IVYBRIDGE kickboxing and martial arts club TBBA Predators is preparing its talented young stars for yet more success.

Having cleaned up at the World Martial Arts Championships held in Norwich earlier in the year, Ivybridge sisters Jessie, nine, and 12-year-old Ruby Lienerth, Kie Williams, 14, and Jo­anne Laws, 29, will tra­vel to Cardiff in November to fight for Brit­ish national titles.

Coach Tyso Willi­ams, who is Kie’s fath­er, said: ‘Jo is actually harbouring an injury at the moment, semi-heal­d broken ribs that she got sparring in training.

‘She’s going to go, and see how she gets on.

‘It’s up to the fighter’s discretion whether to fight, so she’s not allowed to wear any extra protection. It’s a tough sport.

‘I’ve upped all their training and they’re responding really well.’

The four will be joined by nine-year-old Jamie Bickford, fighting in his first major competition.

Tyso said of Jamie: ‘He’s done three competitions so far and has won all of them. He’s still very much a nov­ice, but I feel it’s time to throw him in at the deep end.

‘I’m pretty confident he’ll be okay.’

As well as the Nov­ember championships, which are in a semi-contact discipline of kickboxing, Kie will be going for a full-contact British title in February next year with official sponsorship from Ex­treme Fitness at Fara­day Mill.

And not to be outdone, Tyso himself is in training for next year’s world championships, where he will battle the world’s best for the ‘K1’ title, a full-contact kickboxing variant.

Tyso’s impressive achievements have recently seen him chosen to coach the British national team, but he has had many challenges to overcome. He has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a hereditary nerve condition that can result in muscle weakness in some sufferers – though obviously not for Tyso.

He said: ‘I was told aged 12 that I’d be in a wheelchair by the time I was 16, and under no circumstances was I to play any sports. So I took up every sport I could and became captain of all the teams.’

As well as his conventional martial arts career, Tyso is aiming for the top in another field. He has so far succeeded in breaking a stack of six concrete kerbstones with his elbow, and hopes to work up to a world record attempt – currently standing at 23.

TBBA Predators run classes and train at Ivybridge Community College.