SAMURAI Judo Club remembered one of its most respected members when they held the Rod Lane Memorial Championships at their Lisle Avenue headquarters, almost exactly a year after he died from a brain tumour.

Lane was a member of the club for more than 15 years and he and his son, Stuart, and daughter, Ali, were all black belts, whilst his wife Rose was a senior competition organiser.

His favourite competition was the Samurai Girls and Seniors Limited Grade Championships, so this event was renamed in his memory with his widow, daughter, son and daughter-in-law Rachel as guests of honour.

There was a large turnout from clubs all over the Midlands and beyond, and the atmosphere was positive and very sporting, just as Lane would have wanted.

In the lightest girls category, under-28 kilos, Liane Gillespie-Akar set Samurai moving in the right direction with some superb throws.

Although she finished just outside the medals in fifth place, two of her wins against players from Bristol and Leicester were spectacular and skilful.

In the next weight up, under-32 kilos, Rosie Wilkes defeated rivals from Dudley and Birmingham to make it into the semi-finals.

She lost to a much more experienced player from Kettering, but came back well to win the bronze.

Lottie Millington had been ill all week, but having known Lane well was determined to take part.

Millington recorded a good win against a Swindon player before her energy levels gave out in the under-36 kilos category.

In the other half of the draw, only a semi-final defeat against a Wolverhampton national medalist stopped Charis Hancocks, but she too came back to take bronze and add to her growing collection.

Kayleigh Meese is another rapidly improving Samurai and she produced three excellent maximum point throws on her way to the final of the under-40 kilos category.

Ultimately, her inexperience finally told against another Kettering player, although a silver medal was a really good result.

Claudia Chater had a good go in the under 44-kilos category, finishing just outside the medals.

In the under-48 kilos division, Amy Lawton and twin sisters Sally and Rachel Moon were all winning contests.

Their paths were bound to cross and Lawton overcame S Moon despite spirited resistance from her young clubmate. This put Lawton into the semi-final where she triumphed against R Moon. The final was a tremendous battle against a Devizes national medalist, with Lawton having to settle for silver. R Moon bagged the bronze.

The under 57-kilos category was an interesting one with Samurai fielding the improving Amelia Hancocks and useful novice Ellis Ward-Brennan, alongside Bewdley's Jessica Sullivan.

Ward-Brennan saw off the challenge of Hancocks in their tight quarter-final clash and went on to claim a superb silver medal in her first major competition with Sullivan winning bronze.

Hancocks, meanwhile, was still up for more contests and despite being very light she made into into the semi-finals.

There she met clubmate Keeley Mills, who despite Hancocks' best efforts, swept into the final and dismantled a Kettering girl to take the gold medal.

The senior men's green belt and below lightweight section saw a second Bewdley medal for David Sullivan earned bronze after being eliminated by a Welsh opponent.

In the middleweight section, Samurai's Paul Meese and David Hadley and Bewdley's Russell Nutland all fought hard, but all were eliminated just outside the medals.

But Matt Wakeman got the Samurai back onto the medal podium in the heavyweight section with a fine silver medal.

The men's blue and brown belt section gave the older Samurai junior boys a chance to have a go against the adults.

And in the lightweight section the excellent Ryan Pitcock was good value for a silver medal after some determined work.

Grant Jones added a bronze and Tom Walker came close with a good display.

The middleweight section saw another Samurai youngster, Ben Newbury, sharing the bronzes with Meese after more good battles.

The senior ladies section was also split into three weight categories, all being brown belt and below.

In the lightest, Samurai's Aimee Hodson was making her competition comeback and was fighting well.

But she was finally eliminated by clubmate Kerrie Pitcock, who looked devastating on the ground and went on to win a silver medal.

In the middleweights, youngsters Amy Millington and Hannah Cooper were both rewarded with bronze medals.

In the final category, Samurai parent Claire Shurmer marked her competition debut with a bronze after holding her own against much more experienced players.

Katherine Lloyd Jones won the other bronze, while Annabel Webb notched Samurai's 22nd medal of the event with a super display.