Walsall Elite Marshall Arts lies behind an unassuming metal lock-up door on an industrial estate opposite the Manor Hospital. It's home to Tae Kwan Do world champion, Emily-Jane Arms and fittingly the sign above the door reads, 'Train, Fight, Win' I had the privilege of interviewing Emily a few weeks ago and here's just a small part of her story.
What's the background to the club
The club goes back a long way but we've been here on this site about four years. My brother Jason is Chief Instructor and I'm Senior Instructor.
We used to train at the club and when the previous owner emigrated to Tenerife he asked Jason and I to take over as managers. He transferred the club to us when he decided he was going to settle there permanently.
Where do your members come from?
We do advertise and we've got a Facebook page, but most people come to us through word of mouth. We've got three current black-belts, three silver champions and a former champion on our books.
Just this weekend we took a team to a competition and we won three golds, two silvers and a bronze.
The club's open to all ages. Our Tiny Tigers start at three and our oldest student is fifty five. In all, we've got about a hundred members and we're open seven days a week.
How did you first get into Tae Kwon Do?
I've always been very competitive. I grew up as one of four children in a very close family. At school I loved sport - rounders, netball, hockey, rugby, football - you name it, I played it!
My brothers, Jason and Christopher, they're black belts. I got started in 2001 because they were both into it. I was eighteen when I went to my first tournament. Jason came back with a massive trophy. I watched the heavyweight ladies and thought yes, I could do that. I started fighting the following year.
My dad taught me a lot about self-discipline and that's really helpful. My mum is more laid-back but she comes and supports me at every championship.
What was your journey to becoming a world champion?
I picked up my first medal in Glasgow, a bronze, and it's still my favourite! I was a white belt but I started fighting ladies two grades up. I continued going up the belts and got a silver medal in the British championships the next year.
I won fourteen straight gold medals in a row and advanced to blue belt. My first world championship was in Wales in 2005 and I came fifth. Five years later I became a world tag-team champion and won silver in the tournament as a whole.
The next world championship was in 2013. I couldn't compete as I'd just had a C-section, but in 2016 I became a world champion in my own right. I won gold in the ladies' black belt continuous sparring division at at the 11th Open World Tae Kwon Do Championships. It was in front of a home crowd at the BarclayCard Arena in Birmingham.
I beat Hazel Bracken, the Scottish Ladies champion, in the final. She's six inches taller than me and I'm 5'10"! To cut a long story short I ended up breaking Hazel's foot and carrying off the championship belt.
Have you ever been injured when you've been fighting?
I've had my share of minor injuries, but fortunately nothing serious. I've had lots of bruises, my nose was broken in training and I've had the occasional broken rib.
It hasn't stopped me fighting though!
What do you most like about your club?
I'm really proud of our work with the girls, particularly those from the Muslim community. Tae Kwon Do gives them confidence to do other things in their life.
We give them a safe place where they can be themselves. One Muslim lady moved into the area from Swindon and she's now an instructor at the club. She runs the boot-camp for girls and is a world tag-team champion in her own right.
If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read my interview with another Tae Kwon Do world-champion, the legendary Warren Vice!
