A KIIDDERMINSTER judo player made a medal winning return to the sport after a break of three decades.

Matthew Martin partnered his wife Emma at the British Judo Kata Championships and the couple won a bronze medals, finishing ahead of four black belt pairs.

To complete the family story, their daughter Alannah partnered Cerys Jones in the younger juniors section of the same kata and took silver. Meanwhile, Olivia Turner and Luke Mole took bronze in the older juniors section.

It was a fairytale return for Matt, who started judo as a youngster at Kidderminster's Samurai club in the 1980s, winning eight medals in competition and gaining his orange belt.

Like many club members from that era, he now has children of his own and brought both of them along to the club, which has moved on to new purpose-built premises in Zortech Avenue. Matt’s wife Emma also decided to try judo the club’s parents session, and Matt was also enticed back onto the mat.

They were shown kata, a series of choreographed moves, and after instruction club head coach Andrew Haffner, who had coached Matt back in the 80s, persuaded them to enter the British Championships, especially as it was being held at the club.

Matt Martin said: “We wondered several times if we were being stupid doing this, Andrew just smiled, as he does, and said, ‘get on with it’.

"Then we found out that there were seven pairs entered and almost all of the other players were black belts, and there’s me with my orange belt and Emma with her yellow belt.”

The nage no kata, the kata of throwing techniques, consists of fifteen throws, each of which have to be done to both left and right.

Emma Martin said: “All we wanted to do was just get through it without making any major mistakes, we didn’t expect anything else.”

But Andrew felt that Matt and Emma were in the lead and the three international judges agreed. Two other later pairs overtook Matt and Emma, but they beat one more pair to finish in third place.

Emma said: "I was just stunned when the results were announced, we were just hoping not to finish last.”

Andrew Haffner said: “Matt and Emma worked really hard on this, almost every night of the week they were at the club practicing, and also spending time at home looking at the international standard video from the world championships in Malaga and seeing how they could improve. They thoroughly deserve this.”

Cerys Jones, who recently won silver at the British