Karate Kid Jake collects golden haul
ST Ambrose College’s Karate King Jake Clegg scooped four golds and five silvers in the World Karate Kick Boxing Championships in Portugal making him one of the finest teenage exponents of the non contact form of karate.
A third dan black belt in free style Karate and first dan in Shotokan Karate, Jake has also developed his non contact choreographed skills alongside the more combative form of the sport, Kata.
From Heaton Norris, the 17-year-old athlete trains twice on week nights at the Bushido Martial Arts, then spending all day every Saturday refining his skills.
The non-combat form of Karate demands strength, flexibility, balance, control, power and Jake said: “It’s just as much a mental discipline as it is a physical skill. The key qualities are self control, a willingness to work, an acceptance of your failings and the patience, concentration and focus to develop excellence.”
Having previously taken three golds in Portugal for last year’s World Championships, Jake shone in both team and individual Kata categories this year, adding “I like both disciplines and working with a mate really does teach you team work and respect.”
A talented student, Jake got four As and six Bs in his GCSEs and is now studying computing, maths and biology in the St Ambrose College Sixth Form and wants to study game design at university.
He said: “Karate has applied for Olympic status for 2020 but I don’t know if Kata will be included. I just want to work as hard as I can, gain as many gold medals in the world championships and then I would love to teach as well and pass on all I have learned to the generation after me.”
He added: “When I was younger school mates used to call me the Karate Kid, which is fine I suppose, if a little tiring after a while, but they all seem to think it’s a pretty cool.”
St Ambrose College Headmaster James Keulmans said: “It’s a stunning achievement from a very hardworking young man.”
‘When I was younger school mates used to call me Karate Kid’