An 84-year-old karate king who has just been awarded a 5th dan is vowing that he will never slow down.

Black belt holder Keith Bennett took up the sport at the age of 60 when he retired as a manager at Prudential in Ashford.

The pensioner of The Ridge, Kennington, said: “I’d be blowed if I was going to sit down watching TV all day long when I retired. That wasn’t for me at all so I decided to take up karate.”

Unstoppable Keith was in his 70s when he faced one of the toughest physical tests to achieve the 3rd dan.

He worked his way through 100 sets of press ups, squats and sit ups, followed by a cool two hours of technical karate, finishing off with 50 one-minute fights against different opponents.

The grandfather of five is thought to be one of the oldest people in the world to achieve the distinction of 5th dan, which is awarded for knowledge and skills acquired over time.

"I’d be blowed if I was going to sit down watching TV all day long when I retired..." - Keith Bennett

He trains at the Folkestone KyokushinKai Jutsu Karate Club, which meets at Folkestone Sports Centre in Radnor Park Avenue.

Chief instructor Mark Cornell has seen Keith develop his karate over nearly 25 years. He said: “Keith was strong and dedicated from the start and has just kept going and going. People who take up karate at an older age usually give up after a few years but not Keith.”

Determined Keith puts his extraordinary levels of fitness down to a daily walk with his wife Rita, 83, with whom he will celebrate his diamond wedding anniversary next year.

The couple are regular globetrotters and Keith, whose family live in Australia, says he has travelled the world several times.

Even a battle with bladder cancer has failed to diminish Keith’s zest for life. He said: “I’ve lost a kidney and gall bladder through cancer but you have the choice to sit down and die or go on. I’ve no intention of dying as I’ve still got a lot of living to do.”