2005 - Recent News | 2004 - News Archives

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The LATEST NEWS section of this website contains results from those students that have decided to take Belt Grading exams, or to Compete on the A.K.A. Amateur Kickboxing circuit. Also listed is International news for K-1 professional Kickboxing.

Could we remind all new enquires to the school, that these areas are not compulsory!

The majority of our members train specifically for fitness, for self-defence and to improve their self-confidence.

Only a small proportion of our members do actually compete or grade.

However, we hope that you will appreciate this LATEST NEWS section, as it shows the high calibre of students that are members of our martial arts school and reflects the high standard of tuition given at Warrington Kickboxing Studio.

Correct as at 31st December2006

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February 3rd: A Most Prestigious Award!

Warrington Kickboxing Studios leading Amateur Kickboxer, Graham Sayer was crowned Sports Personality of the year to round of a most succesful 2005. This award has been running for over a decade as greatly sought after by athletes across the borough.

Everyone is so happy for Graham, and the whole team at Warrington Kickboxing Studio are very proud of him.

Since March 2004, covering almost 2 years, Sayer has had 8 straight Championship wins, that has seen him face some of the countries best Amateur Kickboxers on the circuit whilst capturing the Counties, English, British, Commonwealth and now the European Middleweight Title!

March -------2004 ---Wins Counties Title:- ------------ ---Opp : -Martin Towey ( Wigan )
May ----------2004 ---Wins English Title :---- ------------- Opp: --Keiron Kelly ( Birmingham )November -2004 ---Defends English Title : -------------Opp: --Adeep Khan ( Birmingham )
January ----2005 ---Defends English Title : --------------Opp: -James Cahill ( Halifax )
February ---2005 ---Defends English Title : --------------Opp: --Haq Hussein ( Leeds )
May ----------2005 ---Defends English Title : --------------Opp: -Chris Edwards ( Wigan )
September 2005 ---Wins British & Commonwealth :- Opp : -Ben Dukes ( Leeds )
November -2005 ---Wins European Title :--------------- Opp : -Arthur Boerjan ( Holland )

Graham Sayer

Former A.K.A.Counties Middleweight Champion
Former A.K.A. English Middleweight Champion
Former A.K.A. British Middleweight Champion
Former A.K.A. Commonwealth Middleweight Champion

Current A.K.A. European Middleweight Champion

As at 1st February 2006 - Sayers standing in the Rankings...

England Ranked # 1 by the A.K.A.
www.aka-england.org (click and view rankings)

'World' Ranked # 3 by the I.K.F.
www.ikfkickboxing.com (click and view rankings)


2005 Warrington Sports Personality of the Year!

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Press Release: View Euro Title win Online!

You can now view Warringtons Graham Sayer, in action against Arthur Boerjan for the European Middleweight Title online! Go to the A.K.A. Website, and select the Video Highlights Page.

www.aka-england.org

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February 4th: McFarlane wins Championship!

The first A.K.A. event of the 2006 season was held in Leigh, near Wigan on the 4th February.

There were 26 bouts on the day and 3 Championship contests with players travelling from across England, ( Altrincham, Birmingham, Bury-St-Edmunds, Darlington, Derbyshire, Leigh, Liverpool, Oldham, Runcorn, St. Helens, Warrington and Widnes).

One of the Championship bouts featured Warringtons Adam McFarlane against Tony Parker ( Leigh ). This was an exciting contest, that Adam won on points, bringing home to Warrington the Counties Middleweight Title.

( See Photo : Warringtons new Champ, Adam wearing his belt with opponent Tony Parker )

There were wins also for others of our Wolf-Pack team.

Welterweight : Chris Heath, Phil Williams

Middleweight : Lynsey Bowness, Clare Baldwin

Cruiserweight : James Young.

A special note must be made of the wins by Chris Heath and Phil Williams, who both competed recorded wins against opponents from a heavier weight class ( Middleweight as opposed to Welterweight ). Well Done!

Congratulations to all of those that took part in what was a great start to the 2006 competition season.
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25th March: Sayers European Title Defence!

Graham Sayer - ( European Champion ) England

VS

Milan Tierney - ( Challenger )
Czechoslovakia

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Warrington Kickboxing Studios Graham Sayer - the current

"Warrington Sports Personality of theyear"

is set to make a voluntary defence of his European middleweight title against Milan Tierny of Czechoslovakia.





