Three-year-old karate kid makes the grade

11:20am Friday 16th May 2008

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JAMES DRURY may be only three, but you wouldn't want to mess with him.

The Cwmbran youngster recently earned his first belt in the martial art of Kempo Ryu, a blend of kickboxing, karate and kung fu, and is possibly the youngest to gain such an achievement in Gwent, if not Wales.

His instructor, Anthony Groves, said James has a special talented for the sport.

"He is certainly the youngest I've ever graded and I have been teaching for about 12 years," he said.

Mr Groves said members attending Kempo Ryu classes were supposed to be at least five-years-old.

"The youngest child I had graded before was five, but that was my son," he said.

"For his age James is very very good. Usually at that age their attention span is very short but James is very good at staying alert and paying attention."

James' father, Daniel Drury, said James had taken up the sport after watching his cousins attending the weekly class at Llantarnam Comprehensive School about six weeks ago.

"The minimum age is five but he wanted to have a look and the instructor was happy to take him on," Mr Drury, from Llantarnam Road, said.

He was so good at performing the moves James was invited to come back the following week.

His father, said he was proud to witness James' grading last week.

"I was off work for the day and it was fantastic," he said.

"Some of the moves are very complicated and he did really well to remember them."

And by gaining his white belt yellow flash, James is on his way to being the next Jean-Claude Van Damme.

"He is a very active child and likes all sports. He plays football and rugby as well," his father said.