A PRIMARY school teacher has defied the odds by achieving a black belt grade in Chinese Kickboxing less than four years after a serious car accident left her with a fractured back.

Lisa Braillie, 46, who trains at The Anytime Fitness Gym in Basingstoke, earned the coveted title following a gruelling eight-hour examination on August 27 in Farnborough.

Performing two choreographed sequences of movement, kicking through an inch-thick block of wood, and breaking five masonry roofing tiles with a single punch were just some of the tasks Lisa was required to complete as part of the test held at St Peter’s Church of England Junior School.

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Lisa's achievements are all the more extraordinary given that, in September 2019, she was involved in a serious car accident that left her with a fractured back.

An arduous rehabilitation programme then followed but, remarkably, mother-of-two Lisa was back in training while still on prescribed medication within months of the incident.

“I’m a bit gung-ho as a person and I probably shouldn’t have returned as soon as I did,” admitted Lisa, who is a teacher at Sonning Common Primary School,

“I tried not to go overboard but I was just so determined to get this belt. I just built myself up again to the point where I was training twice a week as well as having one-to-one sessions.

“It was hard at times because you’re in pain but when it’s something you really want you just push through it.

“I didn’t want what happened to me to get in the way of achieving something that was incredibly important to me on lots of different levels.”

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By her own admission, martial arts has always played a pivotal role in Lisa’s life. But completing her black belt in Chinese Kickboxing, a self-defence discipline that combines elements of boxing and full-contact kickboxing, has been tougher than anything she has previously undertaken.

“I did karate as a kid and then started kickboxing when I was 40 so I guess you could say I began quite late in the day,” said Lisa.

“But it’s been a lifeline, it really has. A lot has happened in the last five years and so for me to just be able to go and train with people who are so kind, inclusive and feel like family really felt like an escape.

“It’s probably the most mentally and physically challenging thing I have done in my entire life.”

Courage, resilience and determination are all traits that underpin the ethos of Chinese Kickboxing.

And, according to Adison Bridet, Lisa’s instructor at The Anytime Fitness Gym in Basingstoke, they are all qualities that Lisa embodies.

“We’re all extremely proud of Lisa,” said Adison.

“She’s had a few struggles along the way, with the car accident and the challenges of running a family.

“She’s had other personal difficulties to come through so to pursue the black belt in the way she has and be successful has made us all feel immensely proud. It’s fantastic.”

Adison is also hopeful that Lisa’s story will help inspire more women and girls to join a sport he feels is largely dominated by men.

Adison said: “I’m hoping her story will inspire others because it is a male dominated sport.

“So if we can get more women and girls through the door then that would be great.”

Lisa, meanwhile, revealed she is already priming what she hopes will be the next generation of avid kickboxing fanatics.

She added: “I encourage the children I teach to get involved with martial arts because it’s so good for your mental and physical health. It’s an amazing workout and it makes you feel really good.”