🎉 this really is the best part of being a coach 🎉 awarding such well deserved black belts 🥊😀 massive congratulations to Connor from Etwall class, Alfie and Heather from Wirksworth class all gaining their 1st Dan black belt and Jane Louise for her 2nd Dan black belt 🎉 thanks to everyone who has played a part in their journey to this huge milestone and awarded against the PKA national standard🥋

Great session held at Nottingham University Sutton Bonington campus last week leading students through self defense techniques 👍💪 huge thanks to Jane Louise for helping organise it and beating me up 🤷‍♂️😂

🎉 Another amazing interclub with our PKA sister clubs from Kickbox UK yesterday at Clifton 🎉 58 competitors from across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire coming together with over 100 bouts, plus our junior padwork category and newly formed Semi Contact Points team event 💪🥊 incredible sporting conduct, skill and technique shown across the whole day and simply couldn’t be prouder of everyone who stepped up to compete 🎉special thanks to everyone in the instructing and coaching team who helped the day run so well Martin Ellis Martin Byrne Mike Szynal Kieron Tatham Eleanor Winch Laura Ward Andy Spencer David Allen-Ashcroft David Poole Matt Brownsword Jon Davies Adam Sharman Ceri Knapgate Paul Hickman Nicki Underwood

Bakewell Kickboxing

We have our first tournament of 2026 coming up on 10th May! 🥊

Lots of our students enjoy sparring in class, but find the tournament a bit daunting, so let’s break it down!

On the day, the tournament is between students from the Derbyshire PKA clubs, and the Nottinghamshire PKA clubs! We put all of our students into categories - juniors have age categories and adults have weight classes. So even if you’re up against someone from a different club who you don’t know, you will be evenly matched!

Students can enter into semi contact (breaks after each point is scored), light continuous (no stopping, referees take points throughout) and juniors can also enter into the padwork competition.

Our tournaments are local, and are more about having fun, having a good go at some sparring matches than it is winning titles - we want everyone to enjoy themselves more than anything!

Our next tournament is on the 10th May at Clifton Leisure Centre. As we get closer to the tournament we will have more sparring opportunities in classes, so let one of the instructing team know if you’re interested!

See your instructor for details on how to enter 😀

🎉 Thrilled to share that all clubs across Derbyshire Kickboxing have been certified as meeting all the required standards in safeguarding in the delivery of martial arts 🎉🥊😀 we’ve been operating to and beyond this for a long time as standard but it’s a huge endorsement to receive external accreditation and recognition for everything the team delivers every week and behind the scenes 🏆

🎉🎉 Another amazing grading day in the bag 🥊💪 over 125 students grading all the way across the PKA syllabus from Red 🔴 all the way up to Brown 🟤 belt - bucket loads of skill, effort, determination and most importantly development and improvement seen 🎉 special thanks to all the members of the instructor team who made today happen as well as the Coaching Team Melissa Osborne Adam Sharman Ceri Knapgate Paul Hickman Sean Wincott Rachael Smith Nicki Underwood Martin Ellis Jane Louise Tracey Garnham Harrison, Joel and Holly 🎉 can’t wait for the results and feedback to be handed out at next weeks classes 😀

With our first grading exam of 2026 taking place on Sunday, have a read about what happens at a PKA grading? 🤔🤔

Grading for a kickboxing belt can seem daunting, but your coaches will have prepared you in class for every step of the grading. Here’s what happens on the day:

🥊 Shadow work: everyone shows off their shadow kickboxing moves! This is where you show what punches, kicks and evasion you know without a partner holding pads. We’re looking for flowing moves, a good guard and pivots on all techniques.

🥊 Padwork routine: The coaches will give everyone a demo of a short padwork routine to work on in pairs. For higher grades, one of these will be a freestyle routine made up by you to show off your skills and how well you can hold pads. For some students, we might pair students with coaching team members.

🥊 Kickshields: You will be given both technical and power kicks to do on a kickshield. Keep your energy and guard up and give these kicks all you’ve got!

🥊 Grading sets: Our junior members will complete the first two foundation sets plus the two appropriate for awarding their next belt. Adults will complete all the grading sets across the whole syllabus in pairs. Don’t rush through these, we’re looking for energy plus great technique.

Bow out: After all your hard work, Mike Haig, founder of the PKA and association principal who oversees each grading to ensure they are all kept to the same high national standard, will bow you out.

What happens next?
Your kickboxing coach will receive feedback on how you did on the day and if you passed. If you did pass, you’ll be told if it was a Pass, Merit or Distinction mark and award your belt at the end of the your next class 🥳 You’ll also receive a certificate and important feedback notes to take forwards to your next grading exam

Good luck to everyone who has stepped up to take either their first or next belt 📆looking forwards to seeing you there 👍🥊😀