Brotherhood Teams ~ winners of British Championships on the

following occasions....

Kyorugi events

• 1978 - (Picketts Lock Sports Centre, Edmonton, North London) see report below ...
• 1979 - (Oval Hall, Victoria Baths, Sneighton, Nottingham) see report below ...
• 1981 - (Copland High School, Wembley)
• 1982 - (Coventry Sports Centre, Coventry)

Poomsae events

• 1994 - (Two Riversmeet Sports Centre, Christchurch, Bournemouth)
• 1995 - (Peterborough Sports Centre, Peterborough)
• 1996 - (Preston, Lancashire)
• 1997 - (Brunel University Sports Centre, Osterley, Middx)
• 2000 - 3rd place
• 2002 - 2nd place (Northampton)
• 2003 - 2nd place (Nottingham)
• 2010 - 2nd place (ChungDoKwan National Championships, Bracknell, Berkshire)
  

International Championships

• 2000 - British International Open Poomsae - winners - Portsmouth (as part of 'London Region Team')
• 2009 - UTF British Masters International Open - 2nd place (Poomsae event) - K2 Centre, Crawley, W.Sussex

Below ~ read facts about the 1978 & 1979 British Championships,

including details of the combatants & recollections of each day ...

Sunday 29th April 1979 was a significant date, not only Brotherhood fighters, but for British Taekwondo in general.

These were the first unified British Championships, as the inaugural year (1978**) had seen two British TKD Championships, within one month of each other!

For many years, both before and after this event, WTF Taekwondo in the United Kingdom was never truly unified, hence there was NO British Championships held in 1980 for Brotherhood fighters! The event was restored in 1981, with the staging of the Championships in Wembley, by the Steering Committee of the fledgling British TKD Control Board. 

Although the event became an annual one thereafter, it was still many years after the formation of the BTCB (April 1982) that true unification could be said to have occurred. However, to this day, there still remain large numbers of British Taekwondo practitioners who are not members or affiliates of the BTCB. Perhaps when the right people are running the BTCB, more of them will join/rejoin.

From a Brotherhood perspective, it was London v. Nottingham. Although there were many fine fighters from different parts of the country, not least John Blairs from Stoke, in the welterweight category, London had two strong teams and were taking on the home team from Nottingham.

Interesting facts & Brotherhood Highlights from the 1979 British Championships: ~

London's teams were decided by a selection fight off, held at the Jubilee Hall in Covent Garden, Central London, with the winners placing in the 'A' Team and the runners-up being placed in the 'B' Team. Fighters from across the capital participated for team places.

Darlingtons' John Atkinson was efficiently disposed of by Lindsay Lawrence (1976 European Champion) in the final, to give London A the Lightweight Gold.  Lindsay went onto win Silver at the World Championships later that year.

Ian Lennox (Nottingham) now a 7th dan, but back then a green belt, was beaten (RSC) by Con Halpin (London A) in the Bantamweight final.  These two would, from the mid 1990's, become regular opponents on the Poomsae circuit.  

(below: Ian Lennox (on left) v. Con Halpin (on right) in the Bantamweight final).

 Stuart Halliday, (now a 5th Dan International Referee), who won one version** of the 1978 British Championships at bantamweight, lost in the 1st round to Con Halpin who won the other version of the Bantamweight title in the same year.

Ray Lightfoot (Nottingham) who won one version of the 1978 British Middleweight Championships**, would likely have faced Mick Sutherland (London A) who won the other version**, had Mick not forgotten his licence on the day - he was not allowed to compete without it.  Ray went on to win again on the day and to represent GB Internationally both as a competitor & as a Referee.

Rays daughter, Jackie Lightfoot, also won Gold on the day, making it a unique family double.

Chris Sawyerr, who won Gold in 1978, had a titanic match against John Blairs (now a 7th dan Master) of Stoke. The contest was drawn at the end of the 3rd round and, under the rules of the time, a full 4th round had to be fought. John's greater stamina won him the day. Chris went onto win the European Championships the following year (1980).

(below: Chris Sawyerr (on left) v John Blairs (on right) in the Welterweight final)

London B-Team member Barry Walsh picked up a well deserved, if unexpected Bronze medal at Featherweight.

But there was disappointment for fellow London B-Team member Sean Daly (Bantamweight), who lost unexpectedly in the 1st round. However, Sean went on to become British Champion for a decade afterwards.

For the first time there were separate categories for female competitors; Kim Crawley, the only female team member for London, collected a Silver medal on the day having lost to Sue Greaves, who was the bronze medallist from 1978 (see report below).

