Yes! That most ancient and mysterious of all and still surprisingly popular. It happened as I was doing the checks on what were supposed to be final drafts of the student application form for university. As a Sixth form tutor we had to guide the members of our groups through this tortuous and difficult process. The student (who shall remain nameless) waxed lyrical about his involvement in the ‘Marital Arts’ and made it a highlight of his Personal Statement section: in other words, the most important bit. He went on to comment amongst other things, that his ‘Marital Arts’ training had given him the confidence and skills expressed in a variety of kicks, blocks and punches to take on any opponent. I had a mental image of a University Admissions Tutor having a mental image of him (‘The Applicant’) in the ring, facing his Dearly Beloved, while  Zelda West Meads of Relate (Formerly The Marriage Guidance Council) officiated in the guise of referee. It’s a good job I spotted his mistake.

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