KENDAL'S Sensei Richard Smith led his British team to new heights at the recent World Nunchaku and Kobudo Championships held in Kendal.

Competitors from around the world, descended on the Kendal Judo Centre for the two-day competition, which showcased four different martial arts disciplines.

Kesshin Kai's Sensei Smith took the World Kobudo title after demonstrating four different weapons - finishing with the Katana Sword which was recently presented to him by Sensei Tom Starlin 7th Dan Jujitsu.

Carlisle's Savannah Middleton won the silver in the Women's category, with Lianne Brooks Sanders, from the Windermere club taking the bronze.

Poland's Lukasz Major, who trains at Windermere, took the silver, ahead of Kendal's Josh Weetmen, with Molly Thackway managing to hold off very strong competition from the Russians to win the Bronze in the 7-13 age group category.

Callum McLaughlin took the silver and Stanley Gough the bronze in the 14-17 age group Basic Category.

Sensei Smith continued to inspire his team by winning the silver in the Master's Nunchaku Combat category, behind Switzerland's Marc Brémart and ahead of Russia's Nikolay Kuznetsov.

Liverpool's Tom Hood took the Silver in the men's with Windermere's Lianne Brooks Sanders taking the bronze in the Women's.

Kendal's Fred Audin became the World Champion in the 7-9 age group category with team-mate James Leech Sanders securing second place for Britain. The 4-6 age group category saw Jake Leech Sanders taking the title after being undefeated ahead of Liverpool's Adam Watkin and Kendal's George Audin.

The competition ended with the highly anticipated and fully charged Nunchaku Freestyle Competition.

Despite being a relatively new sport in Britain, Katie Williamson won the Silver in the 7-9 age group category with James Leech Sanders taking the bronze.

The Master's competition was the pinnacle of the event, and all competitors displayed a huge array of skills in the execution of their routines. Pierre Mercier from France took gold, with Russia's Nicolay Kuznetsov taking silver over Switzerland's Quentin Besson.

There was no age 4 – 6 category for the Freestyle, but that wasn't going to stop the events youngest competitors. At only five years of age, Kendal's George Audin and Windermere's Jake Leech Sanders took to the mat and showed off their Freestyle routines, much to the excitement and appreciation of the crowd - ones to watch for the future.

The event also hosted the Bi-Annual Ju-Jitsu Ground Fighting Competition on the Saturday morning:

Results:

4-6 Years: 1 Georgia Yeates, 2 Thomas Peruzza, 3 Alfie Almond

7-9Years: 1 Freddie Ince, 2 Charlie Almond, 3 Alex Mc Mcquillian

10-13 Years: 1Cairo Jackson, 2 Beren Atkinson, 3 Lucy Sisson

Adults: 1 Sensei Richard Smith, 2 Lukasz Majer, 3 Rob Williamson.

Nunchaku Combat Results

4-6years: 1 Jake Leech Sanders (GBR), 2 Adam Watkin (GBR), 3 George Audin (GBR)

7-9 Years: 1 Fred Audin (GBR), 2 James Leech Sanders (GBR), 3 Lucie Belpoix (Swi)

10 -13 Years: 1 Luc Brémart (Swi), 2 Ilya Rudakov (Rus), 3 Andrey

14-17 years: Troschenkov (Rus);1 Danila Nikoforov (Rus), 2 Jean Mathieu Weymuller (Swi), 3 Emily Mateer (Swi)

Women's: 1 Vanessa Cottet (Swi), 2 Ekatrina Semenova (Rus) 3 Lianne Brooks Sanders (GBR)

Men's: 1 Quentin Besson (Swi), 2 Tom Hood (GBR), 3 Rodin Parfenov (Rus)

Masters: 1 Marc Brémart (Swi), 2 Richard Smith (GBR), 3 Nikolay Kuznetsov (Rus).

Kobudo Results:

10-13 years-Basic: 1Egor Krasnoschokov (Rus), 2 Ilya Shonov, 3 Molly Thackway (GBR)

10-13 Years Intermediate: 1 Ivan Yashin, 2 Callum McLaughlin, 3 Stanley Gough