A TINY York karate club are celebrating their best-ever haul of medals at the British National Wado Ryu Championships in Leicester.

Bishopthorpe’s Kai-Sho club battled against bigger teams from across England and brought home seven medals.

Competitors took part in kata competitions, where set defences and attacks are performed in a precise sequence, and in free fighting or kumite.

Sensei Brian Williams sent a six-strong team and they returned with one gold medal, three silvers and three bronzes.

Youngsters Ian Goodwin, 13, grabbed a deserved gold medal in his kata category, while team-mate Josh Logan, 15, took the bronze.

In the seniors, 18-year-old Michael Johnson won bronze and Dean Cook, 40, won silver.

Angus Gibby, aged eight, put in a confident and stylish performance but narrowly missed out on a medal in a large kata class.

His 13-year-old brother, Alex, was also squeezed out of the medals in a kata class containing members of the England squad.

The Kai-Sho squad then produced stunning performances in the fighting, an area in which the club has rarely tasted success.

Logan added a bronze to his haul and Goodwin landed a silver.

Cook was unlucky not to snatch gold. After extra time, a judges’ split decision was decided by the referee’s casting vote and he had to settle for silver.

Sensei Williams, the club’s instructor, said: “I would have been happy with one medal, but seven is by far our best-ever showing.

“I am very proud of the team. They showed good karate spirit, even when things went against them. I am especially pleased with the improvement in fighting.”

Brian Hughes, team coach at the event, added: “Although we were occasionally faced with some questionable judging and interpretation of the rules, none of our competitors let the side down.

“The standard of training they receive from Sensei showed in their preparedness and attitude.”

For more information about the club, phone Lesley Edwards on 01904 700380.