A TEENAGE boy has become the first Brit to bring home a gold medal in an ancient martial art after taking up the sport three years ago because he was mugged.

Charles Donald, 16, of Draycot Road, Wanstead, racked up an impressive two medals at the ninth International Shaolin Wushu Festival in China.

Great Britain sent a team of six to China to compete in the competition known as the Olympic of Martial Arts and came home with 10 medals between them.

Charles, who trains four times a week in Shaolin Kung Fu while taking his A-Levels, said: "After I was mugged I said to my mum I didn't want anything like that to happen to me again and so I looked into taking up a martial art and haven't looked back since."

In the lead up to the competition Charles was training up to six days a week in open hand and long weapon routines.

He added: "In the running weeks up to the competition it was very tiring and some days it was hard for me to stay awake in class.

"I was very shocked to win gold. It hasn't really sunk in yet and I don't think it ever really will.

"If I didn't have my elder Kung Fu brothers and my youngers I wouldn't have been able to do it."

Proud mum, Shirley, 48, said: "I am very very proud of him, he has trained so hard for it."

The sport doesn't yet feature in the Olympics, but Charles is hopeful that come the next Olympics in Rio in 2016 he will be able to compete.

Charles added: "The second I hear they are I'll be going in for them."

Head master at the academy Shifu Yan Kun said: "I am very proud of the team, we all worked very hard. Achieving this opens many doors for the students and great opportunities.

"But we won’t stop here, this is just the beginning. I aim to produce many well-known international champions and train them up for greatness."

Shaolin Kung Fu is an Chinese martial art that dates back 1,500 years and consists of ground-based moves focussing on strength, power and stance, sometimes competitors use a staff in routines.