U.S.K.A PRESENTATION 2005

I would like to start off the presentation today with a few awards to people who have been invaluable in promoting U.S.K.A in the public eye both using the media of newspapers and also via the internet.
Promotion as you will all appreciate is very important in not only increasing the profile of the club but also the fighters within it.

First up an award to a guy who has tirelessly pushed the clubs name forward helping me with write ups, newspaper press releases and also by producing some great pictures for use on our web-site.
It is not an easy job and one if done right that can take up many many hours.
He has done this job excellently and we as a club are very grateful for this
...............MR ALAN SHAKESPEARE

Secondly an award for the Lady that makes all the cyber magic happen.
The U.S.K.A website is one that has grown and gone from strength to strength to become in my opinion the best UK club web site on the net over the last 12 months and the envy of many.
The personal touches and the endless new ideas being used on the site keeps it fresh and a pleasure to visit.
This can only be done because we have such a committed and enthusiastic web designer like Julie on the case.
Now you all can put a face to the ideas
U.S.K.A says a very big thank you to ............................MRS JULIE BRUNNING

---

Ok, now onto the Students awards for 2005. Firstly can I just say that deciding this years student awards was as difficult if not more difficult than usual.
I take choosing the student awards very seriously and spend a lot of time deliberating who most deserves the awards for the effort they have put into their training over the last 12 months.
The frustrating thing for me this year was peoples consistency. Certain individuals who were dead certs for a student award at certain points in the year for one reason or another let their training or attendance slip and as a result were piped at the post by this years winners. With that said lets move onto the award winners and the reasons why I feel they most deserved them.

1: This first award goes to a beginner student who has not been with us very long but in the short time that they have here has shown me the desire commitment and enthusiasm required to take them a long way in the sport.
Steady improvement has come with consistent regular training which has seen them do well in now two superman competitions and also in their first grading. No cries of fix please, the first student award goes to one to seriously watch for the future………………………… MEGAN KELLY

---

2: The second award today goes to one of our advanced students who has very good technical ability and has also showed a marked improvement in his tournament outings of late earning him his first crack at a title at the end of November. Although not successful on this occasion and suffering his first loss on his record he fought with a lot of heart and was very dignified and gracious in defeat and no doubt will get another shot at a title sometime next year if his training remains consistent. This award goes to sugar foot himself……………………………MR JAY COLLETT

---

3: Next up is another of our advanced students who week in week out turns up and just gets on with his business. He blends into the background in a club full of stars but does not let this smother his ambition and his growth and development as a kick boxer. He has very good technique, Excellent etiquette and for the first time this year started to compete and pulled of some decent tournament victories. A very likeable young man and another example of success with consistency, this award goes to…………………….USMAAN ALI

---

4: Back now to one of our novice students who has shown good improvement and an appetite and desire to get stuck in with all areas of her martial arts training. Two good grading results, two good efforts in superman competition and even more recently participation in fighters classes to hopefully get her prepared to make a ring debut sometime early next year. Grit and determination is often found missing in female students but this young lady has it in abundance.
All that coupled with the fact she is one of U.S.K.A’s biggest supporters and cheering squad this award goes to none other than……………………………. SARAH LAWRENCE

---

5: An award now to a fighter from the club who has had some tremendous success over the last year in the ring winning an unprecedented three versions of the British title in just over the space of one month.
Since joining U.S.K.A two years ago he has remained unbeaten and often to bridge the gap between him and the competition we have had to accept fights for him often giving away up to three years in age.
The one downfall with becoming a champion is that people are out to get what you have got and tear the championship belt from around your waist. With this in mind this will see him facing stiffer tests in the new year and this will be a challenge I hope he will be ready to accept.
Another of U.S.K.A’s finest…………………TYLER ‘STEPPIN RAZOR’ SHAKESPEARE

---

6: Next up a young lad that has an awful lot of potential and with a little more focus and concentration and a little less messing about when my back is turned could seriously be in contention for the student of the year award over the next two years. Good attendance, all round technique and sparring on both boxing and kickboxing fighters sessions and some decent tournament performances throughout the year have put him up for this award this year.
A word of warning though those that have the talent generally are the ones who don't think twice about wasting the talent and I seriously hope this does not turn out to be the case with this young man.
This award goes to……………………RIDWAN KHAN

---

7: An award now to one of the real stars of the club. A fighter with a talent that has flown the U.S.K.A flag high and proud with some excellent tournament performances in a year that has seen him unbeaten in the ring. It has been a busy year for this precocious talent Qualifying for the W.K.A World championships in February, winning a WAKO ring sport British title in May and doubling up on his success winning the W.K.A British title in that same month.
In November he flew off to Ontario Canada for the World championships and performed well reaching the second stage of the competition, a great achievement.
Planning on taking his Brown belt grading next week and making God willing his Full contact debut in February next year it looks like next year is going to be even more successful for him.
If only he had the faith and belief in himself that all we have got in him I have no doubt in my mind he would be unstoppable. I am very proud to have this young man as a member of my club, the one, the only………………………TOMMY ‘GUN’ COLLETT

---

8: It's easy to forget how young some of these kick boxers actually are when you see them strut there stuff week in week out on little ninja’s and the beginners kickboxing classes. It's even more unusual to see a student such young age branch out and start advancing through the grades reaching the darker coloured belts and throwing advanced techniques.
With this in mind we come to our next award.
This student has been with me for what seems like forever but that can't be true given that he is only eight years old.
Starting as a young timid lad with very little confidence on the little ninja’s class, growing in confidence to work through the grades, attend competitions and now even assisting the teaching on the little ninja’s class.
Attempting his purple belt next week and looking forward next year to hopefully some more tournament success,
the winner of this award goes to the ever improving and pleasure to teach…………….................. ADAM 'THE MIGHTY ATOM’ ATHERLEY

