A TEN-YEAR-OLD Bradford girl will be touching down in Japan this summer to represent Great Britain in a world karate junior championship.

Scarlett Ancliffe, has been doing karate at Fight Club Kickboxing at Wyke Community and Children's Centre, for 15 months.

In that time, the Home Farm Primary School pupil has become British and European champion, under the watchful guidance of coach Keith Priestley.

On July 14, Scarlett and one of her training partners, Leyton Tate, seven, of Wakefield, will represent the UK at the I.N. Cup International Karate Championships in Niigata, Japan, where they will join more than 3,000 other competitors.

Both Scarlett and Leyton compete in Kyokushin, a full contact discipline of karate which their coach described as the toughest form of karate there is.

Mr Priestley, 64, a 6th Dan black belt and England coach, said: "It is just brutal, questions are asked of you by your opponent, they will put you through pain and you have to be able to take it and give it back.

"In junior fights, if you get kicked twice to the head, get winded from punches, or can't walk properly from kicks to the legs, the fight is over, and Scarlett has to learn to take all this."

However, Mr Priestley said that she has the mindset of a champion.

"She is without doubt an impressive fighter, and being a world champion myself I know what it takes.

"She is serious in her training, she is selfish and single-minded; to be a champion you have to want it, and she wants it.

"Sometimes she takes a hit and cries, but she never backs off and always bounces back.

"Scarlett is good enough to be world champion, training is tough but she has the attitude of a winner; I know that Scarlett and Leyton will both get on the podium, but I will be proud of them regardless."

Scarlett's father, Francis, 32, of Fleece Street, Buttershaw, will be travelling to the championships with his daughter, and is also a former student of Mr Priestley, practising kickboxing in his teenage years.

He said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Scarlett, and I am really looking forward to the trip, especially for her, she loves doing Kyokushin.

"She will be testing he testing herself against the best in the world at her age group, who have been taught from a very young age."

Mr Priestley said that although his training methods are very intense, it is necessary to push the children to their limits to prepare them for the championships.

"Sometimes I think I'm too hard on them in training, but I know how to make champions so my record speaks for itself," he said.

At the last championships both of the fighters he trained returned to the UK world champions.

"In Japan the championships are massive, it is broadcast live on television and it takes place in a stadium the size of Wembley but with a roof on.

"Imagine being a ten-year-old and playing in the FA Cup final at a full Wembley, that's why my training is so hard to make sure they don't freeze in their fights; come July, Scarlett and Leyton will both be ready."