Karate: Drum & bass helps Sussex child champion to world title

An 11-year-old karate world champion says hard rock and drum and bass have helped him to a number of international martial arts titles.

In Vienna, Seb, from East Sussex, won the under-12s competition in kata – a Japanese form of karate in which competitors perform an individual routine.

On his way to the mat, he said he listened to Chase & Status track Baddadan in his headphones, a drum and bass song that also helped him to a European kickboxing title previously.

Seb said: “When Olympians walk in, they have their earbuds in, so I put on Baddadan or some hard rock, that really gets me in the zone”.

The event was held by the International Sport Kickboxing Association, and drew more than 1,000 competitors from 34 countries.

Seb had won a previous European title, and listened to the same music on the way into the ring, but that was in kickboxing, an entirely different discipline.

“First time competing in karate and I absolutely smashed it,” he said.

Seb trains with the Sean Kinsella Martial Arts School, which runs classes in Uckfield and Eastbourne.

Though there is no opponent, his Sensie, Sean Kinsella, said: “This type of karate translates as ‘the way of peace and harmony’, and there are fights you have to act out and demonstrate as sharply as you possibly can.

“In your mind, you have to make people believe that you’re fighting, which is a very difficult thing to do at a very high level.”