SIX students at Skipton Karate Centre passed a black belt grading event in Cheshire.

Three Skipton Karate Centre students, Annie Chantrey, 11, Caleb Shaw, 13, and Mark Ling, 47, passed their first dan black belts and three others, Jack Chantrey, 13, Sam Snowden, 13, and David Burton, 44, passed to second dan black belt.

Since their last grading, the students have been training up for this grading for one and two years, respectively.

The grading took place in Warrington and took over four hours to complete.

Each student must be of a high standard if they are to pass, and needed to show a variety of kicks and punches in combination form, kata, self-defence, punching and kicking on a pad and competition fighting.

Their instructors Ian and Rebecca Spence, who teach at The Skipton Academy and at Craven Leisure Centre, said: “They have worked really hard to achieve their goals and they deserve to be black belts.”