New Articles

"Grandmother gets black belt at 73" in "Metro" October 14, 2008

A karate black belt has been won by a 73-year-old grandmother who promised her late husband she would earn the martial art's highest accolade. Barbara Dyson became Britain's oldest woman black belt after training four times a week with people a fraction of her age. The former district nurse from Leeds took up karate at 63 with her grandson, who quit when he won his red belt.

"Karate Jake KOs mugger" by Stephen Deal in "Metro" June 15, 2006

A phone thief who preyed on school children was taught a lesson and beaten up by a 12-year-old barely half his size.

Jake Oliver was walking home when a man in a balaclava jumped out from behind a bush, grabbed him and demanded his mobile. However, the mugger had no idea that Jake, who stands just 145cm tall, is the world under-12 karate champion. The youngster refused to give his phone and , when the attacker thew a punch, dodged it and retaliated with a Bruce Lee-style chop on his nose, snapping it. As blood poured from the man's face, staining his England football shirt, he stumbled off empty-handed to a waiting car, screaming "You've bust my f***ing nose". Jake ran home to raise the alarm and his mother Sue called the police.

"All those years of sparring and hand-to-hand combat helped me. Otherwise he would have beaten me up," said Jake. He added that he was not frightened of his attacker because the "adrenaline got me through" on Saturday night. But he has since promised his family and police not to fight back if it happens again. A spokesman said the thief was still at large in Hartcliffe, Bristol, and urged people to "think about personal safety" if attacked.