A KARATE master has received his 9th Dan for his 55 years of exemplary service to the sport.

Sensei Douglas James, 75, is the founder and president of the British Karate-Do Chojinkai Association (BKC), a style commonly identified as Chojinkai Karate.

He has been operating his style within Carlisle ever since 1974 and in 1976 he resigned from his job as a production engineer to teach karate on a full time basis.

He has since opened a chain of clubs throughout Cumbria.

Since James opened up dojos across the region he has produced over 250 Dan graduates, of which many were his own students.

The instructor has a mammoth of accolades to his name including officiating over 50 international championships in Madrid in Spain, South Africa, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Borneo.

The sport champion was awarded his recent 9th Dan accolade for his outstanding achievement by the English Karate Federation last week.

James' main role now is conducting master classes, senior level gradings, organising club championships while continuing an overseeing role to the clubs he brought around in the first place.