ROB Lightburn, right, has become the 35th student from Warrington Kickboxing Studio to pass the coveted okamido wolf-style black belt examination.
Lightburn is, however, the first student to gain the belt in just 18 months, having followed an advanced training programme since his enrolment at the club.
The dedicated 31-year-old from Penketh had to complete a series of tests to get his black belt, including shin-kicking three one-inch boards and a highly impressive sparring performance against former world champion Chris Heath.
Lightburn's competitive record is also impressive, having won seven of his eight bouts to put himself fourth in the British super middleweight rankings.
He is expected to return to action in Darlington on February 23 before another bout in Leigh on March 29.
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