MEET Bolton's answer to Lara Croft -- 21-year-old Emma Saville who has been displaying her combat skills on a martial arts reality television show.

The Horwich karate instructor is currently starring on Sky One's Fight School after spending a gruelling time filming in China on the set of the hit film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

Emma was filmed 24 hours a day for more than three weeks as she and nine other contestants were given tough challenges. TV viewers see them taking in different martial arts including tae kwon do, kick boxing, and laugar king fu, while living off a basic diet and sleeping on planks of wood. Emma was chosen for the show after rigorous auditions.

Each week, the weakest contestant is told to leave the show until only the strongest fighter remains.

Emma, who has about 12 years of martial arts experience, said: "It was really hard. We had to get up at 5am, and had to eat a basic diet of things like rice, duck's head and chicken's foot. We all had to live in a courtyard -- which was similar to a temple -- and we were not allowed to go out of it."

The filming took place three months ago and contestants were not allowed to take any of their own clothes with them, but were allowed three luxury items. Emma took hairspray, sunglasses and a diary.

It was so hot -- temperatures could reach 110degrees Fahrenheit -- that Emma said she could barely walk on the ground.

She had to undergo a variety of stamina challenges, including kicking a punchbag until she could not take any more and smashing ice bricks with her hands.

Emma said: "If you did anything wrong, you were punished. That was worse than the challenges.

"We had to do things like running up and down for hours, or hundreds of press-ups and sit-ups. They would even run across our stomachs."

Despite all the hardships, Emma said it was a terrific experience. She was not allowed to say how well she did in the programme, which is shown tonight at 8pm.

Emma trains in the art of Soo Bahk Do, a Korean karate, which is both philosophical as well as being full of self defence techniques, at Hedges Family Karate Centre in Horwich Leisure Centre.

She is now based in London, but regularly returns to Horwich. She works as a professional dancer.