Sayer begins the year with a volutary title defence as he steps closer towards his goal of winning a World Title!

Following this defence, Graham has international duties once again, on the 6th May at an
A.K.A. Championships being staged in Birmingham at the SENI06 exposition. This is the countries largest gathering of martial arts masters and students, for seminars, demonstrations and competitions featuring all styles ( Karate / Judo / K-1 / MMA / Boxing / Wrestling ). The weekend event regularly gets audiences in excess of 20'000 spectators!

Then in July, Sayer travels to America to compete in the 'World Classic' Tournament.

Tournaments, also known as Grandprixs, are different to the standard format used for 'match' competition, ( single contest, facing one specific opponent ), The eventual winner will have to compete several times over 3 days if he wishes to be crowned 'World Tournament Champion'. Although a very demanding event, the World Classic event will then see ''World Tournament Champion' titles awarded to the winners of the final matches. A very prestigious accolade!

The 25th March event will be Warringtons first show of the 2006 season, and as we did last year, we will be hoping to again raise funds towards Warrington Childrens Ward.

( If you know of any companies that may be interested in sponsoring some of the Championship bouts, please inform an Instructor.)There is expected to be about 40 contests on the day featuring some of Warrington's leading players ( Phil Williams, Chris Heath, Lee Sanderson, Malcolm Mellor, Adam McFarlane, Ryan O'Donnell and James Young). All kickboxers that are all riding high in the national rankings.

If you would like to also enter this competition, register your details with an Instructor A.S.A.P. There have been some updates to the rules for the 2006 season , please read the website pages ---'Rules' ---&--- 'About AKA'

Further details are available at...

www.aka-england.org

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Feb : 25th 2006: Two Blackbelts Passed!

Warrington's 27th and 28th persons to pass their Blackbelt exams were James Young and Lee Sanderson.

James Young
( Pictured performing the Elbow Strike )
Aged 30, from Warrington has been training at the Studio for 3 years.

The former Lymm high school student who is now a Police Officer has also been doing very well on the A.K.A. competition circuit, and is currently ranked # 2 in the country!

Lee Sanderson
( Pictured performing the Knee-Kick )
Aged 34, from the Callands in Warrington has been training at the Studio for 4 years.

The father of 2, an architect, is also 2 times A.K.A. Counties Cruiserweight Champion. The titles he holds he won in 2004, and then succesfully defended in 2005!

To complete the Okamido Kickboxing Blackbelt exam,James and Lee had to complete 10 specific tests.

1. Running Test :
( For Stamina - fitness )

2. Advanced Exercises :
( Using weight training equipment )

3. Pad Work Training :
(Non-stop for 5 Minutes - which is a very tough test of Technique, Strength and Stamina!)

4. Advanced Kicks :
( Spinning Head-Kicks, Jumping Round-Kicks, Jumping Back-Kicks)

5. Basic Teaching Skills:
Blackbelts can progress further as Assistant Instructors and work through higher Instructor ‘Degree’ Grades, ( also commonly known as Dan Grades ).


6. Basic First Aid :
( Part of Assistant Instructor Test, which also includes the recovery position ).

7. Defensive Skills :
( Defence against 20 different random attacks )

8. Referee Skills :
( Again part of the Assistant Instructor Grade ) Refereeing 20 Rounds of sparring.

The final two tests, are the hardest of the 10 part Blackbelt exam.

9. Competition Sparring :
( 5 Rounds, 3 minutes each round under 'FULL' Oriental rules - which allows Knees & Elbows strikes as well as Kicks and Punches.) To add to the prestige of passing the exam the Brown belt ( Grade attendant ) always spars against a Senior Blackbelt opponent.

10. Destruction:
Board Breaking (Breaking 10 Boards with 10 different strikes). Board breaking has self-defence applications to it, as a tremendous amount of power must be executed with the technique in order to complete the breaks. The application being, that if you can successfully break boards with certain moves, then you could break bones with the same techniques in a self-defence situation. Breaks are performed with Fists, Feet, Elbows, Knees and Shins. The shin-kick is performed against two boards doubled up, requiring twice as much strength in the technique. This was the 10th break required.

Initially, when reading the Blackeblt exam requirements, many people think that they could never achieve skills to such a high level. However, every Blackbelt was once a novice Whitebelt on their very first lesson, as was both Lee and James. In fact most people that do receive the accolade, never even intended to pursue such a goal when they first joined Warrington Kickboxing Studio, and merely wished to train for self-defence and fitness.

