The owner of Ilkley Karate Club has launched a new class, primarily for people who are retired.

Patrick Walton, who runs the club which is now in its 26th year, says there is a big benefit to older people who take up a martial art.

He said: “The members of Ilkley Karate Club may not have discovered a panacea for eternal life but they do have the answer to the problem of shrinking as we age, stretching.

“It is a medical fact that the human skeleton remains the same size after fully grown.

“However, with age the body ligaments contract leading to shrinking as we age. Through regular stretching associated with many of the Far East exercise programmes ligament health is maintained.”

Patrick says the inspiration to set up the class came from an article he read about retired people who had started karate training and had felt the benefits. He said: “The new class is designed for a diverse range of people who may never have even considered that karate training would be for them but would like to try.

“The class will be led by an English Karate Federation-qualified instructor and will follow an authentic syllabus from Japan.

“As the class instructor is himself retired he has a deeper appreciation of exercise for a mature group.”

The class takes place at Ben Rhydding Methodist Church at 10am on Mondays, starting this week. For more information, visit ilkleykarate.co.uk.