A MARTIAL artist from Overton is now among the youngest 4th Dan black belts in the country.

Ellie Hatton, 20, earned the accolade after an intense exam in Kingston-Upon-Thames on June 10, testing her skills and knowledge.

After the initial black belt (known as 1st Dan) more talented students of taekwondo can be tested to gain further Dan grades.

Ellie, an instructor at Overton Taekwondo, now has the ability to award students up to the rank of black belt, and is now referred to as Master Hatton by other students.

Among the skills that she had to display to examiners were that she could fight off two large male attackers, explain the key theories behind the martial art, and break three thick wooden boards using clean taekwondo techniques.

This has come after Ellie struggled with pain and disability, which was caused by structural issues in her foot.

Ellie said: “One of the things I’ve learnt from taekwondo is to never give up. Developing a polite but ‘indomitable spirit’ is a key aim for all taekwondo students.”

Senior instructor at Overton Taekwondo, Paul Crawte, said: “Ellie is an excellent role model for young people looking to build their confidence and fitness through martial arts.

“She started to train at the age of six and is now helping to lead our community based charity to new heights.

“Master Hatton has overcome significant health problems to achieve this remarkable result and we are all really proud and honoured to be associated with her.”

Ellie added: “Being a 4th Dan brings a lot of new responsibility which I am determined to live up to. I’d like to thank all of those who helped me get to this stage in my journey.

“I love being part of people’s exploration of this fascinating martial art, especially the children who bring so much energy and laughter to our training.”