game on his opponent in parts and looked to be getting into the fight as time progressed. As time expired the judges gave a unanimous decision to his opponent but it was a positive outing for AJ who said he really enjoyed it and wanted to know when the next competition was. With more competition experience AJ will be a force and will be a welcome member to the Genesis Stable of up and coming fighters.
Having grown 3 inches in 2012 Kieran Johnson now stands 5ft 4 inches and has outgrown the boys under 5ft 2 section which he secured the Cimac Grand Champion 2012 in. So what to do now? Test him for 2013. Kieran was entered into both semi and light contact advanced sections under 5ft 5. As with Kieran in the 5ft 2 section several of the fighters in the 5ft 5 section had outgrown it but were eligible to fight in at as they started the year in the section despite being taller than the 5ft 8 referee. Kieran has come a long way in the last year and this test showed just how far he has come. Kieran won the boys semi contact section and secured third place in the boys light continuous sections which is promising and shows his new found maturity.
At this point of the day it is usually time for Fight Team members Shannon Barlow and Archie Thompson to compete in their sections. Unfortunately both are out with injury at present so could not fight on the day. Fortunately for Archie he has secured boys Grand Champion under 5ft 2 section at light continuous before hand. Shannons injury at Cimac Dorking meant that her challenge for the title has now evaporated but she resulted in a runner up overall which is certainly not to be sniffed at.
Fighting is an individual sport but to be successful you need your team behind you. They drive you, support you and to share in your success and both Shannon and Archie know this and this is why it was so important for them to attend to support their Team Mates. Its not just their fighting that got them onto the Unleashed Fight Team. Its their support of the team which they demonstrated with their attendance, its their determination they show when they fight and its their work ethic in training which makes them so successful.
Next up fight Team member Louise Birkett looked to extend her narrow one point lead in the girls over 5ft 2 section. As has now become a Genesis trait all the students surrounded the Louise’s area on mass and cheered her on to win the section and to secure the girls over 5ft 2 light contact Cimac Grand Champion 2012.
In the men’s intermediate under 75kg section Armid Akram looked to beat rival Anthony Yearwood who sat 1 point above him on the Grand Championship leader-board. The draw sheet was set up so that provided both won they would meet in the final, and for once the stars were aligned and they met in the final.
Instructor Mat Jackson paced nervously behind Armid knowing that should he win in this fight both fighters would be level on point and would need to fight off again later in the day to crown an eventual winner.
Both fighters have been well matched all year so victory for either would be hard fought. This match up was no exception with Armid scoring first and Anthony went 3-1 up then Armid scored a head kick taking it to a tie with time expired. With faking and movement backwards and forwards both fighters tested the others nerve knowing a single point could secure victory. Armid attacked and missed, assuming the referee had called a halt to proceedings he showed his inexperience and absent mindedly spun out into the path of his preying opponent who scored the most important point of the year to secure the victory and the Cimac Grand Championship for 2012. Although visibly disappointed Armid has had a wonderful year and to finish second in the leader-board having missed an event is no mean feat and he can be proud of his achievements.
The final fighter to take to the mat was Adam Spittles in the men’s over 75kg semi contact novice category. Coached by Trevor John, Adam show improved confidence and poise from his last outing at the Cimac Superleague in Dorking and secured victory of the entire section.
Former Genesis Martial Arts student Raj Chiropal also picked up a 2012 Grand Championship title and is settling in well at his adopted TEK Nottingham home where is studying at university. Congratulations also go out to Avinder Panesar the TEK coach who won the award for the 2012 Coach of the year.
2013 looks to be a challenging year for many of the Genesis Squad in particular the kids and teenagers as all the category’s will be by weight and may result in several fighters giving up a few kilos. The change in categories will be difficult but will also assist as Genesis intends to send several of its young students to a World Championship level competition next year which would also be in weight rather than height categories.
The next outing for the Genesis Unleashed Fight Team and Fighting Squad is the Kwon England Grand Slam 2013 on Sunday 13th January 2013 in Birmingham. For the first competition of the year Genesis aim to build on the success of 2012 which has resulted in a total haul of 97 medals in total this year. That includes, 4 Cimac Grand Championsjip Awards 2012, 10 golds in team events, 38 individual gold medals, 22 Silver medals and 23 bronze models and amazing year which has seen Genesis Students succeed in fight shows and competitions.
