KARATE kid Jhovan Hanson is on a high after he punched his way to a black belt in only three years.

The 16-year-old Newsome High School pupil has been praised as a model student after he put in extra practice and fast-tracked his own success.

But Jhovan, who has just left school, hasn’t always been a paragon of self-discipline and hard work.

Prior to discovering martial arts, he admits he was an angry child and spent years getting into trouble with the authorities.

But in 2007 all was to change when, aged 13, he met former World Kickboxing Champion Lance Lewis.

Lewis had just begun working at his school as an improvement officer and the young tearaway was selected to go down to the Colne Valley Black Belt Academy to try karate.

Jhovan said: “Through years seven, eight and nine I was getting excluded from school every week. I was swearing at teachers and stuff like that and kicking open doors.

“But then Lance Lewis brought me down here on a trip to try and channel my energy down a different path.”

Lewis had just arranged for Newsome High School to include martial arts as part of its PE curriculum, a UK first, and Jhovan soon became a familiar face at the Linthwaite-based club.

He said: “I just liked it, getting all my anger out on punch bags and sparring.

“I decided to come to extra classes and within a few months I had my first fights and I won them and I just progressed.”

Three years on, Jhovan has just achieved his black belt in freestyle karate – a feat not normally achieved in less than five – and has won the British Junior Championships in karate.

He has also taken his GCSE exams and is planning on attending Huddersfield New College and one day hopes to open his own gym.

Mentor Lance Lewis said he was very proud of the teenager. He said: “He was a pupil who was on self-destruct and was going to be excluded.

“I could see that he had a talent and I decided I would guide him in that direction and help him academically and I also worked with his family.

“It’s brilliant that he’s got his black belt, but I can only do so much. Ultimately it’s been down to him.”

One of Jhovan’s coaches, Niko Gjoka, said: “He was pretty much a natural, but it’s not all about kicking and punching, it’s about discipline and concentration.

“I’ve been trying to improve his attitude and get him to smile more.

“He’s turned his life around and he’s become really polite.”

Jhovan said he had no regrets about dedicating his life to martial arts and said his goal was to become European Champion by the end of next year.

He added: “I try to train every day, boxing, kickboxing, Thai boxing or weights.

“It’s made me a stronger person and less angry.”