Genesis MMA Team tastes victory!

 

Genesis MMA Team had their first team outing together on Saturday 9th February 2013, at the ‘Berserker Brawl – Valhalla’ tournament, run by Reading based MMA gym ‘Gods of War’. This was an interclub, beginners tournament with 3 gyms taking part; Genesis, Gods of War, and Exile Gym from Southampton.

After a year of tuition in Jujitsu, Wrestling and Kickboxing, the Genesis MMA Team was formed at the start of 2013, with the aim of producing top level competitive MMA athletes. Our goal this year is to give our team as much experience as possible in the way of training sessions around the country, and building up amateur careers for the fighters before they turn semi pro or pro. Although this tournament was an interclub, each fighter had to make weight, the bout took place in the cage (grappling or MMA), with entrance music, a cheering crowd, the full deal.

We had 9 fighters taking part: Soroush Mahdavi, David Knight, Kirk Dixon, Ed Gamster, Kane Holloway and Julian Kerr were taking part in an open grappling tournament. Sam Balfour was in his first full MMA bout, with Leon Delafonte and Ashley Allen taking part in exhibition bouts (no possible winner). This team was supported by Wrestling Coach Chad Edwards, Senior Instructor Paul Busby, plus team mates Marley Lidster and Andrew Gibson there to cheer them on.

 

GRAPPLING TOURNAMENT:

First up was the open grappling tournament, with all gyms having fighters enter. David ‘Smasher’ Knight was up first, and quickly overpowered his opponent throughout the 5 minute round to take victory for Genesis.

Soroush Mahdavi was up next into the cage. This was an incredibly hard working bout, with both fighters showing supreme fitness levels. Soroush took the win based on takedowns and agression.

Next up was Genesis Wrestling student Kirk Dixon, who had to work hard against a very fit opponent to also take the win. David, Soroush and Kirk went through to the next round.

Kane Holloway has been taking part in Genesis Kickboxing classes for years, but is new to MMA. He fought a hard 5 minute round against his Gods of War opponent who clearly had more experience. Kane went out on referee’s decision, but will be back next time!

Another Genesis Wrestling student was up next, Ed Gamester. Ed took the bout on last minute decision, so was slightly underprepared, but fully up for the challenge. Being so used to pinning people down (instead of going for submissions), Ed was easily overpowering his opponent however not scoring too many points. Ed was beaten by a rear choke late into the 5 minute round.

Julian Kerr was up next for Genesis in the cage. Julian has only had a few months training so this was to be a real test for him. Immediately he went in for the kill, securing a guillotine choke on his oppoent and winning by submission in 30 seconds, the fastest win of the day!

1st, 2nd and 3rd place to Genesis MMA!

Grappling – 2nd ROUND:

David ‘Smasher’ Knight was back up again in the second round. David weighed in as the heaviest competitior of the day, and was up against the lightest, with a 30kg weight difference! His lighter Gods of War based opponent piled on the pressure at the start of the round, however David kept his cool and won by an armlock submission (keylock) after 90seconds.

Two Genesis fighters had to battle it out next, with Soroush Mahdavi up against Julian Kerr. Julian gave it 110% however the experience of Soroush showed through, winning by points decision.

Kirk Dixon was now up against another Gods of War fighter, who had beaten Kane Holloway earlier. Kirk showed complete skill, dominating the fight throughout to take a clear referee’s decision.

 

Grappling – FINALS:

This set up a 3 way final between David Knight, Soroush Mahdavi and Kirk Dixon. They all had to compete against eachother in a round robin system. David was up against Soroush first, and showed why we named him ‘Smasher’! Soroush, as hard working as ever couldn’t beat the power and strength of David. Kirk was next to face David (who decided he didn’t even want to rest), David took the win with a rear naked choke 3 minutes in. David was the winner! Soroush and Kirk battled it out for third, with Soroush’s experience and workrate winning by points decision.

