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EUROPEAN GOLD FOR OPHIR
On Saturday 24 October, at the 37th European Wado Championships, Ophir Karate's Pearse Morrow picked up Gold in the individual kumite event. The young squad, under the watchful eye of coach Martin Campbell, came away with one gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals to add to their increasing haul of awards gained in the past year.
MORE HONOURS FOR OPHIR
In the recent - 8 November - ONAKAI All Ireland All-Styles Junior Kata Championships, held in Ballinasloe, County Galway , Ophir students again saw success on the mats:
Pearse Morrow gold
Michael Morrow silver
Clar McAuley gold
Jason Creane silver
Niamh Cunningham bronze
 Coach Martin Campbell with Ophir European squad. L to R: Megan Wilson. Gareth Barnes. Amy Leckey. Pearse Morrow. Sarah Walsh-Haller. Clar Mc Auley. Rhys Hagan. Michael Morrow.
 The association was founded by Siobhan Leckey and Martin Campbell. They both began training in 1977 and, in 1994, having secured premises belonging to the scout troop at Ophir Gardens (hence the name) off the Cavehill Road in North Belfast, they formed the current group. Siobhan, with her vast international experience on the mats, was appointed chief instructor with Martin looking after the day-to-day administration.
 After five years, they decided to join up with the renowned Sensi -Derek Desmond, the national fighting coach for Ireland, based in Dublin with the Wado kai Karate Association of Ireland. Resident in the ALSAA Sports Stadium at Toberbunny, Dublin Airport for over forty years, the WKAI have recently received their charter from Japan conferring on them the status of 'country headquarters' - THE official body for Wado kai in Ireland.
 That move paved the way for membership of the all Ireland governing body, the Official National Amateur Karate Association of Ireland - ONAKAI - and with it, the opportunity for Ophir members to participate in high level competition, including as members of the national squad and coaching courses, many with senior Japanese instructors such as K. Sakagami Sensi and Harakawa Sensi. A number of senior members of Ophir have also attended WUKO referees courses, hosted by Tommy Morris, where they gained official status.
While we do not see ourselves as fixated with winning trophies, we nevertheless encourage students to participate in a wide range of competitions. Over recent years Ophir members, senior and junior, have lifted a number of national titles and have been involved in competing with the Irish squad at home and abroad.
We recommend Training DVDs and Blu-ray discs which are produced by Dupes DVD & Video, BELFAST, a company owned by one of our Dan Grade instructors. CLICK HERE FOR SAMPLES & ORDERS
All Ireland Junior Inter-Club league
Since 2004, O.N.A.K.A.I., the governing body for karate in Ireland, have hosted a nationwide karate league for children. Fixtures are held on a provincial basis, with the majority of the Ulster fights being held either in Letterkenny or Killyleagh. In the autumn of each year, the winners of each age/weight category from all four provinces meet to decide the All-Ireland champions. This is seen an excellent training ground for up coming karate-ka, many of whom go on to join the National Squad at junior and senior level.
ONAKAI All- Ireland Junior League. Finals Sunday 24 May 2009 Ballinasloe. Co. Galway.
RESULTS OPHIR SQUAD TOOK 9 FIRST PLACES, 1 SECOND AND 2 THIRDS
OPHIR KILLYLEAGH
Niamh Cunningham 1st Girls kumite Age 8yrs
Rebecca Hawks 1st Girls kumite Age 11yrs
Rhys Hagan 1st` Boys kumite Age 13yrs
OPHIR CRUMLIN |
Amy Leckey 1st Girls kata 8-12yrs -4thKyu
OPHIR BELFAST
Pearse Morrow 1st Boys' Kata 8-12 years +3rd kyu
1st Boys' Kumite 12yrs +
Gareth Barnes 1st Boys' Kata 13-17yrs 4th kyu
2nd Boys' Kumite 15yrs
Michael Morrow 3rd Boys' Kumite 14yrs
Sarah Walsh-Haller 1st Girls' Kumite 13yrs
Clár Mc Auley 1st Girls' Kumite 14yrs
3rd Girls' Kata 13-17 +4th Kyu
 Some of the Ophir junior squad medal winners at the recent 2009 Wado kai championships held in Dublin. L to R: Pearse Morrow. Gareth Barnes. Michael Morrow. Sensi Siobhan Leckey. Amy Leckey. Sarah Walsh-Haller. Clar Mc Auley. Jason Creane. Adam Leckey. Sensi Derek Desmond. Mathew Connolly.