Top winners are Unleashed Fight Team members
1st Archie Thompson with 10 golds 4 silvers and a single bronze medal.
2nd Waleed Bin Akram with 7 Golds and 2 bronzes
3rd Shannon Barlow with 5 Gold Medals 4 Silver Medals and 3 Bronzes.
As is customary special thanks to parents Steve, Stewart, Mohammed, Sharon and Dave.
November 5th was the last Unleashed Squad Training session of the year for Genesis Martial Arts. This year has seen Archie Thompson, Louise Birkett and Shannon Barlow as the first 3 inductees into the Unleashed Fight Team on the basis of their commitment to training, competition and competition results.
On the Fighting Circuits both the Fight Team members and the Unleashed Squad members have grown in confidence in the kids and adults sections.
The year in retrospect began with the new Genesis Brand being unveiled at the Watford Open in January and students Armid Akram, Craig Johnson and Shannon Barlow all taking first place honors.
The second Team outing was in February to the Windsor and the Cimac Superleague. Building on the success of the Watford Open Armid Akram won the men’s beginners semi contact section and new comer to the circuit and Kieran Johnson younger brother to Craig also placed first.
June saw Genesis produce our first very first Unleashed Fight Show at the Beacon Centre in Beaconsfield. The show produced some epic bouts with Squad members Soroush Mahdani, Matt Vladar, Gary Cook, George Bentley and new coming Tom Stone all securing wins
July saw the Team Unleashed once again in Windsor this time at the Cimac World Cup. The entire blog report for this event is on the blog page but Bradley Reeson won his section against a stacked field after years of competiion. Unleashed Fight Team member Archie Thompson and Pej Kanani secured second places in their categories with Fight Team member Shannon Barlow winning a bronze. The remaining team members many of whom were at their first competition performing well and getting much needed experience under their belt.
Young Kieran Johnson won his second category of the year with victory in the beginners semi contact section at Septembers Maidenhead Superleague. Shannon Barlow placed second in the Final against Shannon Ryan from Watford Renegades.
October had two events the Bristol Open and the Unleashed Fight Show 2. Craig Johnson won his Light continuous section in Bristol and his match up at the Unleashed Fight Show. Younger brother Kieran produced again, winning second place in a large boys beginners section field. Newcomer to the fighting circuit Gary Cook won the men’s semi contact beginners section over 75kg with Armid Akram taking 3rd place in the under 75kg category. Blogs for both give a more in depth account of the events.
In retrospect only the Fight Team members have the wealth of experience to perform consistently, however the fledgling Unleashed Squad performed well in 2011 especially with their limited experience fighting on the competition circuit.
Genesis Instructors have specific requirements for students aiming to secure their place along side Louise Birkett, Sahnnon Barlow and Archie Thompson on the Unleashed Fight Team. The requirements are as follows:
Members are required to attend all Squad Training sessions and represent Genesis Martial Arts positively.
Promote Genesis Martial Arts Fight Team by wearing the Unleashed Squad Suit at all competitions and Squad Training Session.
Attend all Genesis social Events where possible
Attend all competitions attended by the Fight Team and support your team mates.
Demonstrate consistent improvement and competition activity. And to, Share knowledge, strategies, ideas and techniques with team mates.
Unleashed Squad team members Arjun Dulay, Craig Johnson, Kieran Johnson, Armid Akram and Bradley Reeson are all on the cusp of securing their places on the Unleashed Team. Provided they can maintain their performance and follow the above requirements 2012 can see them and other students taking their place.
First step on their journey is the Watford Open on the 29th January 2012. Genesis Unleashed Fight Team members and fighting squad will look to build on the foundation set this this year.
Any students wishing to attend Squad training sessions and potentially secure a place on the fight team should discuss their goals with their instructor and how to achieve them and how to gain an invitation to Squad Training.
The WTKA and WKA Open European Championships where held on the 18th August at Ponds Forge Sports centre, Sheffield.
Genesis entered a small team consisting of Unleashed Squad members Archie Thompson, Louise Birkett and Waleed Bin Akram. Also competing for the second time this year was Genesis Instructor Trevor John.
