The next Karate Kid

Published 24 Feb 2010 16:48 0 Comments

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By Ewan McInnes

A KARATE kid is set to take the world by storm.

Johnathan Gilmour, who is in primary seven at Carlibar Primary, Barrhead, is already a black belt and is now aiming for the top in his chosen sport.

The committed youngster trains three times a week, and sometimes twice- a day, with the Shitokae Club in Renfrew.

He has been doing karate since he was three-years-old and took to the sport straight away - unlike his twin brother, Aaron.

Johnathan, who has won countless trophies and medals, is regarded as the third best in Britain for his age and he is now aiming to travel with the Scotland squad to the Far East, the home of karate, to take on the best in the world.

He said: "I started karate when I was three and it was just great fun from the beginning.

"I want to get into the Scottish squad and be the best at national level.

"It would be great to go and compete in Japan and that is the major goal at the moment.

"I find the training hard work but it is always a bit different.

"Some nights you just do stretching but if there is a competition coming up then we have to train really hard - but it's worth it in the end."

His proud mum Elizabeth said: "His dad's a black belt and both he and his brother started as early as they possibly could.

"And Johnathan just immediately loved it and has gone on from there.

"His dad got his black belt when he was 14, so Johnathan has beaten him by three years which he's pretty chuffed about.

"At the moment he is doing a lot of competitions throughout Scotland and England, but you need to be fourteen before you can be picked for the Scotland team.

"But he has been noticed already by the selectors because he is currently third in Britain and second ranked in Scotland for his age group.

"The older competitors, who are now Johnathan's coaches, are under-21 champions so he aspires to be like them.

"The World Championships are being held in Japan in 2012 and we are hoping to get him there, so we have started looking for ways to raise some sponsorship money.

"And then the manager of the Mount Shimla restaurant, Jaz Singh Brab, said they would be happy to sponsor Johnathan, so they are going to donate five pence from every curry they sell to the cause."

Since he was a toddler Johnathan has been training hard to get to black belt level and now he is aiming to be the best in Scotland.

The 11-year-old added: "When I got my black belt it was funny because it meant I could slag my dad off a wee bit."

This article appeared in Barrhead News 24 Feb 10

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