Basildon man Stephen Grayston, who wanted to learn to fight at the age of eight, has become an international karate ambassador and recognised at a ceremony in America for his work as an ambassador for his sport.
Mr Grayston, 47, runs a karate group in Chalvedon, Pitsea, but this week the state senate of Merryland, USA, passed a resolution congratulating him for his "efforts in building friendships between the continents while preserving the traditional martial arts of Japan."
He said: "I am absolutely delighted.
"It is not every day you receive something of this nature, particularly from so far afield.
"It is great to get recognition locally but getting it from 3,000 miles away really is something."
Mr Grayston has been teaching karate for 25 years and practising karate for decades - setting up his own martial arts style in 1984.
He is president of the Essex Anglo-Japanese Society and founder of the Chalvedon-based group Sekai Shindo-Ryu Karate-Do Renmei.
Mr Grayston caught the attention of senators at a martial arts event in Washington last year.
A Japanese master who lives in Maryland will present Mr Grayston with a copy of the resolution at a martial arts event in Bromfords Sports Centre in Wickford in November.
He first started training in karate in 1964 with the late Tanaka Meiji-kyoshi, who taught him the Okinawan karate.
So, in 1984, Grayston decided to combine certain elements of two other styles to create a new martial art now called Sekai Shindo-Ryu Karate-Do Renmei.
Today Mr Grayston teaches his system in Basildon and regularly hosts international events.
Published Wednesday, June 4, 2003
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