Three take top spots in martial art

THREE Cardiff school boys are celebrating national awards in taekwondo.

Lewis Barrow, 14, who has been learning the martial art since the age of four, took the gold medal in the Junior 160cm+ Black Belt sparring category in the GTUK British Open Championships at Leicester Arena.

It is the second time in a year that Lewis, who trains with Master Lawes Martial Arts Academy in Canton, has won a national gold medal.

The teenager will now be competing at the Unified International Taekwondo Federation World Championships in Corrientes, Argentina, later this year.

His father Ian Barrow said: “We are very proud of his achievements.”

Meanwhile two younger Taekwondo followers have been awarded top marks in national black belt assessments in their age group.

Charlie Petersen and Danny-Boy Wheadon, both 11, who train with Grandmaster Michael Prewett at Fairwater Leisure Centre, came first and second for top marks in the UK.

Travelling to Glasgow to be examined for their taekwondo junior blackbelt grading Danny-Boy got the highest marks and was awarded first position among all other junior students in the UK while Charlie got the second highest marks in the same category.

The boys, who both attend City of Llandaff Primary, have been training with Michael Prewett twice a week since they were six.

He said: “I am very, very proud of them. Their attitude and dedication has been fantastic.

“You get hundreds of children starting training but not many stay the course. Taekwondo is about courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and indomitable spirit. We really do teach them those things. It teaches them respect and discipline as they get older. Discipline is a great life skill.”

Mr Prewett became the first Grand Master of Taekwondo in Wales and one of only 25 across the world in 2015. The title given to the martial arts instructor and grandfather is the highest awarded in the Korean discipline.

There is even a plaque in his honour in North Korea, the secretive communist country where taekwondo started.

“Taekwondo is very disciplined and this is top of the tree. In martial arts, it’s like royalty,” he said.

Mr Prewett, 65, who lives in Lisvane, had to pass more than 19 levels and wait eight years to even be considered for the accolade after qualifying. He took up taekwondo in 1971 after breaking his leg stopped him playing rugby.