JUDO: The British Judo Association's big Midland quarterly grading was switched to Samurai Judo Club after problems with the usual Birmingham venue.

More than 150 players attended the two-day event at the Samurai's Lisle Avenue premises, including 19 from the club.

The juniors, still on a high from their British National Championship success, did extremely well.

Heavyweight Richard Jones turned on a stylish display to get his long-deserved brown belt, defeating everybody with ease.

Amy Darch nearly joined him in the brown belts but the 13-year-old was held back by her age and ended at top blue.

Kate Walker and Ellen Ingram moved to middle blue, while Stewart Wilson and Lee Davenport both secured blue belts.

They were joined there by Kyle Everton who put together a fantastic performance.

Everton entered the grading as only a yellow belt but after four top-class wins, including one against a brown belt, the examiners promoted him straight past the orange and green stages.

It was the highest jump at a single Midlands grading in many years.

Lightweights Tom Walker and Ben Newbury both moved to green, Matthew Hibberd jumped from yellow to top orange and Sam Stone is also a orange belt now.

There was plenty of success for the seniors too.

Alex Davis, in her first grading, jumped to green belt after several good wins.

Heavyweight Gary Harper jumped from orange belt past green and into blue.

Veteran Alex Cooper, also a member of Stourport Judo Club as well as the Samurai, moved to top brown as did Emmy Kimberley with four good wins out of four.

Kimberley was also at the black belt grading on the second day, qualifying after two more fine wins.

She beat the first player in the line but the second was 28kg heavier and despite dominating, she could not claim the win.

However, Kimberley gained 30 points towards her black belt and Martin Brown gained the same amount and was unlucky not to qualify for a line-up.

But Brown showed his class by defeating two players who had qualified for lines.