Kickboxing: Melton's world champion family
Kickboxing instructor Brent Penniston was a proud father as his sons Morgan and Logan followed in his footsteps by claiming world titles.
And pupil Emmadee Fox was crowned a global champion for a third successive championships.
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The Melton quartet enjoyed the luxury of a five-star hotel resort in Albufeira, Portugal, the venue for the ninth World Karate and Kickboxing Council (WKC) World Championships.
But there were obstacle to clear before the action had even got under way.
“The team nearly didn’t make it with the closure of Monarch Airlines,” said Brent.
“But with some persistence and connecting flights we managed to get all Leicestershire competitors to and from the competition.”
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And the championships proved worth the inconvenience as the team compiled an incredible medal count of nine gold medals and another five silver medals.
The sports sword discipline was introduced at this year’s championships, a high-energy points-scoring class which uses a stiff foam sword wrapped in a material outer to act like a real sword when fighting.
Morgan became it’s first-ever eight-year-old open weight world champion, while older brother Logan (12) took the boys’ under 15s title.
The championships also staged competitions in points fighting, continuous fighting, traditional kumite fighting, forms/kata, and weapons forms/kata.
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Morgan added a silver medal, while Logan claimed a second gold medal as well as a silver.
And there was even more success for the senior members of the team with Emmadee winning three gold medals and two silver, while Brent also claimed a trio of world titles, making him a world champion at four consecutive events.
“To be part of a team is an amazing feeling,” Brent added. “When the team wins it feels like you have won, too.
“This year having my two sons in our team was a massive milestone for the three of us, and for us all to return as world champions was one of my most treasured memories and greatest sporting achievements.”
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* The British Chinese Kickboxing Association (BCKA) club in Melton offers kickboxing, kung fu, sports sword, sparring and
kickboxercise
For more details, contact Brent on (01664) 562286, email [email protected] or find them on Facebook.