Mark took silver medals in the Dan Grade and Open categories of the British Judo Council's recent Cumbria and Scotland Area Championships. This was Mark's first foray into competition judo for over twenty years and he commented "I was impressed with the technical level of judo on display with most bouts being won with decisive ippon scores rather than the low score technicalities that blight much of modern competition judo nowadays.

"It was very pleasing that the Scottish contingent of Brechin Judo Club and friends Dundee Ippon Judo Club came away with the lion's share of medals, including a gold in the Kyu Grade section, against very strong English opposition."

Mark is now back coaching full time at the Brechin Club with assistant Ahmed Mahood, and the club is looking forward to the future with a renewed interest in the more traditional aspects of judo, a move, states the coaches, that is reflective of the wider judo world.

"Many practising judoka are disillusioned with how the sport has developed in the last ten years and there is a significant movement back to the martial arts aspect of judo and we at Brechin Judo Club hope in the near future to become a more permanent part of this movement."

The club meets on Wednesday evenings at the Damacre Centre at 6-30pm for juniors and 8-15pm for seniors. There are plenty of spaces available in both sections and the coaches are particularly keen to re-establish a viable senior club. For details contact coach Mark Arbuthnott on 07941470644.