Kick-Boxing: Glory for York competitors at national championships

From the Evening Press, first published Thursday 17th Feb 2000.

A York kick-boxing club came close to sweeping the board at the country's top national competition, writes Dianne Hillaby.

MEDAL WINNERS: Members of York Martial Arts College who have recently won medals in competition (from the left): Julie Atkinson, Amy Willetts, Craig Long, Paul Lynch, Mark Long, Kirsty Price, and Stuart Phillips.

Three out of four categories at the FSK National Kick-boxing Championships in Manchester were won by members of York Martial Arts College.

Craig Long won the Under-70kg, Mark Long the Under-75kg and Jon Lloyd the Under-80kg. The only title they did not win - the Over-80kg category - they did not compete in.

The Fifth Avenue-based club also celebrated success at the junior regional Kick-Jutsu Championships in Dewsbury.

They took 25 youngsters to compete in a tournament for the first time and returned with one gold, two silver and five bronze medals.

Amy Willetts won a gold, Ryan Hopkins and Stuart Phillips won silver medals and Andrew Stott, Kirsty Price, Kayleigh Squires, Julie Atkinson and Luke Willetts gained bronze medals.

The older members of the College are targeting Great Britain honours in the World or European Championships during the next couple of years.

Mark Long, who won two British titles last year, had the opportunity to go to the last World Championships in Malta but had to turn it down because of a lack of funding.

His older brother Craig won a bronze medal in the 1998 World Championships in Denmark.

Their instructor at York Martial Arts College, world champion Phil Lynch, is looking for more youngsters to follow in their footsteps. There are free classes at the club on Mondays from 6pm to 7pm.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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