DORSET’S Fudoshin Ju Jitsu held its annual games tournament at Dorchester Judo Club.

The event, for all students under the age of 15, is the club’s equivalent of a Christmas party, with plenty of martial arts-based fun.

Twenty-eight competitors were put in height order and split into four teams, captained by a junior black belt or senior student.

The teams were named Bear, Wolf, Leopard and Kestrel after the animal each team captain had been awarded as their coat of arms.

After some running races, incorporating rolling breakfalls to get the students warmed up, each team took on the others in individual trials of strength, including back-to-back pushing races, sumo wrestling and one-on-one tug of war.

The grappling competition had a twist to normal training in that each student had to hop on one leg, holding the other foot behind them, while using their other hand to push and pull their opponent in an effort to unbalance them.

The team captains then had to carry each of their team members on their back in a game of ‘knights and horses’, where each of the riders attempted to unbalance and unseat their opponent.

Students were cheered on in each of their trials by their teammates and gained points for every victory.

Gold medals went to Team Kestrel, with an impressive 73 points, with Team Leopard receiving silver medals as runners-up and Team Bear and Team Wolf both being awarded bronze medals.

All students also received a chocolate selection box.

At the end of the tournament the instructors presented awards to the top students from each of the clubs.

Training takes place on Mondays and Thursdays at Dorchester Judo Club and at the Dorchester Sports Centre on Tuesdays.

Sessions are also run in Sherborne at the Gryphon School on Thursdays.

Details of training times can be found on the website britishfu doshin.co.uk