KARATE KID Ousama Tadjerout was awarded his cadet black belt after coming through a gruelling two-hour examination of his skills.

The 15-year-old took a year out of the sport recently, as he recovered from an operation, but he has come back with a bang, putting in the hours in training and he has been handsomely rewarded for his efforts.

Ousama first had to sit a half-hour written exam before being put through a rigorous 90-minute physical test, in which the judges assessed his techniques in various throwing and sparring exercises.

His mentor, Bill McLeod, who trains a number of local students out of his McLeod School of Martial Arts, was proud of his protege.

He said: “Ousama has shown a lot of grit and determination to achieve this. It would have been very easy for him to quit but he stood the test of time.”