Mick King (London A) was disappointed not to win Gold, when he was beaten in the Flyweight final by Nottinghams Andy Lam.   Mick had missed the 1978 Championships, as it coincided with his wedding day!  Andy Lam went on to become a regular medallist at British Championships for many years to come.

Featherweight Errol Aldridge (London A) also won gold and helped secure top spot for the London A Team, in the team event, which was based on medal wins by the individual competitors.

Simon Bailey won the Finweight (the lightest weight) Gold in an uncontested division; Simon went onto represent GB  internationally.

Each team was allowed just one competitor per weight category, hence London A & London B teams were entered.

London A's total of 3 Gold & 3 Silver medals was enough to put it ahead of all other teams on the day. (The B Team added a Bronze to Londons total for the event).

A specially crafted full-sized 'Wilkinson' sword was presented to Head of Team Vincent Cheong on behalf of the winning London A team.

Con Halpin :  'Some of our team travelled to Nottingham the day before and stayed overnight in an empty Prison Officers house just outside the walls of Nottingham Prison. The facilty was made available by Dave Heatherington (see picture below), who was a senior Instructor in the Nottingham area and also a prison guard at the time. Although there was electricity, there was no heating or hot water! We slept in sleeping bags on the floor, which had no carpet as it was undergoing some renovation and it was very cold; but at 19 years of age I wasn't bothered.   Michael King, whose job at the time entailed early starts, woke the team at 5am having forgotten he was off duty - the remaining 2 hours before our planned wake up time of 7am, were restless for most of the team!'

(above on left) : Jim Elkin, the Chairman of the Martial Arts Commission presents Con Halpin with the winners award. Dave Heatherington (Chairman of the British TKD Association) stands to the right of the picture.

(below) : Dave Heathrington executing flying side kick (picture taken from event programme) 

 

 

   

1978  British Championships:

• Chronologically, the first British Championships were held in the North of England (Yorkshire?) in March 1978 and were originally to be attended by all teams from throughout the UK. For various reasons however - disputes between senior grades ? -  this did not happen.

• The only winners of this event known to us are Stuart Halliday (bantamweight) and Ray Lightfoot (middleweight) - more info. gladly received if you have it.

• This event did however make a short appearance on National television, when it was aired on ITV's 'World of Sport' ! 

• An alternative British Championships were held in Edmonton, North London on 1st April 1978. This was staged by Master Fred Lee and was attended by teams from throughout the UK, including Yorkshire (Doncaster?). The event was won by the London Team who won 5 of the 8 available Gold medals.

Con Halpin (Bantamweight), Lindsay Lawrence (Lightweight), Chris Sawyerr (Welterweight), Mick Sutherland (Middleweight) &  Michael Newland (Heavyweight).

 

• Although there were no womens categories in 1978, Sue Greaves from Doncaster, fought at Flyweight against the men and won a Bronze medal. There were no favours given by her opponents, who fought her the same as if she were a male, recalls Con Halpin. 'She really fought like a tiger and it was a close call as to whether she had lost'. Sue Greaves went on to become an International medallist for GB and a Master grade in Taekwondo.

This article is not yet complete - more to follow with additional photos

**  Interesting Facts - 1978 British Championships:

• Chronologically, the first British Championships were held in the North of England (Yorkshire?) in March 1978 and were originally to be attended by all teams from throughout the UK. For various reasons however - disputes between senior grades ? -  this did not happen.

• The only winners of this event known to us are Stuart Halliday (bantamweight) and Ray Lightfoot (middleweight) - more info. gladly received if you have it.

• This event did however make a short appearance on National television, when it was aired on ITV's 'World of Sport' ! 

• An alternative British Championships were held in Edmonton, North London on 1st April 1978. This was staged by Master Fred Lee and was attended by teams from throughout the UK, including Yorkshire (Doncaster?). The event was won by the London Team who won 5 of the 8 available Gold medals. The London Team Gold medallists were: ~

Con Halpin (Bantamweight), Lindsay Lawrence (Lightweight), Chris Sawyerr (Welterweight), Mick Sutherland (Middleweight) &  Michael Newland (Heavyweight).

 

• Although there were no womens categories in 1978, Sue Greaves from Doncaster, fought at Flyweight against the men and won a Bronze medal. There were no favours given by her opponents, who fought her the same as if she were a male, recalls Con Halpin. 'She really fought like a tiger and it was a close call as to whether she had lost'. Sue Greaves went on to become an International medallist for GB and a Master grade in Taekwondo.

This article is not yet complete - more to follow with additional photos