14/09/2026
๐ CHAMPIONS MA FARINGDON TAKE 11 MEDALS AT THE ICO OXFORD CHAMPIONS OPEN! ๐
5 GOLD โข 2 SILVER โข 4 BRONZE
What a day! ๐ฅ
Yesterday, eight Champions Martial Arts Faringdon competitors stepped onto the mats at the ICO Oxford Champions Open - and what followed was a full day of non-stop fighting, nerves, determination, excitement, emotion and some seriously proud moments.
Between them, our team brought home an incredible 5 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 4 bronze medals! ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
But as always, the medals only tell part of the storyโฆ
First onto the mats was Coran, competing in the Light Continuous Novice category.
This was Coranโs first ever tournament and as he was in the novice category he was against opponents with a few fights under their belt! You could see some slight nerves as he stepped onto the mat. But he held his own brilliantly, showing real courage and determination against a tough opponent.
Then came a particularly special matchupโฆ
Coran found himself facing our own Jonathan. Having sparred together back at the dojo, it was fantastic to see the two of them step onto the competition mat together, show each other the utmost respect and then give it absolutely everything.
Jonathan secured the win and stayed on to face another tough opponent - securing a second victory and finishing top of the category! ๐ฅ
A fantastic performance from both men and a brilliant example of the respect and sportsmanship we want to see from our Champions.
Next up was young Mason moving up into the novice division in his Light Continuous category.
Mason secured a win in his first fight before taking a hard blow in his second. He showed great determination and stuck it out, but on this occasion he couldnโt bring the fight back.
There was no time to dwell on it, though, as Mason went straight into his Points category - still struggling a little from that tough previous fight.
His opponents got the better of him this time, but thatโs exactly what competition is about. There is now plenty for Mason and the coaching team, to take back to the dojo, work on and come back stronger with. ๐ช
Jake stepped onto the mats for his very first tournament and took on a bunch of tough opponents.
When his original category had no entries, Jake bravely stepped up into the Novice category - a big ask for a first competition.
He lost his opening fight against a technically strong opponent, but came back brilliantly in his second, dominating his opponent and securing the win.
By the time his third fight came around, the energy was understandably starting to fade after a long day of fighting. He narrowly missed out on another win, but what an experience for Jake.
Three fights, a new category, a first tournament and plenty of lessons to take away. ๐
Our youngest competitor, Violet, had a very busy category and this was also her first time competing.
She narrowly missed out on the win in her opening fight against a competitor who would go on to dominate the category.
But Violet bounced back and secured a win of her own, giving her confidence a huge boost. After another tough fight, she won her final bout to finish the day on a high!
What a way to finish her first tournament - and what a well deserved silver medal! ๐ฅโค๏ธ
Logan had a busy day too, beginning with Just Blitz - perhaps not his favourite category, given that he much prefers to use those legs! ๐
He lost out in both bouts, but there was plenty to learn and plenty to work on back at the dojo.
Then Logan was back on the mats for Points and WHAT a matchup! Against a tough opponent, the fight ended in a draw and went into extra timeโฆStill a draw after extra time! So it came down to first point winsโฆโฆand Logan did exactly that! ๐ฅ
A brilliant finish and a fantastic example of staying composed when the pressure is on.
Then came Ethan, stepping onto the mats against an opponent from a very well-known and highly regarded club. And Ethan absolutely dominated.
This was Ethanโs first tournament in the Novice category, and he performed brilliantly from start to finish, showing confidence, skill and composure.
And it wasnโt just his performance on the mat that impressed us.
Ethan showed fantastic respect towards his opponent on the podium too - representing himself, his family and Champions Martial Arts Faringdon exactly as we would hope.
A fantastic performance and a very well-deserved gold medal! ๐ฅ๐
Jonathan wasnโt finished yet! Back onto the mats he went for Kick Light, where he was able to showcase those kicking skills and made light work of another tough opponent.
Another win added to his already very successful day! ๐ฅ
And finally, Kajus stepped onto the mats for Championsโ final fight of the day.
Having moved up an age bracket, Kajus faced an opponent he had competed against before and had previously beaten.
There was no room for complacency, though, as he stepped back onto the mats ready to do it all over again.
Kajusโs skills shone through once again and he made light work of his opponent, bringing Championsโ competition day to a fantastic close with another gold medal! ๐ฅ๐ฅ
A brilliant way to finish a long and hugely successful day for the team!
๐ WHAT A DAY FOR CHAMPIONS!
Eight competitors. Fight after fight. Nerves. Big wins. Tough losses. Extra time. First tournaments. New categories. New experiences. And a LOT of medals!
5 GOLD ๐ฅ 2 SILVER ๐ฅ 4 BRONZE ๐ฅ
But weโre just as proud of the courage shown by those who won as we are of those who didnโt.
Every single one of our competitors stepped onto those mats, faced whatever was put in front of them and gave it their best. Thatโs what being a Champion is about.
And for those who didnโt get the result they wanted this time - weโve got plenty to learn, plenty to work on and plenty of reasons to get back into the dojo and keep pushing.
A huge well done to Coran, Jonathan, Mason, Jake, Violet, Logan, Ethan and Kajus. โค๏ธ
You represented Champions Martial Arts Faringdon brilliantly - both on and off the mats.
We couldnโt be prouder of every one of you.
And to the families, coaches and supporters who were there cheering, encouraging, helping and keeping everyone going through a very long day of non-stop fighting - thank you!
It was tiring, exciting, emotional, nerve-wracking, brilliantโฆ and something to be incredibly proud of.
Making Champions in Life ๐
