What's new with Fighting Lions
A diary of events and results for the Fighting Lions.

Black Belt Testing

Sunday 9th December was the date for this year's Kickboxing Black Belt testing. Only two students were put forward this time, these were Nicola Lane and Simon Hutchings.
Both were put through nearly 6 hours of gruelling testing, from Kicking, punching, fitness, sparring, first aid, teaching ability, self defence and more.  Both students came through the test with allot of pain and perseverance and achieved that coveted goal of Black Belt.

We at the Fighting Lions are very proud of them both for what they have gone through and achieved and hope this is just the start of even greater things to come for them both. They are now a Black Belt and this is where the real learning begins. Well done to you both.

Chi Therapy Clinic

Here at the Fighting Lions we have our very own Full time Massage & Injury Clinic.
Chi Threapy offers a wide range of treatments, from Physiotherapy, Sports Remedial Massage, Swedish Body Massage, Indian Head and more.  All therapists are fully qualified and fully insured. This service is available to all studnets and parents and anyone from the general public.  For students and fighters massage is not only a way to relax its a must for you as it will release muscle tension that can often lead to pain, inflexibility, poor performance and eventual injury. Reglaur massage enhances and compliments performance by stretching the major muscles, while removing the toxins that often build up during everyday activities.

 For any further info or to book a massage please call 01227 277200 - 07702011970

Fighting Lions Teams up with RGDA-KENT

Shane Burr a Royler Gracie-David Adiv-Eddie Kone blue belt and 2 x Cage Rage Veteran, will be opening a RGDA Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy here at the whitstable full time centre. Classes are ideal for anyone from complete beginners to professional fighters.
The start date for these classes will be in the new year, time and dates to follow. For any further info please contact Shane Burr on Tel: 07966442736 Email: rgda_kent@mac.com or contact Sifu Leo at the Fighting Lions Academy.

Proud Royler Gracie-David Adiv affilate.

Tai Sifu Mark Horton Chief Instructor of the Hong Ying Martial Arts International Association led an action packed weekend of Martial Arts at the Fighting Lions full time academy in Whitstable. Tai Sifu amazed everyone as usual with his ability and wealth of knowledge, teaching Traditional Shaolin Animal Kung fu, Choy Li Fut Kung Fu, Lion Dance, Multitude of Weapons skills, Full Contact Chinese Free Fighting, Tai Chi and more. Tai Sifu was also accompanied by one of his top students, Shi Hing Fu Yu Dai, who was well received by everyone and will certainly make another visit to our school in the near future.

Along with these will also welcomed a few other guest teachers, Shane Burr who was teaching Gracie Ju Jitsu/MMA and Madeira the studio’s regular Capoeira Instructor. All students that trained on the camp learned a great deal and left feeling tired and happy with a wealth of information. The students that attended this camp were of mixed levels. The advanced students all managed to perfect their skills even more and we were very surprised by some of the beginner level students who really showed they have what it takes to achieve excellence in the Martial Arts.

Chief Instructor Sifu Leo Alderman says: “I was really pleased with this camp, and I feel it was one of the best camps we have had so far. I feel really inspired when I see my students working so hard and I will certainly arrange more of these camps in the future, a great weekend for all of us. Keep training hard!”

Some of you know that our Sifu went to India recently to teach for a week, Sifu was accompanied By Kigen Richard Canton a friend and fellow Martial Arts Instructor. Sifu & Kigen were received very well by their hosts Sanjay Karate School, with TV and newspapers there, for their arrival. They both taught for 4 days, with allot of students doing all classes, and some classes had well over 50 people in a class. Sifu & Kigen thought the standards there was very high and that the students were very respectful and disciplined and that everyone made them feel really welcome. Sifu was teaching everything from Kung Fu Animals to Ground Fightings, Sifu is planning more trips in the future and is also planning to set up an exchange programme for students to visit in the future. Any more info or stories speak to Sifu Leo.

Sunday 21st April the Fighting Lions UK took a small team to the W.U.M.A Kent Open. This event held catorgories for Points, Continuoes and MMA Fighting, also forms and weapons. All students that entered came away with medals.