Genesis MMA Team took FIRST, SECOND and THIRD places in the open grappling tournament! Well done guys!

 

 

 

MMA BOUTS:

Next up were the MMA bouts. First up for Genesis was Leon ‘Handsome’ Delafonte. This was an exhibition bout (no possible winner) as no strikes to the head were allowed. Despite the lack of headshots, this was probably the hardest hitting, most intense fight of the day. Leon remained calm under the pressure, and worked brilliantly on his slightly superior ground game, to stay on top of his opponent through 3x 3minute rounds. A very hard hitting fight! No winner was possible.

Next up was Ashley ‘Big Marlow’ Allen against a hugely experienced Gods of War instructor. This was a demonstration bout, giving Ashley huge experience of such an event. Ashleys vastly more experienced opponent gave Ashley a great experience and we are very greatful to him for doing so. Ashley completed all 3x 3 minute rounds.

Last up was Sam ‘Animal’ Balfour against Gods of War, 6foot 4inch, Judo Blackbelt Kyle Grady. This was under MMA rules, allowing head contact. With high hopes on him, Sam started brilliantly with greatly timed punches and kicks. Unable to compete with Sam at standing up, Kyle forced the clinch and managed a take down, both fighters ending up evenly on the floor. A quick skirmish later and Sam was against the cage wall, Kyle won with a Kimura (arm lock). This competition was intended only as a great learning experience, and an inconsolable ‘Animal’ will be back for more very soon!

 

So ended the first day out for the Genesis MMA Team. Our next outings include training at a BJJ gym in London on 23rd February, followed by an MMA squad training on 23rd March at Gods of War in Reading. We are setting up matches for the next interclub competition in early July, and could possibly be entering fighters for shows before that. Genesis MMA Fighters Corey Cain, Phil Collins, Matthew Holland and Matthew Ford are all competing in TKMMA 2, ‘Blood and Iron’ on Saturday March 2nd at Handy Cross Sports Centre, for what is set to be on of the biggest events of the year. Tickets are SOLD OUT, info here:

www.tkmma.co.uk

Kyle Grady Vs Sam 'Animal' Balfour

Kyle Grady Vs Sam ‘Animal’ Balfour

 

 

 

 

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Watford Open 2013 results

In a speech in 1857 Frederick Douglas delivered a speech towards the emancipation of West Indian slaves. The most quoted line within the speech is “If there is no struggle, there is no progress”. This was written in a different time but over a century and a half later it is most apt for Genesis Martial Arts outing at the Watford Open.

Check out all the highlights

2012 was a coming out party for the Genesis Martial Arts Unleashed fight team and culminated for success for many of its junior members. All the fighters within the team have demonstrated improvement each time out and the coaches at Genesis constantly look to push them beyond their comfort zones seeking improvement and development of their fighting spirit. Well the Watford Open certainly delivered a tough test for all.

In his first ever competition Ethan Rapsay demonstrated the promise he has shown in class and progressed to the second round in the boys semi contact before being edged out by a single point in the second round. Ethan didn’t let the intensity of the light contact section daunt him but it did mean he struggled to fight his fight. As expected Ethan performed well and maintained technique and poise throughout although did and excellent job for his first ever outing.

Fighting in the boy’s semi contact intermediate and advanced sections under 150cm Liam Blandford’s goal is to get as much mat time as possible to get up to speed to catch up with his more experienced piers. In the advanced section Liam fought an experienced blackbelt with excellent timing and feints, which kept Liam off balance throughout and left few openings for him to capitalize on. Despite the defeat Liam showed growth from his previous fights and increased confidence. In the intermediate section Liam scored a moral and technical victory in the first round and a much needed confidence boost before losing in the second round.

