TEN-year-old Melissa Oxley was one of 25 Tae Kwon Do students to take the recent coloured belt grading examination at Farnham School of Tae Kwon Do.

Melissa, a pupil at St Peter’s Primary School, and her fellow Tae Kwon Do students, were put through their paces in a test which involved them demonstrating various aspects of the martial art of Tae Kwon Do before a panel of black belts.

Melissa, who took up the Korean martial art only four months ago with her younger sister, Nicole, and dad, Will, was taking her first ever grading exam and impressed the panel to earn the Grading Award, presented to the most outstanding student.

It was success all round for the Oxley trio as Nicole (student of the month in January) and Will also achieved high marks at the grading and, like Melissa, were each awarded an ‘A’ pass.

Having taken their first steps on the journey to black belt, Melissa, Nicole and Will are enjoying training twice a week at Farnham School of Tae Kwon Do under the instruction of father and daughter instructor and assistant instructor team, Tim and Evie Ayres-Townshend.

Tim Ayres-Townshend said: “Melissa, Nicole and Will have set a high standard in the quality of their training since they first set foot in the dojang.

“The results they achieved in their first grading are very well deserved. It’s wonderful to see families training together in martial arts and encouraging one another to achieve their goals.”