UP-and-coming young martial artists from Bury club Team Dojo scooped an impressive 10 medals at the recent Unity World Games.

The Mosses Centre club, which was set up by head coach Sensei Irfan Ansari and has only been running a couple of months, took a team of seven youngsters to the games in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

And five of the team managed to earn a medal, with a haul of four golds, one silver and five bronze between them.

Chapel Fields Primary School pupil Lucia Walter, aged nine, led the way with golds in the under-10s purple belt kata and 9-10s girls' fighting.

Her double was matched by eight-year-old Aditya Roy, of Bury Grammar School, won the 7-8s kata and weapons kata.

Faith Parker, aged 11, from Elton Secondary School, was runner-up in the 11-12s purple belt kata and also claimed a bronze in 11-12s girls' fighting.

While Awais Akhtar, aged eight, of Bury Grammar School, won three bronze in 7-8s kata, fighting and weapons kata, and 10-year-old Chantlers pupil Josh Parke won bronze in 9-10s purple kata.

Sensei Ansari has been working as a martial arts coach in the North West since 1988 and has also coached at a national level.

Until recently, students from Bury have had to travel to his club in Rochdale.

But the sixth Dan coach opened a new Dojo Martial Arts Club in Cecil Street a couple of months ago and his pupils have already added to Dojo network's staggering combined tally of more than 500 world medals and 1,600 national trophies.

He said: "The club has grown steadily, but new members are always welcomed.

"Learning martial arts is a great tool for developing confidence, fitness, self-defence and leadership.

"It also helps bring out good character traits like respect, conformity, perseverance, discipline and focus, which play a huge role in moulding desired behaviour for a successful future among our young.

"At Team Dojo we have adopted a 'Good Character Programme' that works in conjunction with the classes that enable our youngsters to become independent in their life.

"They are encouraged to help parents around the house, as well as the less able. It also helps to raise their school grades.

"Parents are amazed at the positive change in their child."

Dojo pupils are taught a system of martial arts that includes a mix of karate, jujitsu, self-defence, grappling, weapons and kickboxing.

Classes at the Mosses Centre take place every Wednesday from 5-7pm. For further information contact Sensei Ansari on 07974 723365 or visit www.thedojo.net