Kieran Johnson looked to compete in the double semi contact and light contact sections at intermediate level over 160cm for the first time since growing 5 inches in 2012. At 162cm Kieran was one of the smaller competitors in both sections and struggled with the size, range and power of his fellow competitors. In light contact he fought a tough first round against Watford Freestyle Fighter Max Chapman Tripe. Max’s continuous pressure fighting was ultimately slightly to much for Kieran who was forced to fight on the back foot throughout.

In the semi contact section Kieran was able to use his speed and timing to win the teams only medal of the day with a spirited performance, which earned him 3rd place.

In the boys advanced black belt sections over 160cm Archie Thompson had difficult match ups in both semi contact and light contact being undersized in comparison to his opponents. Never one to quit Archie acquitted himself well in both sections but the size deficit was slightly to much for him to overcome and he was beaten in the first round in both sections. Look out for Archie in the same section in 2014 as he will have grown into given the time.

Louise Birkett was up next in the girls over 160cm black belt sections fighting in semi contact and light contact divisions. Going into the event Louise was carrying a nagging back injury, which hampered her performance and ability to kick. Unable to perform at her usual level Louise was unable to progress past the first round in semi contact but her grit and determination allowed her to win third place in the light contact section. Louise will now look to recover and bounce back from the injury.

Armid Akram was keen to demonstrate his form of 2012 and improve over his Kwon Grand Slam performance. Demonstrating decent movement throughout the first round, Armid failed to pressure his opponent or to provide any deterrent for him to attack which cost him the match. In semi contact points can be accumulated and lost quickly and a lead of 1 or 2 points can easily be negated with a go for broke competitor in a single attack. Still young in his Martial Arts career Armid will be working hard on his ability to secure match winning points at will.

Anchoring the team Adam Spittles fought in the men’s semi contact intermediate section over 75kg. Like Liam, Adam is a beginner who is transitioning into the intermediate section and is gathering more experience with each outing. As with life in competition experience is key. With 2 seconds left in the round Adam was level with his opponent on points and just needed to stall out to go to a 30 second overtime. The other option in this situation for a confident fighter is to go for broke and score the point leaving no time for any comeback. Either option can provide a winning outcome and when you fight for long enough wins and losses will occur either way. In this instance Adams last second attack was countered and he lost the match however the bold attack has proven successful in the past for Adam and shows that he is an all or nothing fighter.

2013 will be a long year with competitions throughout the calendar and despite the Watford Open resulting in the lowest medal haul for Genesis (a single bronze) in 2 years the team is fighting at a much higher level and against much better competition and for some in categories which they are at the bottom of. Regardless of the results the team remains positive and are motivated to train harder. They will return and are always aware that “If there is no struggle, there is no progress”.

Thank you as always to parents in attendance, Steve Birkett, Stewart Thompson, Dave Blandford and Sharon Barlow who bought Shannon along to support the team while she recovers from her knee injury. Special thanks to Andrea and Jason for supporting Ethan and allowing him to become part of the Genesis Team.

If you would like to join the Genesis Team and fight with them on the competition circuit, join them and train alongside them at Genesis Unleashed Squad Training 6.30 till 9.30pm on the 5th March 2013 at Genesis Gym. http://www.facebook.com/events/335891339852535/

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Kwon Grand Slam Series 13th January 2013

Genesis Martial Arts Unleashed Fighting Squad have big goals for 2013 and looked to hit the ground running at the first competition of the Year the Kwon Grand Slam Series held on the 13th January at the North Solihull Sports Centre Birmingham. In attendance were Archie Thompson, Armid Akram, Liam Blandford, Louise Birkett and Kieran Johnson.

Fighting in the boy’s semi contact intermediate and advanced sections under 44 kilos was Liam Blandford. Liam is a purple belt, which is classed as an intermediate belt although Liam was competing in just his 3rd competition, which is a slight disadvantage due to his limited experience competing in intermediate and advanced sections. Demonstrating improved technique and poise Liam is moving in the right direction and is showing the strength of character needed for any fighter despite being unable to proceed beyond the first round in either category. This was Liam’s best performance to date.