If you are reading this as an enquiry to the school, or maybe one of our intermediate level members, please take encouragement from this. Warrington Kickboxing Studio is setup to help everyone achieve their ambitions. Maybe one day, we will be reading about you!

Congratulations to both Lee Sanderson and James Young, Myself and the team of Instructors at W.K.S. ( Craig Booth, Mark Matthews, Rhys Edwards, John Glover, Graham Sayer, and Paul Burrows ) are very proud of you, and welcome you into our Blackbelt ranks.


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Mar : 12th 2006: Amateur Action - St.Helens

At an Amateur competition staged on Sunday 12th March at the Theatre Royal in St.Helens Warrington Kickboxing Studio had two welterweight in action.

Chris Heath ( Pictured far Left ) faced Andy Webb ( St.Helens ) and

Phil Williams ( Pictured right ) faced Simon Casey ( London ).

Both matches ended in 'DRAW' decisions which is very rare. However, adraw is not a loss, but two winners that cannot be seperated as the bout is so close. Although the results were good, it must be added that Chris Heath totally dominated his opponent and it he was unlucky not to get the Win he deserved, against the HOME player from St. Helens.

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Mar : 25th 2006: Two more Champions!

At an event held at the Alford Sports and Social Club on Saturday 25th March Warrington's Phil Williams captured the English Welterweight title in a great contest against the current Counties champion Paul Leczyki (Bury-St-Edmunds.)

Chris Heath's ring skills were superb in his contest against Jason Outerson ( Newcastle ) and he won his match in the second round to bring home to Warrington the British Lightweight title.

Chris moved down to Lightweight for this contest and carried with him his speed and strength. Lightweight is definately the division more suited for him, and I believe he can go a long way at this weight class.

These great results brings the tally to 3 Championship wins for Warrington Kickboxing Studio already during the 2006 season!

Wins were recorded too on the support card, by others of our Wolf-Pack team, 4 ladies , and 4 gents.

Featherweight : Michaela Woodcock, Paige Farrington

Middleweight : Jayne Clarke, Clare Baldwin, Robert Elmer, Dan Lloyd, Lee Roughedge

Light-Heavyweight : Martin Sweeney

Well done to everyone who represented Warrington!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Press Release AKA Championships-SENI06

This two day exposition is the biggest martial arts event on the calendar - for 'ALL' styles. There is expected to be over 20'000 visitors over the course of the weekend.

As well as the AKA Championships, there will also be competitions, demonstrations and information stands - all of great interest to spectators. Why not make a weekend of it. Speak to an instructor for further details. Registration for those hoping to compete at such a prestigious event will have to inform an instructor before the 1st May.

Warrington Kickboxing Studio has three Championship contests lined up for its leading members.

Ladies Blackbelt - Paige Farrington, (pictured left with her hands raised after winning her recent contest in March), will Challenge the English Champion - Mandy Stainthorpe (Darlington ) for her Title belt.

Phil Williams will face Paul Leczyki in a defence of his English Welterweight Title.




Just confirmed, top billing for this competition is a 5 man Team - England vs Turkey contest.

The England team will feature Laura Arnold ( Leigh ), Ben Abbott ( Milton Keynes ), Steve Evans ( Milton Keynes ), Alex Humperhies ( Bolton ) and Chris Heath ( Warrington ).

Warrington's British Lightweight Champion Chris Heath has been given the opportunity to challange for the European Lightweight Title against Yesil Suleyman - the national champion of Turkey.

This match has come at an early stage in Heaths competition carear ( 12 matches ) and is a tremendous step up in level as Yesil is an experienced International competitor with a record of 51 matches. He is also the National Champion of Turkey and has also won a silver medal at the World Tournament Championships in Thailand.

All of the Instructors believe that with the superb training Chris recieves at Warrington Kickboxing Studio plus his personal dedication, that this can be his best ring performance yet, and we look forward to the event with great anticipation.

For a little more information click the following link

----------------------------www.seni06.com

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Apr : 22nd 2006: Sweeney passes Blackbelt!






On Saturday 22nd April, Martin Sweeney became the 29th person from Warrington Kickboxing Studio to pass the coveted Blackbelt.


Martin
( Pictured left, with his Certificate )

Aged 39, from Appleton, Warrington, has been training at the Studio for just over 6 years. He initially began training in 2000 as a method of keep fit, and has steadily progressed though the grading syllabus, also achieving some very respectable results in competition.

