A student from Hemel Hempstead has clinched his second bronze medal at a national karate championships event – just 16 months after first taking up the sport.
Sher Khan, 24, represented BPP University and lined-up in a 50-strong field at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships held at Sheffield’s Pond Forge venue.
Khan scooped bronze in Saturday’s category of Novice Kata – where athletes perform a choreographed sequence of combat techniques.
“I feel privileged to represent BPP University at these types of competition, and to have BPP University support me and track my progress is a real boost when it’s time to compete,” said Khan – who only took up karate in October 2013 after joining the Karate Shinboku Kai club in London’s Southbank University Sports Centre.
It’s the second time Khan has represented BPP University at a BUCS competition, having won a bronze medal at last year’s championships in the Novice Kumite (sparring) category.
Khan is now looking ahead to the Art of Movement competition in March at the University of London Union before heading to the ESKF English Karate Open in May.
Learning under the guidance of instructors David McCormack, Albert Lukaj and Philipp Lohrmann, Khan has progressed strongly over the past 16 months and is now a purple and white stripe belt in karate.
“My self-confidence has improved immensely and this has been reflected in other aspects of my life,” said Khan, who is studying the Legal Practice Course at BPP University Law School, Holborn.
“I appreciate the way individuals are required to maintain a high level of self-discipline and show respect towards each other in the dojo.
“We learn ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ techniques, with a particular focus on street safe and knife defence techniques. We also learn sparring, fundamental basics and ground fighting.
“Training in all of these areas to a high standard have made it easier to take part in competition fighting at tournaments such as BUCS.”