MALDON Higashi Karate club squad members Connor and Ryan Hutchings, along with Jess Leach, competed at the EKKA Karate Open championships at Ipswich.

All three are second kyu brown belts and current members of the HKK Elite squad and are working hard attending numerous competitions around the Country gaining valuable experience.

Maldon HKK trains and coaches students of all ages from age six upwards in both traditional and sport karate and provides access to local and national coaching facilities to all its members.

In the individual open style kata each round the competitors have to perform a different kata.

Ryan and Connor both took bronze and Leach won through three rounds to reach the final, only losing out on a split decision in favour of her opponent and took Silver.

The twins then paired up to compete in the Kata team pairs which requires the competitors to perform their chosen kata displaying speed, precision, strength and timing and they put on an excellent performance to take gold.

All three then competed in their respective kumite (fighting) sections and both Connor and Ryan went out to the eventual finalists in the early rounds in keenly contested bouts.

The standard of the Junior brown belts section was very high and and the same applied to the female cadet section, which, having only just turned 15, Leach had to step up a level and now compete in for the first time with the section age range 15 to 17.

Despite this Leach fought very well on the day and in a close final eventually lost out 6-3 but took her second silver of the day.

So although only a small squad was available at the event the trio took a good tally of five medals between them.

Maldon Higashi trains at the Blackwater Leisure on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.