For most people who turn 80 , it is the time to kick back , relax and enjoy a well-earned retirement . But for one karate-kicking great-grandmother in Kansas , there is no letting up . Helen Dugan , a third-degree black belt , continues to lead karate classes at the school she set up , Champs Achievers , despite passing the milestone . Battling on : Despite turning 80 , Helen Dugan , owner of karate school Champs Achievers , is not letting up . Aiming high : After earning her black belt at 61 , Dugan was inspired to teach others the sport in Kansas . Iron fist : Dugan set up the class for disabled children and said it was important to 'build on their strengths ' The great-grandmother of 17 only took up the sport when she took two of her children to a class at the age of 47 , the Kansas City Star reports . She said : 'We never had karate when I was a child , so I took my sons to a class and I realised that my two skinny sons did n't need the exercise and so I got into the back row of the class . ' Her children lasted four years before as she puts it , 'they discovered girls and got married ' , but she 'was hooked ' . Dugan , who has been married to husband Barney for 57 years , took karate classes for 14 years , earning her black belt at the age of 61 . At the time she was also working as a nurse in the Center School District in Kansas City , in Missouri . Leading the way : Dugan takes a hit from seven-year-old Brayden Bond during a class in Lenexa , Kansas . Listen in : The great-grandmother quiets the class as three-year-old Aiden Degnan tries to get her attention . Friendly face : Dugan has seen her class grow in the last 20 years and it now caters for more than 50 children . Jousting : Dugan takes on five-year-old Micah Jenkins using pugil sticks during one of her sessions . Inspired to pass on her expertise to others , the mother-of-five set up a non-profit karate class called Champs aimed at helping those with a disability . Karate and other martial arts taught at the group - including judo , jujitsu , tai chi and a defensive street-fighting discipline called Guided Chaos - can improve concentration , stamina , balance , motor skills , independence and self-esteem . She said : ' I started the group because the class I was learning in had children who could n't keep up , so I took them aside . Sometimes it was because of learning disabilities , or it was children with ADHD . ' I then started teaching them separately . ' Now almost 20 years later , the group is going from strength to strength and caters for more than 50 children in the area .
Helen Dugan continues to lead karate classes despite passing age of 80 . The great-grandmother of 17 only took up the sport when she was 47 . Hide Caption