MOUNT Kelly pupil Phillipa Bradshaw successfully tested for her first degree black belt in Taekwon-Do.

Phillipa, aged 13, is a member of the Brit Spirit Martial Arts, which is based at Tavistock College, and the first of its students to have worked her way right up through the ranks since joining as a complete novice white belt.

She took her test in front of grand master Trevor Nicholls, ninth degree black belt, and head of UK-ITF Taekwon-Do and vice-president of the International Taekwon-Do Federation worldwide.

Despite the pressure, Phillipa kept her nerve and put in an excellent performance, demonstrating her martial arts patterns, sparring and drill techniques, as well as breaking wooden boards with her hands and feet to gain her promotion.

 Chief instructor at Brit Spirit Peter Smith, third degree black belt, said: 'Pippa is our first student to have walked through our door as an absolute beginner and trained with us right up to gaining that coveted black belt. She is a fantastic student, a real credit to her parents and a role model for other youngsters in our club.'