Teesside Open Competition
TOURNAMENT STATISTICS.
- Thirty Dokan students entered.
- Sixteen categories entered.
- First place in thirteen categories.
- Second place in the other three categories.
- Trophies won: 13 gold, 12 Silver, 15 bronze.
- Total trophies won: 57 (multiple trophies were won in pairs/team events).
The statistics speak for themselves. Dokan made its presence felt in every section it entered.
The competition is as local as we get invited to nowadays and it is always a good introduction to competition for the low grades.
The refereeing was of a good standard though it was unfortunate that the children's events didn't start until the adults were finished which made it a long day for the youngsters.
It was also unfortunate that in the "10 to 12 year old girls" kumite there was only eighteen entries, eight of which were from Dokan, and six Dokan entrants were paired against one another in the first round - all at the top end of the draw. This guaranteed that at least three Dokan members would not get through to the next round.
This can happen if the fighting order is allocated on a truly random basis. Despite this unfortunate handicap Dokan still took First, Second and Third place in that category but may have got both third places if we had a more equitable draw.
One referee said that Dokan adds a touch of class to the tournament. An instructor said Dokan gave the competition some credence.
It is nice to know that the hard work and dedication of Dokan's students is noted and appreciated by other groups.
