JESS Bate says the feeling of becoming a world karate champion is yet to sink in.

The 21-year-old took gold in the individual female 21-35 years Rengokai (all styles) kata at the UWK World Karate Championships in Montecatini Terme, Italy, last week.

In doing so, Bate became Cheshire Martial Arts Centre’s first ever senior world champion, something she says feels “very surreal.”

Having already scooped two golds at the WUKF European Championships in October last year, Bate says becoming world champion is the perfect end to “a whirlwind year.”

“I don’t think it’s sunk in, it still feels very surreal,” she told the Guardian.

“As soon as I won, I was really quite calm and everyone else was excited.

“If someone would have told me at the start of the year that I’d be a world champion as well as a European champion, I wouldn’t have believed you.

“It’s been such a whirlwind year with finishing university as well, but this has been the best way to end the year.”

Bate beat Slovakia’s Tamara Szomolanyiova into second place, with fellow English karateka Rebecca Cotterill taking bronze.

The fourth dan from Orford admitted to being “absolutely terrified” going into the final having set herself a minimal target ahead of the tournament.

“I only had one goal and that was just to do one kata,” she said.

“I kept telling myself not to freeze and mess it up, but to get through to the final was amazing as it was.

“Even though I went into the final in the lead,I still thought anything else I got would have been a bonus.

“The night before I kept telling myself there was nothing more I could do, but when it came to it I was absolutely terrified!

“Getting through it and then winning was just the best feeling.”

Bate was one of four Cheshire Martial Arts Centre students to return from Italy with medals, with 14-year-old Rio Johnson winning gold in the individual male 13-14 years Ippon kumite (fighting) category.

Rebecca Cameron won silver in the individual female 18-20 years Sanbon kumite, while Ben Hutson-Redfern claimed bronze in the male 15-17 years Rengokai kata.

Bate praised her teammates, and chief instructor Paul Graham, for all their hard work.

“I’m so proud of everybody from Cheshire Martial Arts, whether they got medals or not,” she said.

“We worked so hard to get there and we all supported each other. I felt like a proud mum when Rio got his gold medal!

“Paul is so supportive of all of us. He’ll be there and go through our katas whenever we need to, even if we have to break it down and start again.

“He’s got all the faith in the world in us.”

Karate will be contested at the Olympic Games for the first time in Tokyo in 2020 and Bate says representing Great Britain could “potentially” be a target for her.

Her more immediate priority, however, is to make an impact in the kumite (fighting) ranks of the sport.

“The standard would be so high at the Olympics, but never say never,” she said.

“I’ll be training for the next world championships in June, then I think I’ll try and get back into the fighting.

“Now I’ve conquered the world in kata, I think it’s time to start with the fighting again.”