TWO hard-working, long-serving judo coaches have been promoted up the black belt levels.

Stourport Judo Club founder and coach Ron Cook was given honorary promotion to second dan.

And Samurai Judo Club senior coach Ian Mills, one of Britian's top veterans, has been promoted to fourth level black belt.

Cook learnt judo and jujitsu in the army then joined Kidderminster Judo Club, taking over as coach for both juniors and seniors in 1971.

Among his early pupils was Andrew Haffner who later went on to found the Samurai Club.

Cook gained his first level black belt in 1975 at a grading in Manchester and went on to eventually run Stourport Judo Club at Wilden School.

Cook, who is fighting back from ill health, has remained club coach throughout its 24 years as well as running school groups.

Stourport, who raised cash for a new mat area last year, have welcomed many new members.

Mills started judo in Cleobury Mortimer and was a member of Kidderminster in the late 1970s.

After moving to clubs in Bridgnorth and Wolverhampton, he trained full-time for three years, including spells in Japan, and he represented Great Britain.

Mills won a bronze at the Belgium Open and also silver at the Swedish Open before dropping out to concentrate on a building business.

However, he returned to judo 15 years ago as a player at Samurai Judo Club and soon started coaching with Haffner.

Their partnership helped turn the Samurai seniors into a major competitive force.

Mills has won silver at the British Veterans Championships for the past two years and bronze at the first World Veteran Masters Championships in Canada.

His next aims are a fifth dan, making his mark against younger players in British ranking events and trying for an elusive gold at the Veteran Championships.