Last weekend Andy Routh passed his shodan grading under Senseis Andy Sherry and Frank Brennan at the KUGB's black and brown belt course in Cumbria. Andy started karate at the Other Place before coming to his senses and defecting to Cambridge to start a PhD in 2006. Andy toured Japan with CUKC in 2007 and demolished his opponent at the Varsity Match in 2008. This shodan grading has been a long time coming for Andy and his success is thoroughly deserved.

Reports and medal tables for all of last term's competitions are now up, including details our best ever performance at Centrals, a brilliant tally of twenty individual medals and five team medals, and the first time we have won the overall kumite shield.

For the fourth year in succession Cambridge systematically dismantled Oxford at the Varsity Match, bringing home the Enoeda Cup and all three team trophies. In a day blighted by injuries, Cambridge held their focus, and their grit and determination shone through as they left no doubt that the Cambridge side were stronger than ever.

At the KUGB black and brown belt course held yesterday in Chesterfield, three members of CUKC took and passed Dan gradings under Senseis Andy Sherry and Frank Brennan. Steph McTighe (President 2007-08, Women's Captain 2009-10) and Tegwen Ecclestone (President 2008-09) passed 1st Dan, and Petre Nicolescu passed 2nd Dan. Steph joined CUKC as a white belt in October 2005 and made rapid progress, winning kumite gold in her first ever competition little more than a year later. Her progress came to a dramatic halt in 2007 when she badly tore her anterior cruciate ligament on tour in Japan, which took almost a year out of her training. Now fully heeled, Steph's continued hard training has manifest itself in many ways, including a 5-0 kumite record at Varsity. Tegwen took up karate with CUKC as a fresher in 2006, and now, three and half years later, has passed Shodan in one of the shortest times in the history of the club. En route she became the third recipient of the club's annual 'Most Improved Student' award after winning numerous kyu grade titles in both kata and kumite. Petre Nicolescu joined CUKC two years ago after he moved to Britain from Romania to work as a graphic artist. He has become known in the club for his fiercely strong kata, and has proved his mettle by twice winning Dan grade kata at the Central Regions Championships.

CUKC had another successful weekend at the selections for the England squads held in Liverpool. Emma Nunn was selected for the junior kumite squad and Paul Smith and Madeleine Wood were selected for the senior kumite squad. All three are looking forward to representing England at the Grand Slam on 27 February.