Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International

Aaron Gould - Shotokan Competitor Elite!


Photograph by kind courtesy
of DE Photo

Young Aaron Gould (14) is a 2nd Dan with Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International and trains with his instructors, Sensei Malcolm Phipps 7th Dan, in his Hemel Hempstead dojo and Sensei Daniel White in his Slip End, Luton dojo. If you attend the major Shotokan tournaments in this country you will know Aaron Gould as the most successful kata competitor in the under sixteen years, senior grade category in this country for the last few years. His success is phenomenal. He has just taken the Shobu-Ippon senior kata title for the third year in a row. Every year has been tough but this year there were over sixty competitors in his category alone and all very good. He has taken the Legend Open kata title for the last four years and has taken the SEKU Portsmouth Open title on a few occasions. In 2005 Aaron won the prestigious IKA World Championships in Sardinia and in 2004 he won the WTKO USA Open Championships in Staten Island, New York. He has taken the SSKI National Championships kata title for the last three years and in 2005 he won the WTKO UK kata title. These are just some of his more important successes, as the list seems endless (see below).

Aaron has trained in Shotokan karate for just over seven years and passed his Shodan grade in June 2003. He then went on to pass his Nidan exam two years later in June 2005. He started competing at the turn of the century and took his first trophy in the 2000 SSKI under sixteen years, kata tournament, where he took the bronze.

This was just the start of a very promising career where his kumite successes nearly matched those of his Kata performances. His favourite kata are, Unsu, Sochin and Nijushiho, all of which he performs superbly well. In 2005 he won every major Open Shotokan tournament available to him and this year was to be his most successful so far. Mind you, he is doing extremely well in 2007! (see table below). He is also an excellent team member and leads a very successful kata team and competes in the boy’s kumite team as well. All in all, a great all-rounder!

In 2004/2005 he made his first TV appearances. In 2004 he starred on the BBC News 24, which ran an article and interview on his phenomenal successes and later in 2005 he starred on BBC’s Blue Peter with other young members of SSKI. In 2004 he made the national press when he had a huge photograph and article in the Daily Mirror. He found himself on the cover of Traditional Karate magazine in the October/November 2007 issue, which ran a superb four page article on him and his successes.

Also in 2005 he won the Sherrards Review and Observer Excellence in Sport, individual award.

Aaron is kindly sponsored by the following: International Labmate Ltd., The 948 Sports Foundation and Cimac Martial Arts Wear Ltd, who must be extremely pleased with the success that Aaron has achieved in such a short time.

Aaron lives in Slip End, Luton and comes from a martial arts background, where his Grandad, Stuart Vousden, a current 4th Dan has trained since the early 1970’s. Aaron’s close family, are all extremely proud of his successes and are very supportive in his training with Malcolm and Daniel.

Sensei Phipps, who has had amazing competition successes throughout his career teaching many World, European and national champions, was quoted as saying that Aaron is by far the very best all-round youngster that he has ever taught and believes he has the ability to be one of the true greats of the Shotokan world.

Aaron Gould’s Achievements (so far!)

2000

SSKI U/16’s Championships - 3rd Kata

 

2001

SSKI National Championships - 2nd Pee Wee Kumite
SSKI Youth Championships - 3rd Pee Wee Kumite
SSKI Kyu Grade Championships - 3rd Junior Kata
SSKI Kyu Grade Championships - 2nd Kumite
SSKI Kata Championships - 1st Kata

 

2002

SSKI Kyu Grade Championships - 2nd Team Kata>/p>

 

2003

SSKI Kyu Grades Championships - 1st Team Kata
SSKI Kyu Grades Championships - 2nd Kumite
SSKI Kyu Grades Championships - 2nd Kata
SSKI National Championships - 2nd Kata
SSKI National Championships - 3rd Team Kata
SSKI National Championships - 3rd Kumite
SSKI Youth Championships - 3rd Kata
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 2nd Kata
SEKU Portsmouth Open Championships - 1st Kata

 

2004

SSKI Youth Championships - 1st Kata
SSKI National Championships - 1st Kata
SSKI National Championships - 1st Team Kata
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 1st Kata
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 1st Under 5ft Kumite
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 3rd Place Overall
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 3rd Kumite
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 3rd Team Kata
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 1st Kata
Shobu-Ippon Tournament - 1st Team Kata
WTKO USA Open Championships (New York) - 1st Kata
WTKO USA Open Championships (New York) - 2nd Kumite

 

2005 (What a year!)

IKA World Championships (Sardinia) - 1st Kata
Shobu-Ippon Tournament - 1st Kata
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 1st Kata
SEKU Portsmouth Open Championships - 1st Kata
SEKU Portsmouth Open Championships - 1st Team Kata
SSKI National Championships - 1st Kata
SSKI National Championships - 1st Team Kata
SSKI National Championships - 3rd Kumite
SSKI National Championships - Competitor of the Day Award
WTKO UK Championships - 1st Kata
SSKI Youth Championships - 1st Kata
SSKI Youth Championships - 1st Kumite
SSKI Youth Championships - 1st Team Kata
WTKO European Championships (Brasov, Romania) - 2nd Kata (After playoff for gold medal)
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 2nd Place Overall
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 3rd Team Kata
SEKU Portsmouth Open Championships - 3rd Kumite

 

2006

Shobu-Ippon Tournament - 1st Kata
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 1st Kata
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 1st Kumite
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 1st Team Kata
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 1st Place Overall
SSKI National Championships - 1st Kata
WTKO UK Championships - 1st Team Kata
WTKO UK Championships - 3rd Kata
SEKU Portsmouth Open Championships - 1st Team Kata
SEKU Portsmouth Open Championships - 2nd Kata
SEKU Portsmouth Open Championships - 2nd Kumite
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 1st Kata
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 1st Team Kata
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 2nd Kumite

 

2007

SEKU Portsmouth Open Championships - 1st Kata
SEKU Portsmouth Open Championships - 1st Team Kata
Shobu-Ippon Tournament - 1st Kata
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 1st Kata
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 1st Kata
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 1st Kumite
SSKI Shotokan Shield - 1st Place Overall
Shobu-Ippon Tournament - 3rd Team Kata
FBSKUI Legend Open Championships - 2nd Team Kata