Dudley Zoo gardener Carl is kickboxing his way to success
Zoo gardener by day – kickboxing expert by night.
Carl Stevens, from Dudley, may have a softer side when it comes to nature and animals. But he is also now a 4th dan black belt in Chinese kickboxing after successfully completing a gruelling five-hour examination.
Carl managed to combine his work at Dudley Zoo with a punishing training regime to achieve the coveted grade.
Carl ‘The Zoo’, as he has become known, trained with Sifu Kenneth Hoult for six hours a week, for eight years.
Finally, the 53-year-old was put through his paces during the grading, which tested sparring, martial arts techniques and self protection skills.
Carl, who has worked at the zoo for nearly 40 years, trains at Saracens Martial Arts and Fitness Centre, in Dudley High Street.
He said: “My wife first start going down and, as a joke, she said, ‘you’re getting a bit of a tummy’. I found it enjoyable, even after taking a few kicks to the head, and it all just stemmed from there.”
Carl, who met his wife Pat, head of primates at the zoo, and has a stepson Daniel, has to be disciplined in his training around his full-time job. He said: “Next is working your way through the dans, which is more about perfecting your technique. You’ve got to put the effort in.”
“I also enjoying the teaching side of it, giving something back to martial art.”
Mr Hoult, a 5th Dan instructor at Saracens, said: “I am proud of Carl showing others how to achieve black belt status and showing that age is no barrier to martial arts.
“You can keep fit as a child, teenager or an adult. Martial arts does not discriminate.
“All you need to do is work hard and have strong discipline to achieve your goals, like Carl.”
Saracens is hosting a knife defence seminar on March 15, due to concerns about the rise in stabbings locally and nationally.
The centre hopes that by educating teenagers, especially about the dangers of carrying a knife, it can help save lives.