First to compete in the boys semi contact section as always was Waleed Bin Akram. Uncharacteristically for Waleed he was unable to perform at his usual level and could not progress beyond the first round of the competition.
Always full of surprises Waleed entered himself in the traditional weapons section for 8 to 10 year olds. Now this wouldn’t be surprising until you realise that Genesis Martial Arts only teach Kung Fu weapons forms with a staff or a sword and Waleed hasn’t been taught either. The routine he performed he choreographed himself and was executed brilliantly resulting in him gaining a bronze medal at his first European Championships and his first ever weapons competition. The weapon of choice being Nunchucks!!!!
Waleed on his way to a European bronze medal
Genesis Unleashed stalwart Archie Thompson went straight into the final of the boys semi contact 13 to 17 advanced category where he showed his experience, scoring with multiple head kicks that ended the fight early. Archie can now add a European title to his World Title.
In the boys 13 to 17 light continuous section Archie fought equally well losing a close semi final which could have gone either way and picked up a European bronze medal.
Archie in the Light Contact section
Genesis Unleashed Team member Louise Birkett reached the final to face off in a hotly contested girls light contact final. In an extremely competitive final both girls were warned about the level of contact ad they gave it their all in a bid to take the gold. Ultimately the final decision went against Louise in a very tight match which could have gone either way as Louise adds a European silver medal to her trophy cabinet.
Louise in a hotly contested final
Not to be out done by the youngsters Genesis Martial Arts Instructor took part in the Mens veterans sections in semi contact and light contact. Trevor fought through four opponent in the semi contact section to reach the final of the heavyweight section, where he met a Italian fighter in a tight two rounds of fighting he lost 14-13 gaining a silver medal. In the light contact section he place third to take bronze.
Dusting off the old jumping back kick
Genesis Martial Arts fighters along with the Genesis Unleashed Fight Team will be out again in force at the UK Open Championships on the Sunday 2nd September at Windsor Leisure Centre, Clewer Mead, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 5JB. If you want to come along and support the team please feel free.
If you are a Genesis Martial Arts student and would like to join the Unleashed Fighting Squad, ask you Instructor if you can attend the Genesis Unleashed Squad Training on the 4th September 2012.
As always thanks to parents Steve, Stewart and Mohammed. We couldn’t do this without you guys.
With December being the only quiet month on the competition circuit calendar the Cimac Superleague Dorking looks to be Genesis Martial Arts penultimate event of the year, which has seen the team compete for a record 10th time over the past 10 months.
Considering this it is astonishing when you realise that a year ago Fight Team member Walled Bin Akram hadn’t ever competed on the competition circuit and is now the lead off fighter for the team. And what a lead off fighter he once again proved to be. He demonstrated his poise and patience as he timed and evaded his opponents to take his 3 wins of the year in the boys’ novice under 4ft 2 section.
Also fighting in the boys’ novice semi contact section was Liam Blanford competing in his very first competition. With specific instructions from Liam’s Mum to make sure he returned her baby back to her in one piece Instructor Matt Jackson was behind Liam every step of the way as he cruised through his first round. In the second round Liam fought well and listened to coaching although it wasn’t enough to secure him a second win and Liam went out in the second round. A little disappointed by his performance Matt told Liam to watch the rest of the category as he thought that the boy who beat him was pretty good and should make it to the final. Lo and behold Matt’s hunch was correct as the boy who had beaten him won the entire category; which was a modicum of comfort!
Liam also fought in the boys’ advanced category fighting his first ever black belt. Putting up a spirited performance Liam lost by a handful of points and with more experience will no doubt be enjoying similar success as his team mates within the next 12 months.
Kieran Johnson has now out grown his under 5ft 2 sections but was still eligible to compete in them through his previous accumulation of points in the relevant section. In the beginners section he once again demonstrated the great timing, which is fast becoming his trade mark, with stinging backfists and counter side kicks on his way to the final. In an exciting final Kieran went point for point with his opponent and was tied with 5 seconds left on the clock before overtime, but for some reason his normal killer instinct was absent. Unfortunately, while attempting to run down time he was cornered and scored on with one second remaining. A tough way to learn a lesson but he still leads the chase for the Grand Championship.
Kieran returned in the advanced semi contact under 4ft 2 category and left no doubt as to who was taking home the third place fight off trophy as the killer instinct returned!
