TWO brother and sister duos from Wyre Forest Taekwondo Club shone at their star gradings.

Anuschka and Rhianna Sobainsky and Aaron and Taran Atkar, from Hagley, alongside Wombourne club member Hayden Dowler, all took part in the grading designed for junior black belts to keep them focused and on track towards their dan gradings.

As junior members of the Taekwondo Association of Great Britain (TAGB), training times for dan grades are doubled as it is recognised that children (classified as under 16s) need longer to mentally and physically develop to a respectable and effective standard of the higher ranks of black belt known as degrees or dans.

These juniors had spent a whole year training hard for the event and had greatly improved their skills since their black belt gradings last year. Their standard was even commented on by one of the highest ranking female black belts in the area, Emily-Jane Arms, who said they were “awesome to watch”.

Instructor Katie Billingham said: “They really were incredible I was so proud watching them! I remember how little they were when they first started all those years ago and to see them so strong and powerful now is so inspiring to all the little ninjas starting out in the club now."

The club members will now train toward the national black belt gradings, where several local practitioners hope to attain dan grades at the National Academy in Bristol. For more information please contact Katie Billingham on 07885 293088