Karate Kid breaks club record

A PEBSHAM primary school pupil, has become the first child in Bexhill to receive a Black Belt in Karate at just ten years of age.

Jamie Sheppard, who began learning Karate when he was five, received his Black Belt at Eastbourne's Canton Martial Arts club (where he trains) in December - breaking the club record to become the youngest member to receive a Black Belt.

Jamie's mum Tracy said he was determined to break the record and worked tirelessly to achieve his goal.

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She said: "He trained for eight hours a week; two hours a day four days a week after school."

She added: "He is a very committed, determined young man."

Jamie's interest in Karate began after watching the Karate Kid films when he was small, and Tracy said a strange coincidence lead to his taking up the sport.

She said: "He was only four when he started watching the Karate Kid films and one day asked his Dad if he could learn Karate. Then, right out of the blue, there was a knock on the door and it was a young man promoting Karate classes and he's never looked back."

Tracy and Dad Colin are delighted with Jamie's progress and pleased that he is working heard at doing something that he enjoys.

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She said: "We're very proud of him, he's loved every minute of it and he also learns self-defence. We didn't realise he would ever become as committed '“ we thought it would just be a kids club, but after the first two years we realised that it was more than that. Two thousand and eight was the hardest most committed year of his training, because he was desperate to break the club's record and become the youngest Black Belt in the club, and the only way for him to achieve this was to do eight lessons a week for six months."

Jamie's Black Belt grading consisted of a range of gruelling stamina tests, theses included four and a half hours of continuous fitness, block's pad work (punching pads), kata's (a group of moves including kicks and blocks), and one hour of continuous sparring (fighting) with adults and children.

Tracey said: "Both adults and children get treated the same and have to do exactly the same in order to compete."

Although delighted with his success Jamie said there was a time when he very nearly gave up.

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He said: "About half way through I felt really, really tired but my instructor said I needed to keep going."

His hard work and commitment paid off and, of his success, Jamie said: "I'm chuffed to bits."

Jamie plans to carry on with Karate, and over the next two years his aim is to work towards gaining a Black Belt in weapons.

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