The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Jack’s the lad who keeps on kicking his way to top titles
Wins at US Open for Bristowe
All-conquering kick-boxing king Jack Bristowe is celebrating more success - this time on the other side of the Atlantic. The 16 year-old from Holbeach Drove has just won three titles at a major tournament in the USA.
The Spalding Grammar School student dominated the Under 18 division at the ISKA ( International Sport Kickboxing Association) US Open in Orlando, Florida.
More than 3,500 competitors from more than 50 countries took part in what is seen as the biggest martial arts event in the world.
Jack said: “I managed to win every division I entered and I brought three massive trophies home from the biggest tournament in the world.
“This is possibly the best thing that someone at my age can achieve in martial arts and I’m so happy.”
The trophies are the latest in an impressive array of accolades to find their way into the Bristowe household.
Since taking up the sport in April 2010, Jack has won three World Kick- boxing Council (WKC) gold medals, four British Chinese Kickboxing Association (BCKA) national titles, two Martial Arts Illustrated Open Championship titles and at least 12 other gold medals.
“I’ve surprised myself in terms of how well I’ve done because I’ve only been doing kick-boxing competitively for about four years.
“I wanted to do it to keep fit, but then I got into some competitions and slowly realised how much I liked it.”
Jack combines his sport with A-level studies in law, physical education, psychology and sociology and is a member of the Corby BCKA Club.
His coach there, Alex Barrowman, said: “Jack has a tremendous work ethic and pushes himself far more than most teenagers.
“He really has a killer instinct to get his points, but he also has a lot of natural talent and gets on with what he does.”
Jack’s first taste of success came at the BCKA National Championships in 2010 when he won a gold medal.
A year later, he travelled to Cadiz, Spain, for his first WKC World Championships and came back as a world champion. He has twice successfully defended his crown in Canada in 2012 and in Italy in 2013, and now goes for a fourth world title in a row in Albufeira, Portugal, in November.
Apart from his success in Florida, he has also won this year gold medals at the WKC British Championships, World Association of Kick-boxing Organisations (WAKO) British Championships and the English Open National Championships in Manchester.