A FATHER has spoken of his pride after he and his son received special recognition for their continued service at a martial arts club.

Robert and Colin Plumb, have been given their seventh Dan Black Belts by chairman and chief instructor of the South Eastern Freestyle Karate Association, Trevor White.

The duo have been running and instructing at Halstead and Earls Colne Karate Clubs for over 25 years and father Robert, who is 67 and now lives in Sudbury, admits both he and son Colin, 42, are delighted to have received the belt.

He said: “It’s lovely to have the recognition and a great honour. The club don’t have that many members who go that far and carry on that long.

“Our club is different to many others, it’s non profit. A lot of martial arts clubs are doing it for the money but for us, it’s all about keeping fit and having fun.

“We have a good social side to the club. We try and keep everyone close and involved.

“Once you get into martial arts, it becomes a way of life.”

Robert himself has been involved with martial arts for more than 50 years and was instrumental in introducing his son to the sport.

The two men currently work side by side and help to run a weekly karate session for both young and old in Earls Colne.

They also run two sessions on a weekly basis from Halstead Leisure Centre.

Though Robert expects son Colin to surpass his achievements in karate, he says that his age does not prevent him from remaining competitive and his love for martial arts means it has always been a big part of his life.

He added: “I will still hold my own against the youngsters. Maybe they give me a bit of leeway but I like to think I’m still good enough.

“Karate has changed a lot since I first began.

“When I started, woman couldn’t really train and didn’t join in. I have seen quite a few changes but I guess you would expect that considering how long I have been involved.

“I have done lots of different martial arts aside from karate. I have done tai chi and remember doing five years of Kung-Fu training.

“Once you get into martial arts, it just becomes a way of life and it can be so rewarding.”

Anyone interested in beginning or joining the Halstead and Earls Colne Karate Clubs can find out more information at https://easternmartialarts.weebly.com.