URMSTON judo legend Matthew Clempner has become one of the UK’s most highly qualified martial arts practitioners.

Matthew, 52, has been a member of Urmston Judo Club since it opened in 1982 and represented Great Britain in the 1980 Moscow Olympics in free-style wrestling.

Since switching his energies to judo he has won a string of top titles.

Matthew, a police officer with GMP, recently gained a Masters degree for his research work in martial arts and police training.

He said: "I gained the qualification from the Arts Faculty at Knightsbridge University as part of its distance learning course and it is a generic equivalent of a PhD.

"It enables me to teach Certificate of Education degrees and sports science and I am already the coach for the British police judo team."

Steve Pullen MBE, a founder of the renowned Urmston Judo Club, based at the George Carnall Centre, added: "I have known Matthew for well over 35 years and he was one of the first members to join the club when it opened in 1982.

"His son Matthew junior, now 22, has also been a member for many years and he too is picking up medals at a high level in the sport.

"Matthew is a credit to the sport and it is typical of him to be prepared to put so much back into judo and martial arts."

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