Awarded United Kingdom’s Top Martial Arts Club 2009 & 2010

Manchester was the location for the 2011 UKMAF / UKASKO Technical Committee Awards and Presentation Night . With one award in particular putting all other awards in the shade. The evenings events were organised by UKMAF’s Coaching Assessment Officer Kevin Barlow 7^th Dan, who’d been very stealth like in his organisation skills and informed people on a need to know basis only. Needless to say the recipient of the main award of the evening was kept well and truly in the dark !!! The Senior Team of Instructors from SMA, Ian Soame 6^th Dan, Dave Robb 5^th Dan and Chris Hemstock 5^th Dan accepted their invitation with open arms. After all five years has past since SMA had made what was a yearly pilgrimage to Manchester, the City that’s seen so many of our Students reach the coveted Black Belt. This journey was to witness and applaud the presentation of Grand Master Roy Stanhope’s 9^th Dan Black Belt !

The evening got underway with everyone gathering in the dinning room and sitting at their respective tables. Much conversation and catching up with old friends preceded a very tasty and plentiful dinner.

The Epsom & Ewell Karate Club Table, with Chief Instructor Julius Manyoni 5^th Dan and some of the guests Ian Andrews 4^th Dan, Steve Langbridge 4^th Dan, Gordon Anderson 4^th Dan and Howard Mordecai 1^st Dan.

The Saracen’s Table with Chief Instructor Ian Soame 6^th Dan, Senior Instructor Dave Robb 5^th Dan, Senior Instructor Chris Hemstock 5^th Dan, (behind the camera) Dan Grading Officer Lynne Robb 4^th Dan and Mrs Soame.

And finally, the first ever group pictures of the UKMAF/UKASKO Technical Committee which include, Roy Stanhope 9^th Dan, Kevin Barlow 7^th Dan, Ossie Rowe 6^th Dan, Ian Soame 6^th Dan, Mike Tattersall 6^th Dan, Gareth Edwards 6^th Dan Julius Manyoni 5^th Dan, Dave Robb 5^th Dan, Chris Hemstock 5^th Dan, Steve Langbridge 4^th Dan, Gordon Anderson 4^th Dan, Garry Lewis 4^th Dan and Lynne Robb 4^th Dan.