It's never too old to become a black belt at karate as golden oldie Anthony Coogan showed last week.

The 70-year-old from Bicester passed his first Dan Black Belt grading under JKA England chief instructor sensei Yoshinobu Ohta.

The grading was held after a three-hour training session in Grantham.

“As an older student he is an inspiration to others at the club,” said Graham Johnson, an instructor at Bicester’s Tairyoku Shotokan Karate Club, who are based at St Marys Catholic Primary School in Queens Avenue.

The club’s chief instructor Lester Wellington added: “It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to earn a JKA Black Belt.

“I am very proud of anybody who achieves it, as only a small percentage of people (especially children) who start karate make it this far.”

The club offers classes for children as young as seven-years-old and also for adults wishing to improve fitness.

“As you can see, it’s a sport for those from seven to 70,” said Johnson.

The club is currently offering two weeks free for new members.

For further information or to sign up for classes, visit tskc.co.uk or telephone 07956 523060.