A TORPOINT man has become the first wheelchair user in the country to gain a first Dan black belt in Taekwondo through PUMA (Professional Unification of Martial Arts).

Matthew Powell, who suffers from spina bifida, was encouraged to try martial arts by his late mother Christine, seven years ago, and has not looked back since.

The 30-year-old trains alongside able-bodied students under chief instructor Mark Bishop, a fifth Dan, and recently went to Swindon to be classified with others from his group in Torpoint.

He is the first wheelchair athlete in the country to achieve the first Dan black belt award with PUMA.

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