Young fighter an inspiration

After five long years of training, 11-year-old James de Morton was awarded a junior black belt or Junior Shodan-Ho from Busselton Martial Arts on Sunday.

The karate enthusiast was a shy six-year-old when he began training at the gym and through his commitment to training among older and bigger fighters, he has blossomed into a confident young man.

The martial artist has attended classes early during the past year to help younger students.

Busselton Martial Arts chief instructor Craig Crampton said James had excelled in the gruelling Saturday and Sunday assessments and written essay required to achieve the black belt.

“He is an inspiration to all those that follow him,” he said

The gruelling Sunday session to finalise their assessments put students through an intensive physical session pushing them to their limits, covering defensive skills including free fighting and submission wrestling.

James will now focus on the next 10 levels of black belt training to achieve higher Dan grades, including the intensive master instructor Shihan grading, which requires years of training.

“The black belt is more about internal growth and discipline than it is about fighting prowess,” Mr Crampton said.