Karate kids! Incredible sisters aged just 11 and nine become the two youngest martial arts stars in the country

Karate kids: Sisters Esther Beales, 11, (left) and Anna Beales, 9,have fought their way to become the youngest martial arts performers in the country to hold Ju-jitsu 1st dan black belts

As Great Britain's Olympians exceed expectation in the London Games there are two youngsters setting their sights on becoming the next generation of sports stars to claim gold.
And despite being just nine and 11 sisters Esther and Anna Beales have every reason to be confident - having become the youngest martial arts stars in the country.
The karate kids are thought to be the two youngest Ju-jitsu first dan black belt holders in the UK - a belt normally reserved for adults - while Anna is also now the youngest Ju-jitsu black belt in Europe.
The girls went through a six-hour test to achieve the honour in the ancient fighting art of Japanese samurai warriors, which involves throws, chokes, joint locks and strikes..
The girls, who live with dad David, mum Donna and brothers Charlie and Jack, in Halton-Lea-Gate, Northumberland, are now setting their sights on one day being Olympians after becoming enthralled with the judo.
Proud David, 39, said: 'Maybe they are a bit too young for the next ones but the Games after that. Who knows?
'Even at their ages they were watching the judo and spotting the little errors and mistakes made by people which is great for children so young.'
The martial arts fanatics aren't new to the star status - having already achieved their second dan black belts in karate - and David believes that, after much research, his little girls are the youngest to pass the grading.
He said: 'It's frightening how much natural ability they have in a hard and dangerous martial art.
'I can't find anyone younger who's got the black belt so it's a really big achievement for them.

 

'They had to remember over 250 techniques all together and it's not just that, they have to know about the human body as well - everything from knowing how the nervous system works to all the muscles.

Setting a good example: The girls could follow in the footsteps of Team GB's Gemma Gibbons who secured a silver medal in judo at the Olympics this week

'It's really hard for children of Esther and Anna's age to do all that.'
The sisters, who both attend Brampton Primary School, Cumbria, began their martial arts training more than four-and-a-half-years ago and they had to increase their grueling regime in the run-up to their latest Ju-jitsu grading.
After 125 hours of training, Esther and Anna were ready to take the full adult black belt test - and passed with flying colours after an assessment that included 30 throws and more than 100 combined techniques.
David, a debt collector, added: 'In the last two weeks before the exam they had 50 hours worth of training so they were really bang on.'
In the past David has avoided watching any of the girls' gradings but this time it was unavoidable as he was classed as their instructor.
He said: 'Normally I don't go in because I get too nervous but I had to be present this time as their instructor so it was six hours of torture for me.
'The grading officer said he had never had two girls as young as Esther and Anna who have done all the moves first time with such accuracy - he said everything was perfect.
'His passing remarks said he had never witnessed children do what they had achieved in one day.
'The chief instructors were so impressed they said it would be an honour to have them attend their club and to teach them what they needed for their second dan.'

The original karate kid: Even Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso was not a black belt at the same age as Anna and Esther Beales