A LOCAL teen member of a martial arts club is celebrating the award of his black belt with two other young club mates, reports Hefina Rendle.

A decade of dedication and thousands of hours of training paid off for John Kyrle High School pupil Geraint Davies Jones, 14, who was among hundreds of students from across the UK to be examined in front of the Tae Kwon-Do Association of Great Britain's Grand Masters.

The TKAGB was founded in 1983 and is now the largest single tae kwon-go body in the UK.

He joined fellow Monmouth, Usk and Abergavenny Tae Kwon-Do members Mia Hall, 12, and Lewis Charles, 15, in winning the honour.

Geraint has been training since he was just four years old.

And the teenager said: “This is what I have been working towards since I started tae kwon-do and to get my black belt is amazing.”

The youngsters train with World Master Anthony Farr at Usk Memorial Hall and Monmouth and Abergavenny Leisure Centres.

Lewis, who like Mia attends Monmouth Comprehensive School, said: “It was a challenging exam. You had to remember all the moves and prove to the Grand Masters that you deserved to pass.”

Mia agreed, saying: “I am so proud of myself. It is a fantastic achievement and all my hard work paid off.”