THREE junior members of a martial arts club are celebrating the award of their black belts, reports Hefina Rendle.

Years of dedication and thousands of hours of training paid off for the Monmouth, Usk and Abergavenny Tae Kwon-Do trio – Mia Hall, 12, and Lewis Charles, 15, who both attend Monmouth Comprehensive School, and Geraint Davies Jones, 14, who goes to John Kyrle High School in Ross-on-Wye.

They were 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.

Lewis 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.”

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

“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.