Overview
- Ben Cotter, 15, won a bronze medal for Scotland at the JSKA World Karate Championships in Matsuyama, Japan, in November.
- He was graded Shodan in Japan, earning a first‑degree black belt before SKA world chief instructor Nagaki Mitsuru Shihan.
- As a baby he entered neonatal intensive care, went on life support at four weeks, and was later diagnosed with bronchomalacia, a condition where soft airways can collapse.
- Through early childhood he faced sudden breathing arrests, multiple collapsed lungs, permanent lung damage, and frequent oxygen use, yet he began karate at age four with training from his father, a fourth‑dan black belt.
- He has since won the British Kumite title in London and is preparing for further international events, with Italy named as the next major championship.