Big Ben versus the Karate Kids

8:30pm Thursday 3rd July 2008

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In a room looking out over Morden Tube, the karate kids line up and shout out their deafening pledge in terrifying unison.

"It's my promise to always do my best, and never give up. To tell the truth and honour my word. To always be polite and never, misuse what I have learnt," they say.

Today, I'm on their lesson plan as I give a first-hand account of their speed, skill and, in the words of their coach, Vince Cassar, "unbreakable spirit".

This could get ugly.

But just before I can do a runner, their coach reassures me. "I really don't want it to seem like we're creating a bunch of meat heads here. It's just not what we're about."

He adds: "Choi Kwang Do gives children a huge head start in life and massively increases their personal development. Above all it teaches respect for others and a degree of etiquete."

Since opening in March, more than 200 regular students at the Vince Cassar black belt acadamy have been practicing the martial art's principles of humility, honesty, gentleness, perseverance and self-control.

Darcy Voller, 6, has even reached the level of black belt and is thought to be the youngest in Europe to do so.

Vince tells me the programme they teach uniquely stimulates and links neuro pathways on both sides of the brain, and the young martial artists are also highly succesful academically.

"Just because you reach a certain age, there's no reason why you can't learn to achieve more complex feats physically and mentally.

"Two 64-year-olds just started training with us, but our real succes story is Peter Sullivan - he's just achieved his black belt at 61. He only started a few years ago and he'd done very little physical activity. He used to drink and smoke heavily but now he's turned his whole life around," he explains.

As for my own story, those who were looking forward to seeing me knocked down by a group of eight year-olds (and it seems there were quite a few) will be disappointed.

Choi Kwang Do is a non-competitive martial art to be used strictly in self defence, but I have seen what these kids can do and I am not so unhappy with my own life that I was going to throw the first punch.

• For more information about the academy see vcbba.com or call 020 8540 2626 to book a free introductory class.