Kieran Johnson was up next in the boy’s intermediate semi contact and light continuous sections under 58 kilos. Having spent 2012 enhancing his semi contact skills he spent very little time fighting light continuous. In semi contact it was smooth sailing as Kieran used his movement and timing to blitz his way to victory. In 2013 Kieran will focus on both semi contact and light contact competition and 2013 started positively as he won 3rd place in light continuous section fight off.

Archie Thompson fought in the boys black belts sections under 51 kilos in semi contact and light continuous disciplines. Unbeknown to all his opponents Archie was suffering with lower back pain which he refused to let impact his performance as we went on to secure the double winning both semi contact and light continuous gold.

Due to the absence of team mate Shannon Barlow due to a knee injury Louise Birkett was the only female representative for Genesis and also did the double competing is semi contact and light contact black belt section above 65 kilos. In the first round of the girls semi contact section Louise had a measured performance and was deadlocked at 2-2 with her opponent as time expired. As the bout went into overtime a couple of lapses in concentration crept in resulted in a 4 point deficit which was unassailable in the time left. Although coming up slightly short Louise showed a marked improvement in this performance which and is demonstrating significantly more consistency. In the light contact section Louise would not be outdone picking up the gold in her best performance of the day.

Anchoring the team home fighting in the men’s intermediate semi contact section under 75 kilos was Armid Akram. Looking to be in control throughout Armid was unable to gain a points advantage. At the end of normal time the scores were tied and they maintained tied throughout overtime. Needing to secure a clear point to win Armid was pipped at the post and lost by a single point.

Thanks to parents Dave Blandford Stewart Thompson and Steve Birkett for their support on the day.

Armid – Archie – Louise – Kieran

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Christmas Greetings From Genesis

Festive Greetings & A Happy New Year

The Genesis team would like to wish all students & parents a Merry Christmas & a very happy & prosperous New Year.

We thank you all for your continued support and helping us make our association as successful as it is and making us proud when we see you all achieving your goals and following the code that all respectful human beings live by.

Have a great break, enjoy yourselves but please do not make the couch your dojo.

Genesis Gym Marlow xmas times:
Thursday 20th December:
Open mat 12noon-2pm
Weights / CV gym open 12noon-2pm
Weights / CV gym open 5pm-9pm
Dragons class 5.30pm-6.30pm
Juniors class 6.45pm-7.45pm
Adults open mat 8pm-9.30pm

Friday 21st December:
Open mat 12noon-2pm
Open mat 5pm-9pm
Weights / CV gym open 12noon-2pm
Weights / CV gym open 5pm-9pm

Saturday 22nd December:
Full open gym 9am-2pm

CLOSED SUNDAY 23rd DECEMBER – FRIDAY 28th DECEMBER

Saturday 29th December:
Full open gym 9am-2pm

for more info on Genesis gym please visit website.

All Genesis classes resume as normal from Saturday 5th January

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Gener8te Health Fun & Fitness day 2012

Gener8te 2012 began with a brief introduction to all the guest instructors, these instructors were chosen for their expertise and professionalism in their chosen field: Zumba, Boxing, Spinning, Dance and wrestling were represented as well as Street Dance, Boxing, Spinning and kids self defence which kicked off the day:

Street Dance

A mix of boys and girls started street dance going through their very co-ordinated dance moves by the end of the session looked good enough to dance on the latest hip hop video.

Kids Bootcamp

32 young recruits age between 4 and 12 participated in the hour long Bootcamp session run by senior Drill Sargent Paul Busby. A brief group warm up which included plenty of commando crawling along the floor, it was time for the circuit. All the recruits gave it everything, from pulling ropes, to jumping in and out of tyres, to even wrestling on big crash mats. it was very hard work but great fun for all!
After 30 exhausting minutes it was onto the giant tug of war championships, finishing off with a good old fashioned army bleep test – except they had to crawl along the floor instead of run! Recruit Jake Glanville was the eventual winner, taking home bragging rights over his peers. All the kids had a huge amount of fun, and went on to their next activity suitably shattered!