( Sweeney parry's Cornwall's Front-Kick )

2006 has thus far been a great year for Martin, and while preparing for his Blackbelt he has shown great form on the competition circuit, winning his last two Amateur Kickboxing matches against John Murphy ( T.K.O. ) and Graham Cornwall ( Points ).

The win over Cornwall was especially a great result, as Cornwall, a title contender ranked #7 in England in the Cruiserweight division, had a weight advantage over Martin who usually campaigns one weight division below.






In total Martin has competed 13 times, and he is currenly placed in the national rankings Light-Heavyweight division ( 13 Stone / 84kgs ) at number 15.

The Blackbelt test consists of

1. Running Test :
( For Stamina - fitness )

2. Advanced Exercises :
( Using weight training equipment )

3. Pad Work Training :
(Non-stop for 5 Minutes - which is a very tough test of Technique, Strength and Stamina!)


4. Advanced Kicks :
( Spinning Head-Kicks, Jumping Round-Kicks, Jumping Back-Kicks)

5. Basic Teaching Skills:
Blackbelts can progress further as Assistant Instructors and work through higher Instructor ‘Degree’ Grades, ( also commonly known as Dan Grades ).




6. Basic First Aid :
( Part of Assistant Instructor Test, which also includes the recovery position ).


7. Defensive Skills :
( Defence against 20 different random attacks )

8. Referee Skills :
( Again part of the Assistant Instructor Grade ) Refereeing 20 Rounds of sparring.


9. Free-Sparring :
( Against a senior Blackbelt ) 5 rounds, 3 munites each round, allowing Full-Contact Kicks, Punches, Knees and Elbows - (Known as 'A' Class - FULL RULES).

10. Board Breaking:
Demonstrating firstly self-confidence, and secondly the power that a person can generate when executing certain techniques. The application from board breaking, being that if you can the break boards, then you could in a self-defence situation, potentially break bones and/or inflict a great amount of pain and damage to an attacker. 10 Boards, each 1 inch thick, must be broken with, Kicks, Punches, Knees, Elbows and Open-Palm Techniques. The Last break ( for men ) must be the Shin-Kick, against 2 boards doubled up.

The two most important stages of the 4 hour, 10 part, exam are the Sparring ( kumite ) test and the Board Breaking test.

To pass the Blackbelt exam a student must get through five 3 minute rounds ( 15 mins ) of sparring, allowing full-contact Kicks, Punches, Knees and Elbows. In the history of the exam, this is that stage that all Blackbelt failures have actually occured, and is what 90% of the preparation is specifically devoted to. As always, a student taking the Blackbelt, must match against a senior student who already holds a Blackbelt, and for this exam Martin was pushed to his limits by Graham Sayer, the current European Middleweight Champion.

The highlight of this particular Blackbelt exam was the board breaking, which obviously requires a great deal of technical power.

Martin not only passed his 'Breaking' test with flying colours, but set a new presidant thatmust now always be attained by future Blackbelts, as Martin not only smashed doubled boards ( 2 inches ) with the Shin-Kick ( compulsary requirment ) but also using the Cross Elbow strike, and the Downward-Elbow strike!

Martin's preparation had consisted of 3 Kickboxing sessions, and 3 running sessions, on alternate days, with just one days rest each week.

Before the belt-testing began, Martin informed me that he was looking forward tothe exam, and felt that he had prepared very well during the last four months, losing over a stone ( 8kgs ) in weight since January, and was feeling fitter than he had in over 15 years, which is a great feeling for someone aged 39!

Congratulations to Martin Sweeney ( Blackbelt ), as well as others who progressed into the senior ranks, Dave Murray and Ste Hankinson ( Brown Belts ) Jayne Clarke, Dave Buck and Katia Berty ( Purple Belt ).NOTE:
Initially, when reading the Blackbelt exam requirements, many people think that they could never achieve skills to such a high level. However, every Blackbelt was once a novice (Whitebelt) on their very first lesson, as was Martin. In fact most people that do achieve the grade, never even intended to pursue such a goal when they first joinedWarrington Kickboxing Studio, and merely wished to train for self-defence and fitness.

If you are reading news piece as an enquiry to the school, or maybe one of our intermediate level members, please take encouragement from this. Warrington Kickboxing Studio is setup to help everyone achieve their ambitions. Maybe one day, wewill be reading about you!

