Martial arts club kicks out boredom

The Oxford Sport and Traditional Martial Arts group has been running for almost a decade in the Barton Neighbourhood Centre, in Underhill Circus, Barton.

In that time, teacher – or Sensei – Phil Patrick, who has lived on the estate all of his life, has been helping children and young people learn the importance of self control.

He said: “I think the reason martial arts is so important and successful on council estates like this is because kids are used to fighting for stuff.

“I used to be one of the kids you’d see standing outside the shops in Barton but then I found martial arts.

“Some of the kids, dare I say it, are a bit raw and rough around the edges when they come to me.

“But what the training does is teach them compassion, self control, perseverance and concentration.

“What it also teaches them is that while you should always try your hardest to win, it is okay to lose.”

The group, which includesbrother and sister Matthew, 16, and Danielle Lester, 14, of Mather Road, Barton, recently competed in Romania where they took a gold medal in the men’s team fighting round.

Mr Patrick said the group was now renowned across the county.

He regularly attracts as many as 80 children on Saturdays from across Oxfordshire.

He said: “What I like about it is the fact that the children don’t notice if one of them comes from a slightly different background.

“We’ve got kids from all sorts of different backgrounds learning together.

“They’re all treated equally. It’s a really positive thing.”

Matthew Lester, a sports student at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, said the group was a really positive thing for the estate.

He said: “I go along three or four times a week.

“It’s really good because if I wasn’t there I’d probably just be sitting at home.”

Mother Julie Lester agreed. She said: “It keeps them off the streets and fit.

“It’s a brilliant thing for them to be involved in.”