Boxing

Amazing turn out for boxing 40 eager adults wanting to know the secrets of High Wycombe boxing club who are being noticed around the country for training highly technical boxers. An absorbing technical session where hopefully everybody took something from it and can apply in their future training.

Zumba

Dione & Mel took their mixed class of male & females through their paces with an energetic, fun, calorie burning serving of the still popular Zumba. It was great to see so many different types of people giving it a go whilst the 2 Zumba professionals turned up the heat.

Spinning

A dozen inquisitive souls tried spinning, a cycling workout designed to really get your fitness up and beyond, Most said they would be going back to do classes as this was such an enjoyable experience.

Adults Bootcamp

Several of the Senior Genesis Martial Arts instructors also happen to be professional Fitness Instructors and Personal Trainers. One of these is Paul Busby, who was this year drafted in to run the adults bootcamp. Paul is no stranger to running these sorts of events as he teaches a weekly ‘MMA Circuit’ for our members every Monday night in Genesis Gym.

This year we had 21 adults tackle the bootcamp section, which was in the 3rd time slot of the day. After a short sharp warm up the group moved onto the main circuit.

This consisted of 7x 2minute stations, with only 30seconds of rest between. Stations included Car Tyre slamming, tug of war, long rope snaking, crash mat wrestling, high hurdle jumps, bear crawls and more! After 30 rest free exhausting minutes it was onto the giant tug of war championship, won by local Fitness Instructor Kim Travers team.

The finale was a bleep test with a twist, in that instead of running, everyone had to bear crawl from end to end.
The men all crashed out early leaving 4 women battling it out. It eventually came down to a contest between Kim Travers and Rachael Busby. Despite plenty of encouragement Kim’s tug of war efforts had clearly taken their toll, and Rachael took the win.

Adults Wrestling

Genesis own Wrestling Coach Chad Edwards has been coaching top level American Wrestling for over 20 years, including to several well known UFC Fighters. This is the first time we have run a Wrestling station at Gener8te, giving people a unique class to try out! Over 20 adults converged on the mats, practicing wrestling basics such as the double leg shot, single leg shots, up and under pop’s, boot scoot’s and lots of other American sounding names! Chad was joined by Genesis Wrestling student Kirk Dixon as an assistant coach. Those who attend the regular MMA and Wrestling classes had a few opportunities to showcase their skills here, whilst those new to it got some fantastic new MMA and self defence skills to take home! Chad is not only a fantastic coach, but hugely entertaining and funny too, making this a very fun station for everyone. Chad’s Wrestling classes are held every Tuesday evening, at Genesis Gym!

Adult Kickboxing

The last block saw Instructor Mark Nichols and assistant Instructor Gary Jones try to muster what little energy the students had left.

After a long day of grueling exercise and techniques it was decided to take the pace down slightly, and run through a more technical set of padwork drills.

With a few familiar experienced faces in attendance the drills were grasped and executed with ease, and after a short amount of practice the first timers also began to get the techniques flowing. Well done all.

MMA

Following on from our recent 1st ever MMA grading it was no surprise to see our Mixed Martial Arts matted area full of eager people.

Instructor Gary Thorne with the assistance of Genesis’ own cage veteran Matt Holland ran through a variety of basic grappling techniques including sweeps, take downs and arm bars and was concluded with a few rounds of light grappling sparring.

Kids Wrestling

Just going by the name alone we knew this would be popular, and it was! Genesis own Wrestling coach Chad Edwards was again in action, this time letting the kids age 4-10 have a go. After a warm up including cannon ball forward rolls and cartwheels, it was time to partner up and learn how to take each other down to the ground swiftly and effectively, by learning the basics of a double leg shot. Chad then made it more competitive, seeing if partners could manage to take each other down more aggressively, then manage to ‘pin’ their partner to the floor, or hold them on the ground long enough before the buzzer ran out. All the kids involved had an amazing time on this station, many going home saying it was the highlight of their day. Chad is a hugely fun character to be with and this showed, with everyone on this station having a great time.

