Fat-fighting youngsters hit the gym

OVERWEIGHT children can get fit with free martial arts sessions being offered to help fight back against childhood obesity.

Doug Clark, who runs the Black Cobra Kickboxing Club, based in Clough Street, Hanley, has secured £1,000 of sponsorship from Grassroots, a scheme set up by the Government.

That cash will allow him to provide free martial arts sessions to youngsters aged under 16 on Saturdays, as part of a strategy to tackle child obesity and raise fitness levels.

The money covers insurance policies for 30 children for the first three months of the scheme, plus four new sets of sparring pads, bought for the newcomers to train with.

Doug, aged 50, of Chesterton, has been training in martial arts for 42 years. He said: "With the talk about [Tunstall and Shelton] swimming baths closing down, we thought why not give the kids an alternative to train here?

"We are calling it Fit For Life. The training methods are more based on fitness than fighting. It is suitable for children of all shapes and sizes.

"We have got 28 under-nines who train with us at the moment. They love it and it is great to see the kids grow in confidence.

"We have got one little lad who weighed 63kg (nine stone) and was bullied at school. Now he weighs 42kg (six and half stone), he's fit and healthy and bouncing full of confidence.

"Another one of our girls, Harriet Maddock, was on an inhaler for asthma when she first started, now she has won three world titles."

The club currently has 150 members on its books, including seven world champions, seven European champions and 12 British title holders.

The youngest member is three years old and the eldest is 62.

Training is provided in kick-boxing, free-style karate and mixed martial arts.

World champion kick-boxer Harriet, aged 17, of Halmerend, said: "I used to be on inhalers all the time for my asthma, but now I don't need them.

"Winning the world title was amazing. I can't describe how I felt."

Chris Matthews, aged 30, of Knutton, is one of the club's instructors. He said: "With the kids, we do a lot of exercise, a lot of cardio work, on the skipping rope, push-ups, sit-ups, stretching.

"They do grow in confidence after they've been training for a while, and it is a brilliant thing to watch."

Parent Siobhan Matthews, aged 24, of Knutton, takes her son Dillon to the club. She said: "He loves it and he's more confident now."

For more information, call Doug on 07971 174466.