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May : 6th 2006: Fantastic Results at SENI06 !

The SENI06 show in Birmingham is an annual event that is one of the biggest martial arts shows in the world, having over 20'000 spectators. On Saturday 6th May as part of this expo an Amateur Kickboxing championships was featured.

Warrington had several students represent our town, and one represent England as part of the headline 5 man team against Turkey.

Our first major win, was Paige Farrington

( Pictured left with the title belt )

who was succesful in her challange against the defending English Featherweight champion Mandy Stainthorpe.

Winning a Championship is always a great achievement, but to take the title from a defending Champion is fantastic. Well done to Paige for her hard work and dedication!




Warrington's Golden Boy Phil Williams defeated Jason Outerson for the British Welterweight Title in storming fashion, taking the Championship with a 1st round win!


Phil had trained very hard for a English Title defence with a rematch scheduled against Paul Leczyki ( Bury-St-Edmunds ), however Paul had to withdraw due to a virus and not being able to be 100% prepared - which is the correct thing to do as safety is paramount when competing..



Phil then had to decide wether to step up another level to Challenge for the British Title, yet in order to do this he would have to relinquish his English Title - not an easy choice to make, however this paid great dividends!

Phil now hopes to defend his British Title against Paul in Manchester on the 22nd July

( Pictred above : True sportsmen, the new Champion Williams & Jason Outerson )

International Duties:
England vs Turkey

Chris Heath, ( pictured landing a Front-Kick ) became our 2nd person in 6 months to be called up for international duties to represent England.

( In November Graham Sayer represented England against a Dutch opponent - winning the European Middleweight title)



Chris defeated Yesil Suleyman ( Turkey ) for the European Lightweight Title!!!.

A great result from Chris and for Warrington against the Turkish national champion who had a record of over '51' contests, and also a SIlver Medal from the World Tournment Championships held in Thailand ( IAMTF ).

( Pictured: Mark Matthews - Senior Instructor and John Glover - Instructor with Chris Heath with the coveted Blue & Gold EUROPEAN TITLE Belt )

As headlined, Fantastic Results that truely reflect the quality tuition our members receive at Warrington Kickboxing Studio - The Home of Champions!

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-Press Release Next Competition...

...will be hosted by Lee Green, and his Manchester school.The venue is the Urmston Leisure centre for the 4th event of the 2006 season.

Warringon Kickboxer, Paige Farrington
is set to defend her Ladies English Featherweight Title against the former Champion Mandy Stainthorpe of Darlington, in what is becoming a greatly anticipated match.

Also looking to make a voluntary British Welterweight title defence is Phil Williams - against Paul Leczyki of Bury-St-Edmunds.

These two previously met in a very close contest that Williams won, so this should be an great match.

Headlining the show will be several international contests. Two of which feature Champions from Warrington.


Lisa Hackett ( Leeds - England ) vs Aysegul Pehlivan ( Turkey ) for the Ladies European featherweight Title.

Chris Heath ( Warrington - England ) will be defending his European Lightweight title against Raman Shykuta ( Belarus )

Graham Sayer ( Warrington - England ) will be defending his European Middleweight title against Valery Lunia ( Belarus ).

Gary Rickinson ( Darlington - England ) will face Hakan Yildiz ( Turkey ) for the World Lightweight Title

Guven Zincir ( Turkey ) will face Siarhei Tambolski ( Belarus ) for the World Welterweight Title.

Ibrahim Bulduk ( Turkey ) will face Barys Beliankou ( Belarus ) for the World Middleweight Title.

Tickets will be on sale from 1st July 2006. Those wishing to compete must register with an Instructor at the soonest opportunity as there is expected to be upto 100 players competing from across the country in what will be the biggest International amateur Kickboxing competition ever held to date in the UK!

For further details...
----------------------www.aka-kickboxing.com
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Jun : 22nd 2006: Heath grades to Blackbelt!





( Pict :

Chris
with his
Blackbelt
Diploma -
1st Degee,

and two of
his three
Title belts)









On Saturday 24th June, Chris Heath became the 30th person from Warrington Kickboxing Studio to pass the coveted Blackbelt exam, (1st Degee ).


Chris is a dedicated student, training 6 times a week and is a perfect example of what you can achieve when you set your mind to it.

Chris competes on the national circuit regularly, and this year he has seen action in St. Helens, Leigh, Warrington and Birmingham.

Currently he is ranked #1 in the country at Lightweight and is a triple champion!

