Keeping it in the family: Mette and Andrew McLarney.

Published: 17 October, 2013
by STEVE BARNETT

WHEN it comes to spending some quality time together, mother and son combo Mette and Andrew McLarney really are top of the chops!

Mum Mette was quite literally flying the flag for the Veras Academy, a karate club which holds weekly classes in Camden and Islington, when she competed in the Kaizen Cup in Ilford.

She demonstrated skill and grace with her flags to win a bronze medal in the Over-17s Kata, a competition judging a student’s technique and movement.

Mette’s success didn’t end there – she also scooped a silver medal in the Kumite, a form of fighting, after narrowly being beaten 3-2 in the final.

Son Andrew, the youngest competitor in the competition at just 17, won the semi-final of his Kumite competition with a performance that one onlooker described as like  “a Jack Russell taking on an alsatian”.

Andrew was rewarded for his part in a tense and exciting final with a silver medal after he was narrowly beaten 2-1.
For info on karate classes near you, see www.verasacademy.co.uk