Twenty-eight Ely students from the Mark Farnham Schools of Tae Kwon-Do have passed their colour belt grading examinations with flying colours.

Students from Wisbech and March also took part in the examinations on October 15 at the Discovery Centre in Kings Lynn, with all 95 students performing excellently to pass.

Master Mark Farham said: "We achieved a 100 per cent pass rate; all students passed with good grades, and the Examiner on this occasion was Grandmaster Ron Sergiew, 9th Dan.

Ely Standard: Ely junior beginners with their certificates from the colour grading.Ely junior beginners with their certificates from the colour grading. (Image: Mark Farnham Schools of Tae Kwon-Do)

"This makes a total of well over 15,600 students passing colour belt gradings with the schools in the last 36 years.

"Students receive their grades and belts at presentations held at their own School."

The gradings involve a one-hour training session where the student runs through the requirements for their grading, and then they take part in their grading session.

Ely Standard: The Ely advanced adult class celebrate their new gradings.The Ely advanced adult class celebrate their new gradings. (Image: Mark Farnham Schools of Tae Kwon-Do)

There were three gradings on the day, which included two black belt juniors taking star gradings, which are levels of competence within the 1st Dan Black Belt Grade.

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All levels of students took part, with even children as young as five taking their first exams on a remarkable day of success.

What are colour gradings?

'Gradings' are conducted by 9th Dan Tae Kwon-Do Grand Masters from around the country, who each have over 45 years of taekwondo experience.

To take part in a grading, a student needs to have worked for an allotted time and be up to a good standard for the grade they are taking.

Ely Standard: The Ely adult beginners students.The Ely adult beginners students. (Image: Mark Farnham Schools of Tae Kwon-Do)

Students all start at the white belt and work through yellow, green, blue and red belt grades until they are ready to aim for their black belts, which they take in front of a panel of five 9th Dan Grandmaster Examiners.

Getting to this stage will take a minimum of three and a half years, but four years is more common, depending on how well a student progresses.