AFTER another fantastic season, Barry Leisure Centre based Vale Karate earned no fewer than 13 Champions of Champions trophies at the Finale to the Welsh Karate League season, with took place in Merthyr.

Vale instructors and newly married couple Leah and Luke Howard took three Champions trophies between them, with Luke taking the Mens Kumite award and Leah earning her customary Ladies Kata and Kumite double!

Following in their illustrious footsteps, at the other end of the spectrum, both Under 8 Kata events went to Vale Karate, as Angel Manayanai took the Girls trophy, and Vale’s WUKF European Champion Jakob Bartush taking not only the Boys Kata trophy, but also the U8 Champions trophy in the newly established Jukuren event!

The Jukuren category, newly established in the Welsh Karate League to give young children confidence of competing in front of an audience and testing their ability, sees youngsters demonstrating their sparring techniques on a standing punchbag. Vale also shone in this category as alongside Jakob in the Under 8’s there was also a 1-2 in the Under 10 advanced category in Elle-Mai Lee and Lloyd Beer and a 1-2-3 in the Under 12 advanced event with Gregory James, Emillie Thompson and Talia Efstathiou all proud winners of trophies!

Elle-Mai and Lloyd were also the top two in the Under 10 Advanced Kata, though on that occasion, Lloyd took first place with Elle-Mai in second. Lloyd and Elle-Mai returned to Barry with an impressive haul of silverware as, with Max Riddick they also went on to win the U10 team Kumite trophies!

For the third season, Bradley James was champion in the U14 Special & Para Kata event, ahead of team-mate Connor Ashill.

The under 16 Shotokan Kata was another Vale tussle, as Danica Apologista took first place just ahead of team-mate Chiara Baker.

The final Vale Karate Champion of Champions trophy went to Alysha Lee who was victorious in the Under 16 Girls Kumite

Vale were, for the seventh straight season, the top Welsh Club, but lost the overall club award for the first time, with the huge All-Style Karate Alliance Association from the Midlands, acclaimed Champions.

The new season starts in earnest on April 14 in Merthyr.

All information on the Welsh Karate League can be found at www.karateleague.wales. For info on Vale Karate visit www.valekarate.com.