A BLACK BELT Tae-Kwon Do student was 'over the moon' after he won third place at his first national competition.

Matt Palfrey, 28, from Burnham-on-Sea, competed at The British Tae-Kwon Do championships at Birmingham Arena on November 5 and beat more than 1,400 competitors from across the world to the podium spot.

Jane Lambert, senior instructor at the Gemini Tae-Kwon Do club, where Matt trains, was full of praise for the sporting star.

"Matt has been very focused and committed to his training and taken the big step up to black belt competition in his stride," she said. 

"He has huge potential and it will be interesting to see how he performs in next years World Championships.

"Tae Kwon-Do is a great way to build confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life. Beginners of all ages and abilities are alway welcome.”