---

9: This was the toughest call I have ever had to make to decide the student of the year award. Right up until Thursday evening I was undecided and after an awful lot of deliberation I have made up my mind.
This award for the runner up Children student of the year goes to a young man who is really on the rise.
Very technically proficient scoring top marks in his grades and improving all the time as a fighter.
His understanding of what is required from him to be a fighter has improved over the last 6 months and as a result we have seen a renewed focus and much harder sparring sessions from him.
His tournament success is evident losing only one fight in his career so far and in his second but last outing capturing the Midland inter club championship belt. As the confidence grows so does the ability.
The word that came up time and time again on the students student voting form to describe this guy was respectful.
Jackie / Martin you guys have done a real good job. One of if not the nicest most humble, respectful students I have ever had the pleasure to teach………………………………...........JAKE RICHARDS

---

10: This next student has had a very good year in the gym. The one thing that was lacking in previous years with this student was consistency. The talent however was never in doubt.
When it comes to technique and especially kicking ability this student is second to none,
Upping their training sometimes attending all three days of technical kickboxing and the Pad work boxing session on a Wednesday a new found enthusiasm is evident.
This enthusiasm has been carried over into their instructing and coaching teaching probably the best warm up stretch routine at the gyms classes.
I’d love to see her compete but know that is a step she will only take when she feels 100% ready. Hopefully however 2006 will see that step taken.
Runner up for adults student of the year…………………………MISS DENISE MILLANE

---

11: The only thing that has separated this guy from Jake in the race for student of the year is the distance he has come to get here. Last year he was not even being considered for an award but this year here he is collecting the top spot.
After given up his other hobby of football about 8 months ago to specialise in his kickboxing training it is apparent to all the improvement this lad has made.
With an inner confidence that will not see him back down from anyone both in sparring and in the competition ring this guy captured the WAKO ring British championship in May stopping his opponent who could not cope with his Relentless attacking style.
Stopping opponents is the norm for him and his style is one that he will have no problem transferring to full contact when the time is right.
Not only is he a good fighter but an excellent technician. Good attendance on technical as well as fighting classes has seen him steadily advance through the grades with very good results.
Two title opportunities fell through at the last minute on the actual competition day this year so he has had to remain very patient and watch other people get there shots. Next year I am confident however that he will be rewarded with opportunity's if he can manage to stay focused and step up a gear in his training again.
USKA CHILDREN'S STUDENT OF THE YEAR FOR 2005...………………'RELENTLESS REISS LARVIN’

---

12: You really need to bear with me as I describe the winner of this award. His résumé is unbelievable.
Two words describe this guy ‘NO COMPETITION’!
That applies to how hard Qasim Nisar trains, how hard he prepares, and how hard he fights.
With a frightening confidence and belief in himself to do well, backed up with an amazing work ethic this guy was out on his own when it came to making my decision for adult student of the year. In fact I think it was the easiest award decision I have ever had to make.
Most students excel in one area, the top fighters usually let there grades slip. The top graders usually neglect their sparing and fighting. This is not the case with THE DREAM. He is the consummate all rounder.
This guys ring success this year has been awesome, starting the year by winning the F.I.S.T British title in a highly publicised match against ring rival Nadeem Mohammed then on to Manchester to qualify for the W.K.A world championships in Canada. In May he captured the WAKO ring sports British title in Liverpool and the following week made his long awaited full contact debut with a third round knockout over World ranked light continuous fighter Troy Ktori.
July saw his second full contact bout at the light bar in Wolverhampton with a second round demolition job knocking out Dudley's Jonathan ‘Bully’ Morris in the second round. Lots of other smaller victories kept him busy in between but his next big fight came in October when he stepped up to fight the very experienced and Notorious British schoolboys champion Ivor Price in only his third full contact fight. Anyone who was lucky enough to be there that night witnessed something very special with Qasim outworking Price to win an unanimous points decision.
October also saw Qas claim his biggest win of his career to date becoming WAKO Junior European champion beating a Polish fighter in Derby.
In November Qasim flew off to Niagara falls in Canada in his quest to add the World title to his long list of title successes. This unfortunately was not to be with Qas losing a highly controversial split points decision to an Irish fighter in the first round.
Qasim’s ring record now stands at an impressive 29 Fights, 27 Wins, 2 Draws with No defeats and it will take a very good man to put a loss on his record.
Outside of his fighting career he has found time to pass gradings with top honours and has recently assumed the role of assistant instructor along side myself at the academy.Proud doesn't come close to how I feel about this guy.
The winner of USKA ADULTS STUDENT OF THE YEAR FOR 2005.…………QASIM ’THE DREAM’ NISAR

---

Finally all that is left to award is the Student's student of the year. An award that is decided by you. Each and every student had one vote to decide who they most thought deserved to be U.S.K.A's student's student of the year winner.
The reasons i had for nominee's were very varied and very interesting all at the same time. Without further ado here are some of the reasons our winner was nominated from the voting forms................

'Always willing to help other people in his own time'
'Very committed to the club, He is a role model for the young USKA students'
'The most dedicated person in the gym'
'Always give's 200% and has a frightening desire to win'
'Has taken the club name a long way with his fighting'
And finally a quote from the voting forms from one of our younger students that i think sums this guy up perfectly..........
'He does the best punches and kicks and is the only one in the whole world who can beat everyone up'
The winner of U.S.K.A student's student of the year for 2005 is the one and only .................…………QASIM ’THE DREAM’ NISAR

---