Next up Shannon Barlow sought to take gold in both the girls under 5ft 2 advanced and the cadets under 60kg semi contact section until a twisted knee derailed her plans as time expired in the first round of the girls section. Coach Matt Jackson and Shannon’s Mum deemed that Shannon should retire for the day despite her protestations and took home a silver medal. Fortunately Shannon’s injury should be healed quickly and she will live to fight another day.
One of the main problems with fielding a large team at any competition is that teammates can be fighting simultaneously on different mats leaving coaches thin on the ground. Unfortunately for unleashed fight team member Louise Birkett drew the short straw whist fighting her category’s due to instructor Matt Jackson coaching the more inexperienced team members to success.
Fortunately Louise has been competing for years with the support of her father, Steve, so they can just get on with it. As a result Louise won a credible second place in semi contact and 3rd place in light contact.
Archie Thompson continues to make strides towards the overall Cimac Grand Championship for boys under 5ft 2 and once again displayed his dominance with yet another victory coached by his dad. Archie also made it to the final in the semi contact section where he, like Kieran, appeared to be missing his usual edge which was needed for the win. Alas, Archie came up short but took a respectable second place shrugging it off in inimitable Archie style.
At 6ft 3ins, 20 year old Adam Spittles’s reach is a problem for anybody in the men’s over 75kg novice semi contact section. In a group that showed solid basics and savvy beyond that of a normal novice section, Adam showed poise and a good ability to adapt in his offensive and defensive tactics throughout. This led him to a hard fought second Cimac victory of the year.
Going into the competition Armid Akram was joint first place in the Grand Championship with fellow Wycombe competitor Anthony Yearwood. Armid would need finish ahead of Anthony to take the lead heading into the final event in Maidenhead. On the day Armid was a little out of sorts and was unable to click into action until the final seconds of his 3rd place fight off. Winning a close decision he once again showed that he is a solid competitor who still gives away nearly 20 kilos to his opponents. But he now has an uphill battle if he wants to take the grand championship as Anthony now leads him by 1 point overall.
With eyes already on next year Archie, Shannon, Kieran and Waleed will all see themselves moving up a category as they once again begin their journey to the gold!
Archie Thompson will be in action once again on the 21st October where he will be challenged by Watford Freestyle fighter Max Chapman-Tripe in a title match contested over 2 one and a half minute rounds at the Genesis Unleashed Fight Show. Tickets are now available check out the preview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQiI1AWd3jE video and flyer!
A special thank you to parents Steve, Stewart, Sharon, Dave, Chris, Helen and Mohammed for continued support. Next outing for the Unleashed Team is Squad Training at the Genesis Gym November 6th, followed by the last Cimac competition of the year in Maidenhead on the 11th November where students Armid, Archie, Shannon, Louise, Adam and Waleed will all vie for Grand Championship glory.