Luke Burgess GOLD U16 Chinese Hand Forrns
Ben Well BRONZE -145cm Points Fighting
Sam Wells BRONZE +165cm Points Fighting
Sam Wells BRONZE +165cm Continuouues
Chris Goldfinch GOLD +75kg Beginners Continuos
Nathan Thompson SILVER -75kg Intermidiate Continuoes
Simon Hutchins GOLD Open Weight M.M.A

Well done to all students that competed, as this was a short notice comp, and with no preperation still managed to produce the goods.

The Kickboxing Assistant Instructor course is now underway, with 20+ Students tuning up for the first stage of this course. The first part went down very well with all students learning a lot and starting them on their way to becoming teachers themselves.

We at the Fighting Lions, were asked to perform a Chinese Lion Dance and to lead a Parade by our local County Council and Arts Council. This event was for the local community and its local Junior Schools, celebrating the Year of the Pig/Boar. The parade consisted of hundreds of people lead by our very own Fighting Lions, Lion Dance Team through the streets of Canterbury Kent. This event went down really well for the organizers and was a great susscess. We lead the parade with 3 Lions, and our Lion Dance Musicians. The parade went down really well with the Local Business and people of Canterbury. Anyone interested in learning more about Lion Dance or making a booking for a dance, for a Shop blessing, Birthday or any other event, please contact Sifu Leo Alderman.

On Tuesday the 20th February we open our new Kickboxing Academy at the Pier Sports Centre, Central Parade, Herne Bay. There will be Kickboxing classes and Tai chi to start, with more and more classes to follow. Please see our Timetable for times and days.

Sunday 11th February students from the Fighting Lions competed at the Herne Bay Full Contact Fight Club. This event was for all fighters from all around the country to gain some experiance in Full Contact Kickboxing, Thai Boxing and M.M.A (Mixed Martial Arts) The competitors for the Fighting Lions were Zak Chai (23), Joe Allcott (16) Taylor Edwards (16) and Simon Hutchings We had Simon Hutchings in the MMA, Zak competed in Thai Boxing and Joe, Taylor in the Kick Boxing rules system. Well done to you all.

On December 17th, we had our annual Christmas party/Awards ceremony. Awards for best students in four different categories were handed out to both students of kung fu and kickboxing. Also handed out was the Instructor of the Year award. Who got what?
Read it here.

The Hong Ying Summer Camp has been here, quite literally, as it did in fact take place in our own Whitstable! Everyone who attended had a good time, being taught by Tai-Sifu Mark Horton, Sifu Jay Clayson, Sifu Niel Wilcott and of course Sifu Leo Alderman. Guest-students appeared from Holland and India and all in all, it was a great success, thanks in no small part to all who attended. Thank you!

After having been in Holland for 10 years in succession, The Hong Ying Summer Camp is moving. Not a bad thing for us English people because it is coming to Kent! The all- important phase of planning has started, instructors are being chosen and invited, lodging is being arranged for visitors, time tables are being sketched, crumpled up, thrown away and replaced and hairs are being pulled out. Pretty soon you will be able to put your name down for this Hong Ying tradition. Keep some valuable days off of work available for August!

The Chen Lei seminar took place on the 24th of October. The morning class consisted of Daoing Chi Kung and Tai Chi push hands applications; a whole new experience for quite a few of the attendants. After a short lunch break, a short introductory language course was good for a laugh here and there, as Chen Lei joked about with names translating and tried to get people to guess the meaning of Chinese characters. On to the more physical aspect of the day, the Sanshou class saw quite a few casualties. Still, a good time was had by everyone and we thank Chen Lei for everything he has taught us over the course of the day and wish him well back in China. Hopefully we will get a chance to train with him again in the not too distant future.

We went to the Kent Open International WUMA tournament in Rainham. All of our representatives did really well and several of the contestants even came back with a prize. For eleven of the sixteen competitors, it was the first ever tournament, making it an even better showing. In the end, the Lions fought their way to 5 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze medals! Congratulations to all contestants; keep training and we'll come back with even more next time.

The annual Hong Ying Summercamp has been here and gone. Quite a few people went to Holland to experience the gruesome regime of 5 full days' training and they loved it! The high level instructors this year included Xiu Ching Lei and more familiar names like sifu Earl Blijd, sifu Chong Wan Fei, Jay Clayson, Tim Underhill and of course our Tai Sifu Mark Horton. Details at this point are sketchy, but next year may just see the event taking place in our very own Kent! Keep some valuable days off available...

For details of these classes visite our classes page.

HOME

This web page has been designed and created by

All rights reserved