A TRIO who practice karate at a martial arts club in Winsford have helped England to medal success at an inaugural international competition in Slovenia.

Kathryn King, Emily Waring and Morgan Hughes, from Koshido Ryu Karate Club, were picked by their country for the first United World Karate (UWK) Championships.

After three days, England classified sixth out of 42 countries.

King won a bronze medal in Kumite and ranked fourth in Kata.

Waring finished as runner-up in Kata and third in Kumite, while Hughes was fourth in two Kumite categories.

"We're proud to have won medals at a competition where the standard was so high," said King.

"We thoroughly enjoyed the experience; it's been an excellent benchmark for us - now we know we need to keep working on our speed, accuracy, control and strength in both Kata and Kumite categories if we want to improve."

King, who runs the club along with Waring, was part of England's silver medal-winning Team Rotation Kumite line-up.

Her fellow Sensei went one better, grabbing gold in Team Rotation Kumite in her respective category.

All three were selected as a reward for their performances at competitions throughout the year.

They have turned their attention already to training for next year's World Union of Karate Federations World Championships in Dublin.

Koshido Ryu Karate runs classes in Middlewich and Knutsford too.

For further details, visit koshido-ryu.com