West Lothian martial arts school scoops national bronze just months after being founded

A Winchburgh martial arts school has scooped national bronze barely four months after being formed.

Kuk Sool Won Winchburgh was founded in January but that didn’t stop them from securing third place in the recent Scottish Championships - while all 26 students bagged themselves medals.

It was the culmination of a memorable spell for the club as they also hosted their first ever World Kuk Sool Association (WKSA) seminar and welcomed Kuk Sa Nim, the founder of the martial art, to West Lothian.

Coach PSBN Nichola told the Courier: “It was a tremendous honour to welcome Kuk Sa Nim and the highest ranking Masters in Scotland for the seminar. It was a wonderful experience for everyone. To then go on to win third place in the Scottish Championships is an amazing accomplishment for the club and for the students.

“To finish third ahead of some established schools who have been going for years was not something we expected but we’re incredibly proud to have achieved.”

KSN Alan added: “To have even 26 students willing and able to compete at this event having only been formed in January is an achievement in itself but to finish in third place and for every student to medal was something we never even considered possible.

“I said beforehand that if everyone was at their best we might have a chance of sneaking fifth place and I got told off for that as being a bit far-fetched. The students deserve so much praise and it was great to see them doing so well.”

The accolades didn’t end there, though, as two of the school’s instructors - KSN Louis and KSN Lynne - were promoted to second degree black belt on the second night of the Championships while three instructors competed at the European Championships and all returned home with medals.