Congratulations to everyone listed below, you’ve passed!
High score of the day – well done to both Peter Clothier and Armid Akram – both scored 81.3%
| Audrey Hipgrave | 78.2 |
| Callum Bacchus | 74.3 |
| Camara Gibbs | 76.2 |
| Christopher Grimes | 73.8 |
| Darren Sawala | 74.5 |
| Dean Smith | 76.8 |
| Ellis Banning | 78.2 |
| Falco Caldeira | 73 |
| Finn Cormican | 73.2 |
| Genevieve Tomes | 76.3 |
| Hannah Garcia | 72.7 |
| Hayley-Jo Jones | 72.8 |
| Jack Faulkner | 72.7 |
| John Samarakone | 73.5 |
| Lee Baldwin | 76.7 |
| Lee Edlin | 73.8 |
| Lucy Jones | 73.2 |
| Marley Neville-Lister | 73.5 |
| Mathew Siemaszko | 74.3 |
| Matt Sewell | 75.2 |
| Milena Hutchings | 74.5 |
| Oliver Swann | 76 |
| Oscar Long | 73.2 |
| Ross Edlin | 74.7 |
| Shannon Lee | 73.3 |
| Spencer Rust | 73.5 |
| Susan Jarman | 77.7 |
| Tyler Macdonald | 72.8 |
| Carly Goddard | 74.2 |
| Clive Cheshire | 73.2 |
| Daniel Semmens | 73.4 |
| Elizabeth Agnew | 75.5 |
| Ethan Rapsey | 75.2 |
| George Oliver | 78.2 |
| Gergely Ferenc Tiba | 77.8 |
| Hamaad Ur-Rehman | 72.9 |
| Hamzah Rehman | 72.7 |
| James Lanyon | 74.3 |
| James Travell | 73.1 |
| Jared Turner | 72.2 |
| Joseph Bown | 74.8 |
| Joseph Lavery | 73.5 |
| Kathryn Collinson | 72.5 |
| Kitty Mackenzie | 72.5 |
| Matt Ward | 73.2 |
| Melanie Skipp | 74.7 |
| Rhys Hall | 73.2 |
| Samuel Dodsworth | 72.3 |
| Scott Buckle | 73.3 |
| Thomas Lean | 79.2 |
| Wing Yeung | 73.3 |
| Anastasia Bergman | 75.2 |
| Anelie Brindle | 74.5 |
| Caden Mcewan | 73.8 |
| Calum Douglas | 78.3 |
| Chay Ward | 73.2 |
| Elliot Tester | 79.7 |
| Ethan Clark | 73 |
| Ethan Tarple | 78.7 |
| Isaac Semmens | 73.7 |
| Jack Smith | 73.2 |
| Jamie Over | 73.2 |
| Jarryd Mack | 73.5 |
| Josh Etherington | 73.5 |
| Kai Drummond | 73.8 |
| Kieran Coyne | 73.7 |
| Luke Cherrett | 72.7 |
| Luke Mcdowall | 73.2 |
| Luke Smart | 72.7 |
| Manfred Mckenzie | 73.7 |
| Max Arnold | 75.3 |
| Mehil Vij | 75 |
| Nathan Coyne | 73.2 |
| Oliver Dougan | 71.7 |
| Patrick Power | 79 |
| Paul Hayday | 76.8 |
| Rachel O Neill | 79.5 |
| Shaye Pearson | 72.8 |
| Sophie Lawrence | 72.8 |
| Suzana Martins | 76.7 |
| Tayla Mack | 73.8 |
| Adam Spittles | 80.7 |
| Antonio Quintar | 80.7 |
| Archie Coyne | 74 |
| Armid Akram | 81.3 |
| Callum Garman | 71.7 |
| Celia Murphy | 71.3 |
| David Butler | 76.8 |
| Hannah Leonard | 73.3 |
| Harry Allen | 74.2 |
| Jordan Heavens | 72.3 |
| Julie Stroud | 72.2 |
| Kai Stocks | 70.7 |
| Kalebh Semmens | 72.2 |
| Luke Simmons | 72.3 |
| Megan Denham | 71.3 |
| Owais Butt | 71.2 |
| Prabsharn Aujla | 71.2 |
| Robert Paddock | 72.8 |
| Sam Ling | 70.5 |
| Shoaib Khan | 70.2 |
| Stewart Nicholson | 79.5 |
| Tom Clowry-Cooper | 76 |
| Zarah Sultan | 72 |
| Aaron Dancer | 76.8 |
| Andrew Stone | 75.2 |
| Bradley Shaw | 72 |
| Charlie Mcdermott | 80.2 |
| Conor Cormican | 73.5 |
| Daniel Board | 70.5 |
| David Sewell | 78 |
| David Stroud | 79.5 |
| Eloise Brindle | 71.7 |
| Gary Cook | 79.7 |
| Jack Haynes | 75.3 |
| Joshua Brooks | 75.3 |
| Liam Blandford | 80 |
| Ma-Ya Lambert | 71.3 |
| Sebastian Caithness | 75.8 |
| Soroush Mahdavi | 79.7 |
| Venothan Gunasingham | 76 |
| Adeel Khan | 72.3 |
| Bali Aujla | 73.8 |
| Ethan Casey-Clothier | 74.3 |
| Jahmal Lewis | 72.4 |
| Kam Lambert | 73.1 |
| Kieran Small | 72.8 |
| Michael Suttie | 79.2 |
| Petar Stevanovic | 73.1 |
| Peter Clothier | 81.3 |
| Shannon O’Hara | 73.8 |
| Thomas Lawrence | 71.7 |
