Being picked on or bullied, competing for a girl or pride, or simply due to watching too many martial arts flicks.

Here is a case of taking up a martial arts and taking it all the way to World Champion.

A boy who took up karate after being bullied at school has won a third international champion title in the martial art.

Reece Hamilton, 12, from Northfleet, was picked on at primary school so started doing karate in 2002 for self-defence and to build up his confidence.

In just four years he made the grade for 12 different coloured belts - taking his black belt at the age of just 10.

He can perform dozens of different moves, called ‘katas’, and specialises in ‘kumite’ - sparring - which is one of the three main elements of karate training.

Reece, who attends Northfleet Technology College, took part in his first competition in Staffordshire in 2004 - coming first in the kumite section.

Since then, he has been in international contests in countries including Spain, Italy and Ireland and fought off nationalities from places such as Macedonia, Slovakia, Russia, Estonia, France and Israel.

He is three times international champion for his age group (10 - 12s) in kumite and last month took 1st Place Individual Points Kumite in a competition in Marina di Carrara, Italy.

“I can add that to my three times international champion title and my world champion title for team kumite last year. To have first place for something I have done alone is totally amazing.”

He added: “I’m looking forward to the next competition.”

Reece’s father, said “To become a world champion in karate at a young age just shows the dedication he’s got.

“The training Reece has put in, he deserves to be a champion. We will continue to support Reece because something good has come out of something bad and he enjoys doing it.”

And another member of the family is set to take the world of karate by storm. Reece’s brother Ethan, six, started doing the martial art about a year ago and is currently a yellow belt.

Detailing how he would have murdered Brown and Goldman, O.J. writes:

I looked over at Goldman, and I was fuming. I guess he thought I was going to hit him, because he got into his little karate stance. “What the f**k is that?” I said. “You think you can take me with your karate sh**?” He started circling me, bobbing and weaving, and if I hadn’t been so f**king angry I would have laughed in his face. “O.J., come on!” It was Charlie again, pleading. Nicole moaned, regaining consciousness. She stirred on the ground and opened her eyes and looked at me, but it didn’t seem like anything was registering. Charlie walked over and planted himself in front of me blocking my view. “We are f**king done here, man-let’s go!”

I noticed the knife in Charlie’s hand, and in one deft move I removed my right glove and snatched it up. “We’re not going anywhere,” I said, turning to face Goldman. Goldman was still circling me, bobbing and weaving, but I didn’t feel like laughing anymore. “You think you’re tough, motherf**ker?” I said. I could hear Charlie just behind me, saying something, urging me to get the f**k out of there, and at one point he even reached for me and tried to drag me away, but I shook him off, hard, and moved toward Goldman. “Okay, motherf**ker!” I said. “Show me how tough you are!”

Then something went horribly wrong, and I know what happened, but I can’t tell you exactly how. I was still standing in Nicole’s courtyard, of course, but for a few moments I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten there, when I’d arrived, or even why I was there. Then it came back to me, very slowly: The recital-with little Sydney up on stage, dancing her little heart out; me, chipping balls into my neighbor’s yard; Paula, angry, not answering her phone; Charlie, stopping by the house to tell me some more ugly s**t about Nicole’s behavior. Then what? The short, quick drive from Rockingham to the Bundy condo. And now?

Now I was standing in Nicole’s courtyard, in the dark, listening to the loud, rhythmic, accelerated beating of my own heart. I put my left hand to my heart and my shirt felt strangely wet. I looked down at myself. For several moments, I couldn’t get my mind around what I was seeing. The whole front of me was covered in blood, but it didn’t compute. Is this really blood? I wondered. And whose blood is it? Is it mine? Am I hurt?

Simpson writes of contemplating suicide during the infamous slow speed chase.

A.C. drove another half-mile or so and pulled into an orange grove, where no one could spot us, not even from the sky. He got out to take a leak, and the moment he left the Bronco I reached for my grip. I unzipped it and pulled out the Magnum. I was in tremendous pain, and I saw nothing but more pain ahead of me, and I decided to end it. “I realized, I can make this stop. One shot to the flicking [sic] head and it’s over.”

*In other O.J. news, the man trying to auction the suit he wore on verdict day has renewed his efforts to sell the clothing and is hoping to get at least six figures, reports TMZ.

