RYAN Clark is proving to be an inspiration to his students.

The 24 year old from Great Sankey has achieved his fourth degree black belt at the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Warrington club, the reward for all of his long-standing toil.

He started training in 2005 and was the first student of the school under chief instructor Steve James.

Then in 2010 he was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and has worked hard on his confidence throughout his 17 years of training.

"He currently teaches in the school and is a fantastic role model for all the children and he really does show that anyone can achieve their goals in life, you just need to work hard and believe you can do it," said Steve.

Ryan went through a 12-month grading process for his mastership under the watchful eye of Steve and was graded by head of curriculum David Finch.

For more information about the school visit mattfiddescheshire.co.uk.