NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- A karate shop in Niagara Falls won big at the Chuck Norris System International Training Conference and World Championships Competition this month.

Presti Karate has been around for more that 45 years, traveling to the competition in Las Vegas every year since it opened. 

Over the years Presti students have competed against others that may have more training.

Now more than ever female students are taking home first place and achieving high ranks.

"Not only are they getting black belts, they're getting what we call the master rank and that's the fifth degree, a very hard rank to achieve because not only do you have to train you have to take other classes and you have to take written and oral tests," said John Presti, Presti Karate Centers owner.

Presti received his ninth degree level black belt at the competition, making him one of the few people in the world to hold the rank.