The Goldman family sued to try and stop the sale, but according to the seller, Alfred Beardsley, the judge “didn’t buy it.” Beardsley says he is hoping to sell the suit privately, rather than leave it at open auction. Interested parties can call 818-259-7705 and make an offer.

Okay, granted disassociation probably plays a role in certain kinds of games. We don’t really empathize with Super Mario’s mushrooms, Zelda’s grass, Metroid’s blobby aliens, or the crudely represented humans in purple shirts and blue pants throwing kicks and punches our way in Kung-Fu Master. But going back to my interview with Iowa State professor Doug Gentile, the theoretically negative consequence of playing violent video games, where violence is defined as “causing injury to something that wouldn’t want to be harmed,” is increased unhealthy aggression (as opposed to incitement to go out and actually perform the acts depicted in a given game, which no study I’m aware of has ever provided scientific correlational evidence for). Since research suggests that killing bunnies with plungers raises aggression levels the same as sneaking up behind a guard and graphically slitting his/her throat, I have to wonder whether we’re legislating ourselves backwards by allowing politicians with a dubious grasp of science to steer the boat.

Case in point, EU justice ministers today “vowed to push for stricter rules on the sale of ‘killer games’ to children,” according to the Malaysia Sun. “There is a broad consensus that much more needs to be done,” said a German Justice Minister.

We hear similar rhetoric this side of the pond all the time. We tend to look at graphically violent video game and make an instinctual if scientifically dubious assessment: this game must be bad because that sort of thing’s illegal in real life. “That sort of thing” meaning mowing through enemies with guns or swords, infamously soliciting prostitutes then beating them up in Grand Theft Auto 3, or–in EA’s The Godfather–smacking locals around for a cut of the business and occasionally performing mob hits at your don’s pleasure.

So–and I don’t pretend to know the answer here–the question remains: What constitutes a “killer game”? Is it what our eyes suggest when we’re pulling guns and popping caps? Or is it what the science suggests, which–if we trade “killer” down several notches for “unhealthy aggressor”–would probably indict everything from Super Mario to The Sims to Madden Football, each and every one capable of spawning situations in which you can cause injury to another entity.

Competitions for men and women and for boys and girls in five age groups (u-9, 9-11, 11-13, 13-15, 15-18) would be conducted under various weight categories. Only kata events will be conducted for u-9 children. Around 500 karatekas are expected to take part.

The organisers have arranged a group training session and workshop on various aspects of the sport, including sports medicine, on June 15.

Schaefer was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in Los Angeles on June 2 — the highest honor a martial artist can receive. He says he’s not sure who nominated him for the honor, but he’s humbled.

He also received the Diamond Life award, recognizing his 25 years of dedicated service to the sport and to his community, and was named most powerful role model of 2007.

“It means that what I’ve been doing is not in vain,” Schaefer said. “And that I clearly know what I’ve been anointed to do in my life and for that, I feel the most honored.”

“I think we go halfway through our lives (and say), ‘What am I doing here? What should I be doing? I was entertained with that for awhile and I think I want to try this,’ I know what I’m here to do.”

Schaefer also said his dedicated service to his martial arts community and his involvement in helping his community grow also played a part in his Hall of Fame induction.

“It’s not just having a school and saying, ‘great, you’re there.’ You are helping Karate live.”

The Martial Arts Hall of Fame was established in 1976 and contains approximately 900 inductees across the world. Schaefer is only the third inductee in the state of New Mexico.

In addition to teaching locals about the sport of Karate, Schaefer has been a partner in education with the city of Portales as well as doing work with St. Jude’s children with cancer.

“Teaching the kids these values and giving them this structure — it truly helps them become a more efficient person and a better man or woman,” Schaefer said.

Jonathan Tanner Pettite, 23, has been studying with Schaefer for about nine years.

“Since day one, it has definitely built my self confidence up. When I was a young man I couldn’t look somebody in the eye and say my name,” Pettite said. “From that aspect definitely the self confidence is probably the best thing it has given me.”

Davey Close, 27, has been practicing Karate for nearly 14 years and assists Schaefer with teaching kids.

“You can see the kids change and become more respectful,” Close said. “It’s just enough to make me very proud of what we do, knowing that we are helping people become better.”

“I’m here to raise champions,” Schaefer said. “To make those children have a little discipline and respect and teach them some integrity, honor and truth and make them better than what they ever thought they were.”

Schaefer also said how he believes Karate has helped him.

