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Thursday, 28th August 2008

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Martial arts Sally is a real belter



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A YOUNG martial arts enthusiast has returned from the International Tang Soo Do Tournament with handful of gold medals.
Sally Sumner, of Preston Road, Grimsargh, competed in the Under 17 Black Belt category against entrants from across Europe during the tournament at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in Cardiff.
The 14-year-old was one of the youngest to enter the weapons and forms competitions, but despite facing more mature competitors she was awarded golds in both categories.
She also fought well in the free fighting bouts, but narrowly missed out on a placing against older and taller opposition.
Sally is a 1st Dan Black Belt and began training in the Korean martial art at the age of 6.
Dad Norman Sumner said: "When Sally was very young she would come and watch me training. She has two sisters and they never really showed an interest, but Sally asked if she could do it too. It's something I've done for a long time.
"She did gymnastics as well when she was younger and the two complemented each other well. But she started taking Tang Soo Do more seriously when she gave up gymnastics and got her Black Belt. She did a lot of training to achieve it and she was also quite young which is fairly unusual."
Sally trains at Longridge leisure centre under Master Robert Woodiwiss 6th Dan, president and chief instructor of Phoenix Tang Soo Do, who accompanied her to the tournament.
There are currently around 15 members of the Longridge group, but Mr Sumner says the sport isn't very popular with girls.
He said: "They tend to come in groups of two or three. A girl has never come on her own for training. But Sally's younger brother Andrew, who is eight, has started taking lessons as well now and we all go and train together.
"Wherever Sally goes for competitions, she comes back with an extra 50 friends to talk to. It's a social hobby as well for her."
Sally will soon be preparing to take her 2nd Dan grading. She is also a keen trampolinist, and, using the same balance and co-ordination skills that are used in Tang Soo Do, she will soon attend at a trampolining competition in Nantwich.
In the future, Sally would like to set up her own Tang Soo Do club, teaching children and encouraging young girls to take up the sport.
She would also like to visit the US, where the martial art is hugely popular and where the president of the International Tang Soo Do Federation is based.
Mr Sumner added: "Sally's got a tremendous amount of confidence from it. She's started to introduce some of her friends to it and has already begun to help with the smaller children.
"When the children, and girls in particular, see that someone has reached the level that Sally is at, it's encouraging for them. It's Sally's ambition to teach others the sport."
Tang Soo Do session are held at Longridge leisure centre on Tuesday evenings between 6pm- 7pm.

The full article contains 515 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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  • Last Updated: 28 May 2008 9:51 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Longridge
 
 
  

 
 


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