( Pict : Chris works the Man-Bag
with a Knee-Kick)

Chris held previously the Counties Lightweight title, and currently holds the British and European Lightweight championships.

His last contest, in Birmingham, saw Chris represent his country against Turkish Champion, Yesil Suliman.

Yesil is one of the Worlds leading amateur athletes who's record stood at 50 contests, including several wins in Thailand, where he won a Silver medal at the World Amateur tournment Championships.

( Pict : Chris with Craig Booth,
Senior Instructor 5th Degree )

Following a great contest between the two, Chris won the contest and with it the European Lightweight Title!

Chris is scheduled to make a mandatory defence of his European title against
Raman Shykuta of Mops Gym, Minsk
( Belarus ) on the 23rd July 2006 in Manchester.



( Pict : Heath vs Suliman - Euro Title bout )

Further reading - See this weeks WARRINGTON GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER , or click the following link and search for " KICKBOXING "

- --------------------------WARRINGTON GUARDIAN

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Press Release AKA Show Report Online now!

Click the following link to view the show report and photos from the Manchester Championships.

----------------------www.aka-kickboxing.com

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Jul : 22nd 2006: Sayer wins the World Title!

Graham Sayer
(Record 23 Contests)

the new
A.K.A. Kickboxing
World
Middleweight
Champion

Poses for the press with
his opponent

Ibrahim Bulduk
( 46 Contests )
Winner of the Princes Cup - Thailand




Lee Green of higher level kickboxing, tonight successfully promoted an international amateur kickboxing championship at Urmston Leisure Centre, Manchester.

The event had been set to headline athletes from Belarus, but due to unforeseen circumstances this changed and instead featured representatives from Turkey and France.

This was Graham’s first contest since he defeated Arthur Boerjan (Holland) for the European title in November 2005.

Following that win, Graham had a busy contest planned ahead, with a Commonwealth title defence against Ben Abbott (England), and international bouts against Jamie Crawford (Ireland), Milan Tierney (Czech Republic) and Adem Akin (Turkey), as well as a planned entry into a World Championship tournament in America (the I.K.F. World Classic).

Unfortunately Graham’s father became terminally ill with cancer, and Graham went through a very tough time looking after his dad. He also undertook a tremendous workload in order to keep the family taxi business running, which without his father was almost on the verge of collapsing.

Only recently Graham’s father passed away. Following this loss, Graham has worked very hard to keep the family business afloat, and thankfully ithis is now in a strong position once again.

Graham felt that his Kickboxing would help give him something positive to focus on, as he rebuilds his life, and chose to begin competing again.

On this event Graham was scheduled to defend his European Title against Aliaksandr Kaliuta from Belarus, when the opportunity was presented for him to vacate the European title, and challenge for the World Middleweight Title!

Calibre of Graham's opponent :

His opponent was Ibrahim Bulduk of Turkey. A kickboxer with a record of forty six contests, double the actual ring experience of Grahams!

Ibrahim recently won a very prestigious championship tournament in Bangkok, in front of the King of Thailand, known as the PRINCES CUP, positioning him firmly as the favourite!

This was not only a great opportunity, but also a tremendous task for Graham to take. Especially with everything that has recently happened in his life, the calibre of his opponent and worries about possible ring-rust following his eight month spell of inactivity.

Many people would have taken an easier contest. Accepting the match showed great strength of character and a real fighting spirit!.

Contest report :

The bout was very intense from the opening bell. Graham took an early lead in the first round, landing fast hand combinations and strong kicks to the body.

In the second round Ibrahim pulled back, showing superb counter attacking skills. Evading Graham’s shin-kicks, and then delivering his own. By the toll of the bell, Ibrahim had taken the points lead.

( Sayer taking some last minute instructions from Mark Matthews )




Round three saw Graham fall further behind as Ibrahim put great effort into achieving an early win by stoppage or by T.K.O.

Graham weathered a serious storm, neutralising many of these attacks, with holding-knee-kicks, and the tactics worked well.

( Ibrahim kicks out )


Towards the end of the round, after several exchanges of knee-kicks to the body, Ibrahim began to tire, and showing his vast ring experience tried to ‘steal’ a break by purposely spitting out his gum shield!


International referee, Pele Nathan, ignored these tactics, allowing the action to continue. Graham now began to pull back the point’s deficit.

