McRoberts joins the elite in Scotland
FAR north martial arts exponent Bobby McRoberts has become just one of five in Scotland to hold a fifth degree black belt in kuk sool won.
The award was the culmination of more than 22 years’ hard work, dedication and training for the instructor of the Wick Kuk Sool Won school.
He received the promotion after he and 10 others from the school attended the recent martial arts championships in Motherwell.
His grading earns him the title Pyung Kwahn Jahng Nim and raises him to the status of master.
Four of the five masters in Scotland hail from Thurso though only two remain in the area.
The kuk sool won curriculum is run on similar lines to our education system, with primary, intermediate, high and advanced stages of learning.
Reaching the fifth degree level equates to achieving a PhD.
McRoberts received an official plaque to mark his new rank and when he returned to Wick, the achievement was recognised by his students who presented him with an engraved glass slab.
In the national gradings, Paul MacDonald was doing his first progression towards his first degree black belt while Emma Mackay and Alan Harper were doing their final gradings and both went on to achieve their first degree black belt.
Luke McDowall was doing his final grading for a second degree black belt, again a promotion he achieved.
Manny Cowie and Katherine Maclean were doing their second and third gradings respectively.
In the competitions, Manny achieved two bronze medals for sword and techniques and two fourth placings for form and sparring, in the adult black belt section. Alan Harper picked up a bronze for sparring in the adult black belt section.
In the junior black belt competition, Luke won three fourth placings for sword, staff and techniques.
Katherine achieved two bronzes for staff and form and two fourths for sword and techniques.
In the juniors, Hope Allan won a gold for techniques, a silver for form and a fourth for sparring. Caitlin Newlands won a gold for sparring and two bronzes for form and techniques while Kyle Newlands won a silver for sparring and Emma Mackay took home two golds for staff and form and a silver for techniques.
Her younger sister Rachael also competed and won a fourth for techniques.