Scottish Independent Media

By Claire Elliot

GUTSY Dominique Sutherland has beaten the school bullies - and become a double world champion in martial arts.
 

The 17-year-old 2nd Dan black belt joined her local Korean martial arts club after being attacked at school when she was 12.
 

But with more than 90 trophies and medals to her name, including two world titles in Tang Soo Do and a European title in kick-boxing, she now struggles to find other teens to fight her.
 

Dominique, who won her first Scottish junior title in Tang Soo Do at 13, is so far advanced that she has been competing against adults since she was 14.

 And, at club level, the teenager, from Forres, Moray, often finds herself with no one prepared to take her on except for 30-year-old men.
 

Her proud mum Mary, 45, said: “Locally there is nowhere else to put her because they all just drop out.

“Some teenage boys won’t even spar her.”
 

Despite her success, she receives no financial support from Sportscotland or the National Lottery as she competes as an individual and not as a team.
 

As a result it costs the family at least £6,000 a year to send Dominique to competitions across Europe.
 

Her most recent success was at the world championships in Rotterdam this year when she returned home with two gold medals, a silver and a bronze. It was her second Tang Soo Do world title.
 

And the only way Dominique will be able to defend her title is if she can raise enough funds to compete in the run up to the next world championships in Florida in 2011.

She even spent her only day off from training this weekend in a local supermarket taking part in a sponsored bag pack to raise some of the money for travel expenses, equipment and entrance fees.
 

Dominique, who competes across Britain and Europe between 15 and 20 times a year, said: “It’s hard because I don’t get any funding.
 

“But I wouldn’t have got this far without the support from my mum and dad. They have been really good.
 

“There are some people who miss out because they just can’t afford it.”
 

Dominique, who is looking for a sponsor, trains six days a week between De-Vry Korean Martial Arts Academy, Forres, and Elgin-based Sansum Black Belt Academy.
 

Her passion for the sport started after she was left with bruises on her shoulders following a bullying incident during her first few months at secondary school.
 

Dominique has now put the ordeal behind her but she admitted that she would “probably not” have taken up martial arts had it not been for that episode in her life.
 

She said: “When I was 12 I was being bullied at bit at school. I had done every other sport so I decided to go to Tang Soo Do.

“It was a stereotypical thing to do when I was 12 - if you were bullied you went to martial arts.

“My cousin invited me along to a session and I’ve stuck with it ever since and I’m glad I did.
 

“It’s like an adrenaline rush, especially when you’re competing.”
 

And she added: “If I don’t win I know I haven’t trained hard enough.”
 

Dominique is already preparing for this year’s Highland, Scottish and British Tang Soo Do championships as well as the world kick-boxing championships in Sicily
 

She has even taken up a third martial art, Haedong Kumdo, which involves using a sword.
 

And she has excelled at teaching her own class of four to seven-year-olds, who at a inter-club Tang Soo Do competition last month all won first, second and third places.
 

She said: “I like teaching as well because I can pass on my knowledge to someone else. It‘s great because I can see little world champions in the making.”

And to support her daughter and other potential stars, Mrs Sutherland has helped to set up a fundraising committee with other parents to look at ways to cover the costs.

 Mrs Sutherland is a full-time carer for her disabled husband, Andy, and son, Kyrian, nine, who has Asperger’s syndrome.
 

But she said: “Dominique is my daughter and it doesn’t matter what it costs I’ll do what I can to get her there. I could never take it away from her.
 

“But there really should be some support for individuals.

 “The government is always going on about how they don’t want the up-and- coming generation to become couch potatoes yet when they have got talented youngsters like Dominique they don’t give any support.
 

“Worldwide Tang Soo Do is a big sport but it’s not recognised in some places and it’s a shame because there are so many talented kids,” she added.