NINE Torbay Ty-Ga students (pictured above), including the club's two fifth dan instructors Becky and Jon Lees, came back with a record 17 medals from the World Open championships in London.

The championship, the largest in the UK, is open to all styles of martial arts including kick-boxing, karate, tae kwon do and ju-jitsu.

The nine-strong team who represented Great Britain, including members of both the Torquay and Paignton clubs walked away with a record 17 medals including four golds.

The heroes of the day were juniors Phoebe Holden and Sophie Glover. Holden won gold in the cadet black belt fighting and went on to win gold in the ladies' division. She also won a silver in the power kick competition and a bronze for kata, giving her four medals in her first tournament.

Glover won a gold power kick competition as well as a second gold in the girls' black belt division (fighting). Twin sister Annie won a bronze.

Gerry Kass and Chris Youlden fought hard in one of the toughest divisions on the day with Youlden walking away with a hard earned silver.

The club's instructors also did well with Sensei Jon winning the bronze medal for black belt fighting and Sensei Becky third in the black belt kata.

Richard Pyle entered his first ever weapons kata event and amazingly came away with a bronze after completing his kata using sai.

In the team fighting and kata events, a South West squad captained by Jon Lees won two bronzes. Dan Ling and Pyle were members of the team.

Sensei Becky Lees said: "Jon and I are so proud of all our students, they all did fantastically."

For more details about the club, which meets in Torquay and Paignton, please check out www.ty-ga.co.uk or contact TYGA on (01803) 391157.