“(Karate) has made me a much better man,” Schaefer said. “It’s instilled patience and values that I believe are thrown out in America.”

“The biggest reward to me is being able to teach somebody that you are much stronger than you ever thought you could be — And it has nothing to do with breaking a board.”

Clubs from Trinidad and Tobago will be participating among other invited International Clubs from the Caribbean and the United States.

A statement form the club said: “The event will encourage more children in the sport, especially taking into consideration the high level of crime in the country.

We all need to help positively develop and nurture individuals from a young age to be responsible adults.”

Now onto the list of Class B Public Domain Martial Arts Movies.

Black Fist

Chase Step by Step

City Ninja

Deadly Duo

Death Machines

Death of a Ninja

Fighting Mad

Fist of Fear Touch of Death

Four Robbers

Hands of Death

Head Hunter

Heroes of Shaolin part 1

Heroes of Shaolin part 2

Image of Bruce Lee

Infernal Street

Karate Kids USA

Killer of Snakes Fox of Shaolin

Kung Fu Arts

Kung Fu Kids Break Away

Ninja Champion

Ninja Death I

Ninja Death II

Ninja Death III

Ninja Empire

Ninja Heat

I hope you enjoy theses Flicks

Coach Marwan Abu Khadra said the achievement was made more remarkable because the 11-year-old Coles went into the tournament prepared for point fighting, but switched to continuous at the last minute. It was also his first national competition.

“Point fighting is like fencing — you score, you stop; it’s about strategy and speed. But continuous is like boxing. He was able to make the switch simply because he’s talented. He sees things. He sees how the fight works.”

Coles narrowly missed winning gold by one point in sudden death.

“[Silver] was a great accomplishment,” said Abu Khadra. “When you’re a blue belt fighting black, your mind plays with you. You have to beat yourself, before you can beat your competition. For the most part, he did.”

Approximately 350 fighters competed in 700 starts, or events.

All three Smithers fighters competed in light contact continuous, matches lasting up to two-minutes or until one fighter gains a 10-point lead. In addition to the three Smithers’ fighters, two from both Terrace and Houston joined the Shogun delegation. Houston’s Heidi Golsalves won bronze, and Smithers Jason Hann and Hank Lukyn won gold.

Hann, a super heavyweight at just 200 pounds faced six exhausting rounds against fighters 20 and 30 pounds heavier. But Marwan said the 27-year-old won his matches because of solid technique and an insistence to move forward in every round.

“If you’re tired, be tired, but do not show it to the judges because they will deduct points. This was Jason’s first year in super heavyweight — it couldn’t have been easy.”

Hank Lukyn, known for exceptional technical ability and a swift form, also won gold over the weekend. Abu Khadra said if anyone deserved to win, it was Lukyn.

“He trained harder than anyone else. He really wanted this.”

The four Shogun medal winners now qualify for the World Karate Championships in Germany this August.

Cat Carlin, 25, of Ermine Close, Higher Croft, Blackburn, was in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh when terrorists planted three bombs in July 2005, killing 64 people including 11 Britons.

Cat, who has an eight-year-old son Dylan, suffered a head injury in the blast and, coupled with some personal problems a few months later, said her confidence was shattered.

She said things only started to improve when she began training in Thai boxing and Japanese-style karate Go Kan Ryu.

Cat was a complete novice, but took to the sport quickly and has already won medals.

And next weekend the HND student in complementary therapy at Blackburn College is battling for a gold medal in the Go Kan Ryu World Cup championship being held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

She said: “I’ve got this far so fast because of sheer determination. I train as much as I can and I really do my best because I had to get better.

“I’m amazed how much it’s helped. I don’t think I would be where I am now without Thai boxing and karate”

“I had a really bad year in 2005.

“I was in a bad way and needed to get back on my feet and this has just lifted me. It’s been brilliant.

“My sister and my niece were doing karate and my son was doing Thai boxing and I noticed they, and especially my son, seemed very focused in what they were doing. I had become a really nervous person and had really bad depression and I thought I needed something to build my confidence back up.

“It’s done wonders for me. I do reiki as well and I don’t think I’d have been able to go to college or anything without the confidence this has given me.”

Cat was in a taxi in the Old Market area where the first bomb was set off and suffered a bad cut to her head. The bomb went off just minutes after she had emailed one of her sisters to say she was fine and enjoying her holiday.

To read the rest of this article check out Lancashire Telegraph