At the start of round four, Ibrahim was still ahead, but now tiring fast. Graham’s corner team urged him forward and he rallied to the call. Again Ibrahim 'lost' his gum shield, before using a clinch-hold defence. The match was now being contested at close range and both players exchanged hard knee-kicks to the body.

( Sayer lands a shin-kick to the leg )



At the toll of the bell the score was
Red 117 – Blue 117,........
..................................................... a draw!

Under A.K.A. rules, in the event of a draw an extra round must be contested. As team Warrington prepared Graham for round five, Hassan Yildiz, the very respected head coach from Turkey, decided to withdraw Ibrahim due to exhaustion!

Yildiz stated later that he felt that his fighter risked a stoppage loss ( due to exhaustion from such an intese bout ), and that he did not wish the contest to end in such manner.



( Sayer powering into his opponent with a shin-kick to the ribs)

















( Sayer lands a kick to the ribs)-----------------------( Ibrahim throws a round-kick the arm )













( Ibrahim backs Sayer up with a push-kick)------( Sayer almost K.O.'s with a head-kick! )


This meant that Sayer, by digging deep after a very tough third round and showing resolute determination, had now captured the A.K.A. World Middleweight title, by
T.K.O. round 5!

Official scorecard:

Round 1 : Red – 34 ----Blue - 26

Round 2 : Red – 56 ----Blue – 61

Round 3 : Red – 75 ----Blue - 92

Round 4 : Red - 117 ----Blue – 117

Round 5 : Red wins by T.K.O.

( Blue withdraws/cannot continue ).

The scores for the match reflect how Imbrahim’s chosen tactics almost achieved the T.K.O. by outclass ( 20 point lead ) in round three!

However this huge effort lead to him then not having the strength to hold off Graham in the fourth round, who was now beginning to land telling head shots as well as becoming the stronger player as the contest continued.

Further Fantastic results...

Also too there was further good news for Warrington, as Paige Farrington put in a polished performance against Mandy Stainthorpe of Darlington.

Paige was defending her English Ladies Featherweight title, against the former Champion, and this win was Farrington's best perfomance to date.

Full report and photos to follow....

Congratulations to Graham, who following a very difficult year, and a tough contest against on opponent of the highest calibre, finally achieved what many only dream of!




Everyone is very proud of what you have achieved. Well done the BUTCHA!

Further reading - See this weeks WARRINGTON GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER , or click the following link and search for " KICKBOXING "

- --------------------------WARRINGTON GUARDIAN

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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aug : 30th 2006: Glover gains 2nd Degree!





Congratulations to John Glover who upon gaining his Instructor qualification, the 2nd Degree Blackbelt.

John is now promoted from the position of "assistant - instructor" to "Instructor" and
now has the Red Band - Instructor insignia added to his Blackbelt.

The Red Band is the insignia recognised throughout the Kickboxing world of an Instructor, and is a symbol not only of excellence, but years of dedication.

The 2nd Degree Blackbelt (Instructor) exam, is the tenth and final test a student formally takes.

( click "Grading" menu for further explanation of Instructor grade promotion)


This exam requires a lot of time and dedication to pass the qualification, but this ensures that the level of coaching given by the newly promoted Instructor is second to none!

The 2nd degree Blackbelt tests in two stages. The first stage is through successful completion of several assessments tests.

Two of the assessment tests required gaining a referee certificate and a cornerman certificate and are tested during competitions.

John also had to pass an assessment as a, "sparring partner". Being tested over 10 rounds, under full rules ( Kicks / Punches / Knees / Elbows ) , against two determined candidates who were testing for their Blackbelt.

The final and most important test through assessment is for actual coaching skills. This was gained by completing over a year as an assistant instructor, attached to a Senior instructor ( Mark Matthews ), teaching students from novice level up to intermediate level.

Having passed all of the required assessment tests, the second stage of John's grading was tested under strict examination conditions.

John had to pass two written tests, one on Diet and Nutrition and the second on Sports Injuries. He then had to demonstrate no fewer than 20 defence techniques against random strikes.

Padwork drills were also tested. As a measurment of fitness and endurance, John had to complete 15 minutes of padwork drills, as well as 15 minutes pad holding for a training partner.

Board breaking followed, as a demonstration of explosive strength within specific techniques. The requirement for the 2nd degree is '20 boards' in total with various kicks, punches, knees, elbows and open palm strikes.

