UMA English Open

UMA English Open Judo Ne Waza Back to Back Championships – report by Carl Fisher

This was the first event organised by Jim Mc Sherry of the UMA (United Martial Alliance) and consisted of both junior and senior weight divisions; the UMA have a full calendar of events, including Judo and MMA events planned throughout the year.

Injuries, the bane of all jiu jitsu players, had claimed a number of my students prior to the event, which culminated in three entrants across three brackets, -75, -85 and -95K respectively. After an easy drive to the event we arrived with the junior matches still in full swing and as you would expect, with so much energy in their little bodies, one could hear the screams of the excited junior team mates well before entering the doors to the club.

Two more BJJ clubs were in attendance both representing Gracie Barra, with Kevin Capel from Roger Gracie London and Ryan Hendry and Angelo Beales from GB Milton Keynes; local and national Judo clubs were out in force representing Erdington, Crewe, Glossop, Sandbach and Katana Judo Club.

Two mats were in action throughout the day, with the referees performing an excellent job ensuring a rapid fire turn over on both areas; in the adult -75 section Roger Gracie player Kevin Capel dominated his division easily taking the gold medal, whilst Fighting Fit’s Richard Hillis took the gold in a tough -85K division. GB Pendle’s John Stokes coasted to first place, winning all matches through submission and the giant Leigh Hitchen (all 125+K of him) took gold in the +95K bracket.

Fight of the day was in the Open division between the giant Hitchen and Richard Hillis; Hillis attacked from the start and had Hitchen on the defensive and turned up the pace by securing an arm and went for the submission. Hillis turned onto his front for a reverse arm bar and you could see the veins popping out of his forehead and neck; the crowds were screaming for both men, when Hillis finally succumbed to fatigue and lost the match to a pin down, yet took the moral victory over the giant Judo player.

Overall, the event was extremely well organised with over 100 competitors on the day, well judged and refereed, with the day finishing well before 4pm, with no excess hanging around for all competitors involved.

As stated earlier a full calendar of events is on offer throughout the year and as ever, if the Fighting Photographer can make it, expect a full report on all the action!

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Results
Peewee Boys 10 years old and belowUnder 20 kg1st Keenan CapelRoger Gracie London2nd Edwin KnightAmateur JiuJitsu Academy
3rd Nicos Lea-SprosonSilver Tigers Judo Academy
Peewee Boys 10 years old and belowUnder 25 kg
1st Daniel HemmingErdington Judo Club2ndPatrick RyanErdington Judo Club3rdLiam RowleySilver Tigers Judo Academy

Peewee Boys 10 years old and belowUnder 30 kg
1st PlaceRoss DenhamGlossop Judo Club2ndAshley HughesErdington Judo Club3rd Eric HamGlossop Judo Club

Peewee Boys 10 years old and belowUnder 35kg
1st Tom GreenoughGlossop Judo Club
2nd Alec RanfordErdington Judo Club
3rdAdam YatesSandbach Judo Club
Peewee Boys 10 years old and belowUnder 45kg
1st Thomas SlackErdington Judo Club2ndJordan DayKatana Judo Club

Peewee Boys 10 years old and belowOpen Weight
1st Ross DenhamGlossop Judo Club2nd Jordan CapperSilver Tigers Judo Academy3rd Sam BlundellSandbach Judo Club
Peewee Girls 10 years old and belowUnder 25kg
1st Lauren ErrettGlossop Judo Club2ndKelsey TenchSilver Tigers Judo Academy3rdRianne MarriottAmateur JiuJitsu Academy
Peewee Girls 10 years old and belowUnder 30kg
1st Stella Doyle Combat Base
2nd Sam Bedford Sandbach Judo Club3rdBethany BourneBulldogs Judo Club

Peewee Girls 10 years old and belowOpen Weight
1stRhiannon BaldwinGlossop Judo Club2ndAmy GaskinGlossop Judo Club3rd Kora BassingtonSilver Tiger Judo Academy
Junior Boys 11 to 15 years oldUnder 35kg
1stTom GreenoughGlossop Judo Club2nd Alec RanfordErdington Judo Club3rdThomas RowleySilver Tiger Judo Academy
Junior Boys 11 to 15 years oldUnder 40kg
1st Jack HughesErdington Judo Club2nd Alex CarterCrewe Judo Club3rdAdam YatesSandbach Judo Club

Junior Boys 11 to 15 years oldUnder 45kg
1st Thomas SlackErdington Judo Club
2ndEdward MeredithAmateur JiuJitsu Academy3rdKatana Judo Club
Junior Boys 11 to 15 years oldUnder 50kg
1stMathew HudzickCrewe Judo Club2nd Luke YatesSandbach Judo Club
Junior Boys 11 to 15 years oldOpen Weight
1st
Jamie PearsonSt. Albans Judo Club2nd Andrew RichardsonCrewe Judo Club3rdKanijah GrossettAmateur JiuJitsu Academy

Junior Girls 11 to 15 years oldUnder 45kg
1stAbi WalkerGlossop Judo Club2ndAlison HughesErdington Judo Club3rd Inka DoyleCombat Base
Junior Girls 11 to 15 years oldOpen Weight
1st Katie WilliamsKatana Judo Club2ndHolly JonesAmateur JiuJitsu Academy Club

Cadet Male 16 to 18 years oldUnder 70kg1stGlynn EvansSandbach Judo Club
2ndJames MeredithAmateur JiuJitsu Academy
Cadet Male 16 to 18 years oldOpen Weight
1st Adam Dobbinson3k'S Bushido Judo Club2ndJames Lawerence3k'S Bushido Judo Club3rdLee BlundellSandbach Judo Club

Senior Women 16 years old and overUnder 75kg
1st Yasmine WilsonRoger Gracie London2ndCharlotte EvansSandbach Judo Club3rd Elise AstonSandbach Judo Club
Senior Men 19 years old and overUnder 75kg
1st Kevin CapelRoger Gracie London2nd Ryan HendryGracie Barra Milton Keynes3rdPeter RichardsonCrewe Judo Club
Senior Men 19 years old and overUnder 85kg
1stRichard WillisFighting Fit2nd Mark Donnelly3k's Bushido Judo Club3rd Lewis PetofalviCrewe Judo Club

Senior Men 19 years old and overUnder 95kg
1st John StokesGracie Barra Pendle2nd Nick PradosAmateur JiuJitsu Academy3rdPaul ChambersAmateur JiuJitsu Academy
Senior Men 19 years old and overOver 95kg
1st Leigh HitchenSandbach Judo Club2nd David BramwellAmateur JiuJitsu Academy
3rdPeter RowanSandbach Judo Club

Senior Men 19 years old and overOpen Weight
1stLeigh HitchenSandbach Judo Club2nd Richard WillisFighting Fit3rd Angelo BealesGracie Barra Milton Keynes