 Siobhan Leckey, Martin Campbell and Darren Brown in Ophir Headquarters, North Belfast. Between them, they have over ninety years of experience in Wado karate including competition at World level and officiating at European level. With an emphasis on kata training, Ophir is intent on retaining the traditional aspects of the art form. With considerable time spent on the practice of basic techniques and the exploration of kata, Ophir sees karate not as a pastime, or something to do for a couple of evenings a week, but truly as a "way of life".
 Martin and Siobhan with Brian Delaney (Northern Ireland Sports Council) at the Award in Coaching presentations held at the Lansdown Court Hotel Belfast. It was attended by twenty martial artists from the Greater Belfast area and brought together, for the first time, practioners from a wide variety of martial arts including Karate Jutsu, Judo, Karate, Taekwondo and Jujitsu
Saturday 8 April, Siobhan and Martin were awarded a further Level 2 Coaching Award by the National Coaching and Training Centre in LImerick, as part of the National Coaching and Development Programme. They are now members of an elite group of only sixteen karate ka in Ireland who have received this coveted award.
below - Multi-discipline Martial Arts coaches
 Lansdowne Court Hotel, Belfast. Awards ceremony. Monday 20 March 2006
PRESS ARTICLE
It’s not often that Northern Ireland sports can claim to be ahead of the game but 23 Martial Arts experts from all over Belfast proved sport in Ireland leads the way in Coaching Excellence. The 1st ever Award in Coaching Studies Programme available to a group of martial arts coaches from different disciplines in Northern Ireland was made available due to the foresight and determination of the North Belfast Sports Forum, with the assistance of course facilitator from Coaching NI, Martin Rice. Some of the top Martial Arts coaches in the country came together to work tirelessly to ensure the success of this prestigious accreditation. Last night at the Lansdowne Court Hotel, Brian Delaney, Community Sports Education Development Officer for the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, was on hand to award the certificates and to pay tribute to the coaches, “In my experience there are very few sports coaches who can compare with the levels of determination and dedication that is intrinsic in Martial Arts coaching,” said Mr Delaney. “The importance of instilling respect, self development at all levels is something other sports struggle to instil in participants, but something that these coaches do as a matter of fact” All 23 martial arts coaches from a variety of disciplines including Karate Jutsu, Judo, Karate, Taekwondo and Jujitsu found that working towards the ACS was an excellent way to share good practice and contribute to their continuous professional development as coaches.
Martin, Darren and Siobhan pictured at a recent training course in Dublin with a group of the most senior Japanese Wado masters.
 Ophir senior instructors at the Masters' Sports Karate Seminar in Dublin. Hosted by ONAKAI, the two day course, featured world -class coaches Angel Delgado Pozo and Antonio Olivia Seba and Chairman of the Referee Council of the World Karate Federation, Tommy Morris. It was attended by around fifty senior karate-ka from throughout Ireland and Scotland.
 Ophir Karate Association instructors "on the town". Dublin February 2009
 Through our membership of the national governing body, we are proud to be associated with the World Karate Federation.
 Member of the International Alliance of Martial Arts Schools. We offer a warm welcome to any visiting martial artist.
 Members of ONAKAI. The Official National Amateur Karate Association of Ireland. The All Ireland Governing Body for karate.
 Members of the European Karate Federation
YOU CAN CONTACT US @ :: admin@ophir-karate.co.uk
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