A FATHER and son from Chipping Sodbury Tang Soo Do Club were crowned Grand Champions at the Great Britain Regional Championships in Birmingham. Connor Townsley, 16, received the coloured belt Grand Champion trophy with a maximum 30 points and his father Paul Townsley, as the only people of 360 competitors from all over the country to score maximum points in the individual events.

Chipping Sodbury were the most successful club there as they racked up more points than any other club and took home 20 winning individual trophies, with 14 second place trophies and 13 third place trophies.

Nathan Manchett, Gemma Rallison, Owen Robertson, Christopher May, William Townsley, Lauren Perrett, Beverley Sadier, Katie Goldhawk, Lucia Sadler, Phil Rawlinson, Samantha Skoplljak and Ryan Newland-James also won individual events for the club.

The various categories of weapons, forms, team forms and sparring were judged, with competitors of all ages and abilities taking part, and the 33 students from Chipping Sodbury acquitted themselves admirably in every event.

They celebrated a 1-2-3 in the senior belt team category as William Townsley, Owen Robertson and Katie Goldhawk triumphed with Beverely Sadier, Sue Marchant and Kay Ashfield finishing as runners-up, and Connor Townsley, Lauren Perrett and Gemma Rallison in third.

In the junior belt category, first place went to Chris May, Rob Varga and Joe Lock, while Natasha Sadier, Lucia Sadier and Samantha Skopljak taking third place.

Instructor Paul Townsley said: “The club has a fantastic group of students. They are just a great bunch who help each other to achieve and continually make me proud.”