The Aikido Club, (Braintree Aiki Budo Kai) held its second martial arts course last weekend at The Four Seasons Centre, in East Street, Braintree.

The event which is held annually was a great success with students and instructors travelling from as far afield as Sunderland.

The object of the course is to collect senior martial arts instructors together, from many different clubs and provide intensive instruction to students attending the course.

The course provides an opportunity for students to train in different, and often new to them, martial arts.

Club spokesman and assistant Instructor Owen Bolton said that it is a good excuse to get together with absent friends from the martial arts world.

The course is part of a year-long series of events between clubs, which are intended to provide high quality instruction and foster fellowship between students.

Braintree Aiki Budo Kai would like to thank everybody who attended and made the course such a success.

The arts represented were Aikido, Judo, Jujitsu, Iaido (the art of sword drawing), Karate, Aikijutsu, Keno and Kobudo (weapons).

There were six training areas, five of which were matted providing ample room to practice.

This year, the course was extra special with two students Michelle Hales and Warren Simpson attaining grades of brown and black belt.

Club instructor Mark Fradgley reported that the examinations were gruelling and both Michelle and Warren displayed excellent levels of knowledge and ability making the promotions well deserved.

The grading exams were presided over by Stefan Christiaan (4th Dan), Clive MacDonald (3rd Dan) and Nigel Vaughan (3rd Dan).

The committee of Braintree Aiki Budo Kai would like to thank owners and staff at The Four Seasons for their assistance in making this event a success.

Braintree Aiki Budo Kai holds Aikido Classes every Monday and Wednesday 8-10pm and Sunday's 10am-12noon and invites anybody who is interested in studying this dynamic art to come along and see what it is like.

In addition to this there is also a Karate Club with classes on Tuesday nights.

For further information contact Clive MacDonald on 01376 321069 or visit the club website at www.babk.org.uk

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