Martial arts instructor John Lockwood and his daughter Chelsea Hallas work together in not just one but two family enterprises. By day they run a manufacturing company in Holmfirth and in the evenings they teach Taekwondo. This month they launched a new ‘Little Dragons’ class to get young children interested in being active Hilarie Stelfox reports

CHILDREN, says taekwondo black belt John Lockwood, can benefit enormously from learning a martial art.

The discipline gives them focus; self defence techniques increase their confidence and, above all, they gain a healthy respect for their bodies that takes them into the teenage years.

John, who runs the Pulse club in Huddersfield, said: “When I was young I was a bit of a Jack the Lad but once I got into martial arts I found I couldn’t live that sort of lifestyle any more and I didn’t want to.

“I’m 37 now but I’m fitter than I was when I was in my 20s.”

He believes that martial arts can be a positive influence for young children that will stay with them for life.

John sees his own daughter, 17-year-old Chelsea Hallas as a role model for young people. After taking up taekwondo alongside her father 11 years ago, Chelsea went on to become both a national and international medalist. Unfortunately, she is currently unable to compete after injuring her foot but hopes to take the sport as far as she can.in the future.

With a background in Thai kick boxing, John became interested in taekwondo after attending a class at Huddersfield Sports Centre.

“I liked the style and the discipline,” he said. “It also has the advantage of being an Olympic sport.”

Working his way through the belts, John also competed in championships, but says that he’s now more interested in raising the next generation of martial artists.

“I get a lot of pleasure out of seeing the students compete and do well,” he said.

John founded the Pulse club 18 months ago and is registered with the British Taekwondo Control Board which regulates the sport, provides training courses and Criminal Records Bureau checks for instructors.

Pulse is also a member of the World Taekwondo Federation and trains students in the Olympic-approved WTF style.

“At our normal classes, all ages and grades train together from five years upwards,” said John. “But then we thought it might be better to start a separate non-contact class for younger children from the age of four. I had been getting calls from parents who wanted to bring their four-year-olds along and I was having to turn them away,” he added.

The Little Dragons class, he says, will teach the children more than martial arts.

“We’ll also be covering things like stranger danger and crossing roads safely,” he said. “There will be games and pad work and lots of running around to help them get fitter.”

He’s hoping that parents will see the class, which is held at Almondbury High School Sports Centre on Mondays from 5.15pm, as a way to get their children motivated to take part in sport and experience a disciplined activity.

John, who has a roofing and garden ornament manufacturing business and lives in Crosland Moor, says that martial arts create an inner confidence and counteract bullying.

“It’s not about being able to fight someone because we tell the children that they should only use taekwondo for self defence,” he said. “It’s about knowing what to do if someone has a go and having that feeling of being fit and strong.”

John trains with classes at Almondbury High School, Kirkburton Hub and Brockholes Village Hall. The Pulse club website with details is www.pulseaekwondo.co.uk