Banks black belters keeping it in family
A trio of kickboxing students have secured first and second Dan black belts to ensure a five-strong family have all been bestowed with the martial arts honour.
Five members of the Banks family from Shropshire have now earned the highest rank in the sport after students Eleanor, Thomas and Rory completed a gruelling assessment.
The pupils, all from Bridgnorth Endowed School, took on a weekend-long assessment at British Military Martial Arts in Telford, where year 11 student Eleanor and Thomas, in year 10, moved up to second Dan black belts – while Rory, in year 7, got his first Dan.
The weekend began with a fitness test that included two minutes each of sit-ups and push-ups, following by a three-mile run comprising of 10 steep hill sprints.
They had to battle against their own pace as the slower a runner is, the more hill sprints they must do – while those that fall three hill sprints behind the first runner are pulled out of the race.
Once that was completed, the trio moved on to the sparring test, which was made of 16 rounds, each with a fresh partner, and including a range of different styles – such as including mixture points fighting, continuous sparring, full contact and grappling.
For the second Dan, Eleanor and Thomas also had to coach cadet students during the sparring session and complete a week-long level two instructor course, a referee course, a close quarters protection course and a mud run.
On the second day, the students had to work through a series of kickboxing techniques from white belt to black part, taking between three and five hours to complete.
Of the 35 pupils that started the assessment, 25 passed, to top off an impressive achievement as students rarely reach black belt level, particularly second Dan which is often for instructors only.
The trio have now joined mother Karen, who earned her first Dan black belt last year and nine-year-old sister Beatrice, who achieved her children’s black belt last weekend.
Karen, said: “I’m exceptionally proud of all of them, including my nine-year-old daughter Beatrice, who also achieved her children’s black belt last weekend.
“I passed my black belt 1st Dan last year, so I know exactly how hard it was for them.
“They all just knuckled down and calmly did what needed to be done.
“Eleanor and Thomas had both been ill with the flu and felt poorly in the morning, but they still went ahead.”
Eleanor and Thomas, who also attend classes in Bridgnorth and Wolverhampton, are now aiming for their third Dan in three years’ time.