Adult Self Defence

This year Fitzroy Connor wanted to bring something different to the Gener8te event so he instructed one of the many varied weapons used in Martial Arts… Eskrima was the weapon of choice for this event and by the look at some of the face of the students at this station it was a great surprise.
With the help of fellow instructor Gary Thorne, basic strikes were taught using a partner for a target then moving onto 3 basic attacks and defence locks.

It was surprising to see how some students with a great fighting ability found technical movements with a weapon quite challenging. This was a great station and It was definitely evident to see that everyone took at least one thing they liked away with them.

Bouncy and kids play area

A fun area where all the kids got to use bungees on the bouncy castle, Pugil sticks, play dodge ball, crab football and bash the piñata to name a few. They were also treated free tattoos and face painting leaving them looking happier than ever all day.

Presentation

The long awaited presentation where all the hard work from the higher grade students were rewarded with their brown white stripe belts and the coveted black belts. Only three made it through the tag grading and black belt grading this year as the going was tough. Well done!

Fighter of the Year Award was awarded to Archie Thompson for his consistency in fighting throughout the year and representing Genesis Martial Arts at the highest level. What an outstanding season he has had achieving many titles including European Champion, Cimac super league grand champion and Genesis fight Show champion.

Student of the year is an award that given to students that have shown continued improvement and commitment, a hard decision for Instructors and not taken lightly.

Oxford Junior Hannah Garcia
Aylesbury Dragons Sophie
Prestwood Dragons Ameily brindle
Pitstone Juniors James kendrick
Princes RisSnr Jim Mullins
StokenchurchSnr Adam Spittles
Oakley Halls Senior Peter Clothier
Handy X Snr (weds) Tania Preece
HighcrestJuniors Liam Blandford
Disraeli Juniors Noah Street
WSC jnr (Sat) Callum Cloither Casey
Langley Dragon/Juniors Shannon O’hara
Langley Jnr/Snr Wednesday Thomas Lawrence
Beaconsfield Dragons Josh Mahoney
Beaconsfield Snr Armid Akram
Genesis Gym MMA Matthew Helling
Oxford Senior Charlie McDermott
Aylesbury Senior club Arneil Prez
Prestwood Juniors Ethan Clark
Princes Ris Jnr Josh Etheringham
Stokenchurch Jnr Ellis Tonna Henry
Oakley Halls Jnr Kav jones
Handy X jnr (weds) Zain Iqbal
Highcrest Dragons Bradley Whicker
Highcrest Adults Soroush Mahdavi
WSC (sat) dragons AmeliaChamerlain
WSC senior (sat) Andrew Stone
Langley Senior Monday Aaron Dance
Stoke Poges Dragons Will McKnight
Beaconsfield Jnr Finn O Mahoney
Beaconsfield Sat Elliot Tester
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Genesis Martial Arts MMA Grading Exams 25th November 2012

Genesis Martial Arts MMA Grading Exams

          25th November 2012

 

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%Genesis Mixed Martial Arts

 

Matthew Helling 56.5
David Knight 55.5
Marley Neville-Lister
Soroush Mahdavi		 52.3
56.3

 

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Brown Stripe and Black Belt Gradings – Sunday Nov 18 – Results

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

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CIMAC Superleague November 11th 2012

Cimac  Superleague Maidenhead 11th November 2012


 Cimac 2012 Grand Champions Raj Chiropal, Kieran Johnson, Louise Birkett, Archie Thompson and Waleed Bin Akram with Coaches Trevor John and Matt Jackson

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. 

Archie and Shannon being put to good use

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

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.

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Genesis Squad Training

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.

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WTKA and WKA Open European Championships 18th August 2012

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.

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