Sport Features

A fast-paced test of agility, strength and tactics - kickboxing is one of the most frenetic of the martial arts, and Essex has a new British Champion.

Eighteen-year-old Michael Brooks, from Basildon, won the -81kg British Full Contact Kickboxing title, held at the World Association of Kickboxing Organisation's championships, in Nottingham.

Michael's trainer, Tony Willis, is rightly proud of his pupil's achievement - especially given his relative inexperience: "Getting in the ring fighting full contact is a really daunting experience, but it certainly seemed like the training paid off," commented Tony.

He added: "Michael really pushed himself in this fight and dominated the fight after the first round."

Michael, trains at least three times a week at the 5 Elements Martial Arts club, in Basildon. He initially took up the sport in order to improve his fitness, and has done remarkably well since then: "I started going to a gym about a year before and was just looking for a sport to get involved in. I met them down the town when they were advertising one day and just joined up."

Michael's trainer is rightly proud of his pupil

There was further success for Michael's team-mates at the WAKO championships; the club took home three bronze and one silver medal, as well as the British title.

Michael says the sport of kickboxing is a great discipline to compete in, for a number of reasons: "It's really intense fitness wise, because obviously you're working as hard as you can for two minutes.

"It works the whole body," continues Michael. "It's a combination of everything - you've got to be strong, at the same time you've got to have endurance, you've got to be co-ordinated.....so it's a good all-round sport."

Despite his recent success, Michael has no immediate plans to rush into any higher levels of competition: "I want to do a few more competitions nationally before I think of anything like that," admits the new British Champion.

To find out more about the 5 Elements Martial Arts club, click on the link below.