A UK barrister who’s a martial arts expert has been appointed as an immigration judge in London.
Siew Ying Loke will commence as an immigration judge of the first-tier tribunal at the Immigration and Asylum Chamber on 14 May.
The UK judiciary’s announcement, however, did not disclose that Loke is a sixth-degree black belt in Tang Sou Dao Ren Yi Wu Kwan, a discipline founded by her father, MK Loke. When not advising the Attorney-General’s Office on criminal and public law matters, the 37-year-old lawyer teaches the martial art.
The martial art combines the sophistication of ancient Chinese Shaolin tradition with modern teaching methods, the martial arts organisation says. The practical self-defence system will teach followers to evade more powerful opponents but strike back at will and snap back with powerful blocks and strike to attackers’ vulnerable points with close- or long-range techniques, among other things.
Loke said in her profile that she began training at a very young age.
“I don’t really remember much about my early lessons, except I probably wasn’t a model student. I recall being given press-ups and bunny hops regularly. My father had to constantly tell me to keep still and to keep quiet even more,” she said.
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