A NEWPORT martial arts expert will be featured in a TV documentary tonight documenting the way his teaching was able to improve a boy’s behaviour.

Everton Smith will be shown helping Newport lad Toby Stapleton, aged nine, on Channel 5’s My Violent Child to control his temper and his approach to life as the show begins its second series.

Mr Smith, who runs the Newport City Martial Arts academy in Commercial Street, said: “[The programme makers] came at the end of November. They came and worked for three days on the class, following the day-to-day goings on. And they came back a week later and interviewed me in the city centre. They came back that evening and filmed an hour of me teaching my class.

“I’ve worked in Newport for about 25 years. I’m quite well known in Newport. I hope [the programme] highlights the benefits to be gained from training in martial arts.”

As part of his teaching, he provides training in karate, kickboxing and Krav Maga.

Toby’s parents Richard and Sara will be shown working with experts to show what possible childhood trauma could have led to their son’s behaviour, which includes him punching them, while they look after their other three children.

And his mum said: “I often just let him hit me and punch me until he calms down and eventually he does…sometimes.”

The programme will restart after a first series was aired last June. It was the second most watched documentary on Channel 5 that month.

It focuses on the way in which violence inflicted by children to parents has seen an increase, and that more than 11,000 adults across the UK called helplines to report kids landing blows, bites and punches when they were unable to get what they wanted.

The programme marks a positive few weeks for the academy. At the WFCM British Championships event in West Bromwich last weekend six entrants took part and the academy returned with three silver medals in the fighting competition and two bronze medals in kata.

My Violent Child will be on Channel 5 at 9pm.