KICK-boxers kicked up a storm at the world championships to give a new-look York club a flying start.

Members of the York Martial Arts College, based in Fifth Avenue, Tang Hall, returned from Vienna with three bronze medals and a silver after pitting their wits against the world's best.

Young Luke Willetts was perhaps the pick of the York fighters when he claimed the bronze medal in the minus-25kg category. The youngster, who celebrated his 11th birthday on his return from Austria and tips the scales at around four stone, was believed to be the youngest competitor in the tournament.

He also had the added burden of his first fight kick-starting the championships, hosted by the World Kick-boxing Association.

Thirteen-year-old Kirsty Price won the junior girls' bronze medal while Mark Long, 19, won likewise in the men's minus-74kg category.

Long came close to claiming a gold or silver medal but saw his chances blighted when much of his equipment was stolen in between fights, forcing him to fight without a fitted mouth-guard.

Paul Lynch, who is now the full-time instructor at the YMAC following its split from the Leeds-based Aegis Kick-Boxing Club, won silver in the men's minus-70kg category.

Lynch, 32, was delighted with the medal return from his young charges.

"It is an excellent start for the college, which is certainly looking the part after extensive renovations," he said.

Lynch and Long are now hoping for more medal success at another world championships, to be staged in Slovenia in October.

"That is being run by the WAKO association and that is a much bigger tournament," he explained. "Hopefully, Vienna will serve as a useful warm-up and we can do even better."

The college is running frequent induction courses for beginners wanting to find out more about kick-boxing.

For further details, telephone Lynch on 07831 303093.

Updated: 11:21 Saturday, September 15, 2001