Forces Athletes Tackle Inter Services Martial Arts Championships

The Inter Services Martial Arts Championships have taken place in Aldershot.

Sports such as Taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Karate topped the billing on day one of the tournament.

The Army’s Corporal Leon Hinds won a BJJ gold medal in the super heavy purple belt division and was roared on by his family watching.

He said: “My family always come down to support me in pretty much 99.9% of my fights. It’s always good to have them have my back.”

“Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is probably one of the hardest arts to learn simply because a lot of people do not like getting tapped.

“It’s a concentration game. It’s mind before matter and dominating your opponent to get them in a good position. That will enable you to sub them.”

Another man involved in the sport was former MMA fighter Marine Jordan Desborough-Jarvis.

He joined the Royal Marines in January on the advice of a family member that he could continue to fight at a good level.

He said: “I was quite lucky that I already have a brother that is in the Marines. He’s done a few of these competitions so he told me that if I join the military, it is not the end of my career.

“There’s lots of opportunities to go out there and actually compete.

“I joined the Marines in January and already I’m here at an Inter Services Championships.”

Since coming into the military, Mne Desborough-Jarvis has been surprised at the atmosphere of a tri-service event:

“If you came here today just before I got on the mat against the RAF and the Army, you would have seen that I was laughing a joking with them.

“It’s really good to bring all the services together and competing against each other in a friendly environment.”

Over on the Karate mat, Corporal David Johnstone has won his fifth consecutive Inter Services title.

The Army star won gold at the World Karate Championships last year but was pleased with more of a challenge at Inter Services level this year.

He said: “This year’s competition is very different. They were saying there was only 0.2 or 0.3 in it. It was a very close one and it is really good for martial arts in the services.”

Johnstone is visibly passionate during his performances, but that is by design, according to the Scottish Athlete.

He said: “I need to get in my zone. When I’m in my zone, I can’t hear or see anything else. That’s how I get focused for the competition.

“Once I’m on the mat, there could be a fire alarm or a bomb go off and I wouldn’t know the difference.

“I’m just so focused on actually competing.”