TWO martial arts experts whose academies bear the same name have managed to settle their differences without having to test out each other's fighting skills - or take part in a costly court battle.

Craig Long, who launched his York Martial Arts Academy in 2002, faced the difficult decision of whether to take Russ Bowerman to court for setting up his own York Martial Arts Academy earlier this year.

Craig runs sessions at the Foxwood Community Centre and Youth Without Community Centre, and the new rival centre is a stone's throw away on Tang Hall Lane.

The 27-year-old warned Russ that he was the registered York Martial Arts Academy soon after he opened.

He said he gave him time "as a goodwill gesture" to distribute all his flyers before relaunching with a new distinct name.

Craig said he was "astounded" to then read a report on self-defence in the Evening Press, featuring Russ Bowerman and the York Martial Arts Academy.

"The next step for me is to take him to court," he told the Evening Press the next day.

"We operate in the same area and I have an excellent competing side. People see the York Martial Arts Academy and are going to Russ. It is confusing.

"When you become registered you buy the legal cover so if anyone "passes off" as my business I can take them to court. I get £75,000 of legal cover.

"It is not an avenue I want to go down, but I would like him to change his name.

"I believe in networking with other martial arts experts rather than being competitive. Russ is a really nice guy so that makes this awkward."

Enter the peacemaker - Russ announced plans to change his academy's name when contacted by the Evening Press, preventing the two instructors from having to draw swords over the issue.

He said he had researched Government registers, the internet and telephone directories and set up his business after finding no reference to any other York Martial Arts Academy.

He said he thought it was a wind-up when Craig broke the news.

"I had just spent a fortune on advertising materials; I was in no position financially to change anything."

Russ said: "None of my students have been confused and I have had none of Craig's students coming here by accident."

However, he concedes a court would probably back Craig because he has been trading longer under the name.

He said: "I had to talk to solicitors and make sure I was not being duped.

"Having taken legal advice, and to be as amicable as possible, we have decided we will drop the York out of the name to become the Russ Bowerman Martial Arts Academy.

"As far as martial arts are concerned, we are both trained to fight and are highly skilled at what we do," said Russ. "But we don't solve our arguments by standing there, beating each other up.

"We are more civilised, and that's what we teach our students - to use their heads basically."

Updated: 10:31 Monday, October 18, 2004