SUCCESS at a national competition and black belt gradings have given students at a West Fife martial arts school double cause for celebration.

Members of Carnegie Dojo, based in Walmer Drive, Dunfermline, were in action at the Japan Karate Association Scottish Championships and took home medals before embarking on black belt gradings a week later.

Five students with JKA Carnegie, also known as the Karate Initiative, a charity that was set up in October 2005, earned national podium places, with three of them finishing top of the class.

Starting the medal rush was Holly Williams, who took home Scottish titles in kumite and kata before placing second in the team kata event, while Ruby Wallace followed her lead by winning in the kumite and kata and taking silver in the team kata.

Srishti Panthri won silver in the team kata and bronze in the kata; Raj Negi was third in both kata and kumite; and Steven Lengahan took the Scottish title in kumite.

Following that success, some of those students then topped off a fantastic month by going on to pass their black belt grading, held with JKA Scotland's Sensei Alan Simpson, and JKA England's Sensei Ohta.

Cayden Schreiner, Raj Negi, Sarah Philips and Ruby Wallace were the Carnegie students successful in achieving their black belt, with Ruby securing bragging rights over her mum – and instructor – Morag, who was Sensei Gordon Williamson's first-ever black belt student at the age of 11.

Ruby has topped that achievement by a couple of years to become the third generation student from her family, following from her mum's father Michael Briston, who also trained with Sensei Williamson.

Awarded charity status in 2008, the Karate Initiative was the brainchild of then serving police officers Gordon, Roy Bower and Ashley Walker, in conjunction with Fife Constabulary.

Senior karate students themselves, they had been running successful clubs for a number of years but became concerned by the number of students stopping their training due to financial reasons.

Following a meeting with the officer in charge of the Dunfermline area, they were given use of a large hall within the police station to train students free of charge.

The initiative proved successful and, in 2017, moved to its current home at Elite Martial Arts Studio.

Anyone looking to find out more about starting karate in the Dunfermline area should contact Sensei Williamson on 07514975678 or visit www.jka-carnegie.org.