KENDAL Judo Club's Matthew Clarke successfully defended his under 90 kilo title at the British Masters Judo Championships in Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Sports Centre.

Nine members of his family had come all the way from New Zealand for a visit.

Clarke, who picked up Judo at the age of eight in his native Wanganui, New Zealand, said it was a delight to share his title defence with his family.

37-year-old Clarke, head brewer at Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, said: "I won it last year as well so I was defending it. I'm quite pleased with it in terms of holding down a job and still being able to train so it's a big achievement.

"I progressed from my pool quite confidently and it was a pretty good day – I didn't have too many challenging competitions apart from a couple going the distance but it was a pretty successful day. It was great to share the moment with my family."

His first contest was against Liam Wandi from London who the Kendal player demolished within half a minute with a sweeping winding throw for the full point. A similar technique against Matthew Hext from Scotland saw him into the semi-final against a Russian Nathan Staudt.

A change in technique to an outer reaping throw for the ippon put him into the final and he had been on the mat for less than three minutes.

In the final his opponent, Mark Mapplebeck from Scotland, had obviously been watching Matt’s earlier fights for he spent all his efforts in defending from the Kendal player’s attacks and eventually ended being disqualified for failing to fight.

Clarke was not the only Kendal player to give a great performance at the Championships. Two-time Olympian Sophie Cox was victorious in the Under 57 kilos. A twenty second semi-final hold down against Emma Burnett from Oxford put her into the final against Kirsten Gray from Glenrothes. At the halfway point of the contest a rear sacrifice throw gave Cox the gold medal.

At Under 73 kilos Danny Carr and Phil Rogan were both in the same round robin competition. Carr’s first contest ended with an unusual lapse of concentration on the Kendal player’s part allowing Andy Malone from Scotland to apply a strangle for a submission win.

Now fully alert Carr then swept through the rest of his opponents. A body drop throw and a shoulder throw gave him a win against Japanese player Alexey Hashimoto to put him against club mate Rogan. This contest was the only one to go the full distance until a minor penalty against Rogan gave Carr the victory.

Against Anthony Ashton from Micklefield a counter with a sweeping hip throw and a minor inner reaping throw against Adam James from the North East gave Carr the silver medal.

Rogan then lost the next contest against Andy Malone, the eventual gold medallist. In his last contest, which he needed to win against Anthony Ashton, a half point throw gave him enough for the win and a bronze medal.