The final test, the '20 man Kumite', saw John face twenty opponents in the ring continuously over 40 minutes! John had prepared well in the weeks leading up to the Kumite test, and came through with flying colours.

( Action photos - Glover vs Taylor )


John is also a former Champion at two weight classes.

In 2004 he defeated Mandeep Gill from Birmingham ( K-Star Gym ) for the English Welterweight title.

In 2005 he moved down a weight class and won the English Lightweight title against Nick Taylor from Altrincham ( Pele's Gym ).

Currently John is ranked # 6 in England!

With his vast experience in competition as well as his experience as an assistant Instructor, Warrington Kickboxing Studio is confident that John will continue as an excellent coach.

Congratulations to John, who as an assistant Instructor has been a great asset to the school. We are proud to have John as part of our team!

for further detail of how the grading system works - click here

Further reading - See this weeks WARRINGTON GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER , or click the following link and search for " KICKBOXING "

- --------------------------WARRINGTON GUARDIAN

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...will be hosted by Pele Nathan, and his Altrincham school.

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Jul : 22nd 2006: Sayer retains World Title!
ul : 2nd 2006:Heath defeats World Champ!
ul : - d 2006:Farrington's new British Belt!

Graham Sayer, who defending World Middleweight Champion made a succesful defence against Turkish National Champion Geven Zencir , winning by 2nd round Knockout!




Sayer was simply superb from the moment the bell tolled in round one. Using his reach, Graham kept Zencir at the end of his jab whilst setting him up for powerful shin-kicks to the body and legs. Towards the end of the first round, Sayer sent Zencir to the canvas with a power kick to the thigh.






In the second round, Zencir closed the range, looking to land with some telling punches. However it was Sayer who came out of the exchanges better, wobbling his opponent on two occasions. Zencir was now in trouble and starting to look tired. At this, Sayer went through the gears and upped the pace further. As the round drew to a close, Sayer almost connected with a head kick ( See Pict : ) and was now totally dominating the challenger.


Following the bell, Zencir's trainer called time and threw in the towel, resulting in a 2nd round K.O. win for Warrington's defending World Champion.

I am glad to say that this win shows Grahams return to the unbeatable form he was showing at the end of the 2005 season, when he captured the European title against Arthur Boerjan. Zencir, who holds a national title, was totally stunned by Sayers pace, which is a credit to the hard work that Graham put into his preparation over the last six weeks.

Chris Heath, challenged the World Lightweight Champion Hakan Yildiz for his title. Yildiz is the most experienced player on the A.K.A. circuit with an outstanding record of an incredible 86 contests with 83 wins!

The defending Champion took an early lead, but once the first round was over and Heath had weathered the storm, the tide soon began to turn. Although Yildiz had the greater speed, Heath had the greater power and going into the third round this strength was beginning to become the deciding factor. Yildiz began to tire after putting all of his efforts into trying to force an early stoppage ( something that he is reneown for achieveing in his 86f record ). Heath continued to pressure his opponent, and this tactic worked perfectly as Yildiz retired at the end of round 3, giving Heath a T.K.O. win, and the World Lightweight Title!


Paige Farrington, put in a perfect performance when she vacated her English Title to step up another level and contest the British Featherweight Title. Her opponent from Devon, Tracey Richards, was incredibly strong, and the contest was one of the best of the 2006 season!

Farrington is definately one of the most talented female Kickboxers to grace the square ring in the whole country. Should her dedication continue, I have no doubt over the next two seasons she could become one of the countries very best!

Results like this are fantastic for our School, or Town and our Country!

This is a credit not only to our team, but also to the Studio, and the level of Instruction given by our coaches.

Well done to everyone involved!

.


Graham Sayer
World
Middleweight
Champion

Paige Farrington
British
Featherweight
Champion


Chris Heath
World
Lightweight
Champion




for full results and photos click the link below!

----------------------www.aka-kickboxing.com

Further reading - See this weeks WARRINGTON GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER , or click the following link and search for " KICKBOXING "

- --------------------------WARRINGTON GUARDIAN
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Oct : 23rd 2006: Williams gains his Blackbelt!





Congratulations to Phil Williams upon passing his Okamido Kickboxing Blackbelt exam.

(Pict : Phil demonstrates the Knee-Kick to the face of the Man-Bag )

Phil Williams, aged 23, has been training at Warrington Kickboxing Studio for just over two years now.

During that time he has progressed fantasticaly by using the advanced training program, whereby he trains upto 6 times a week alternating training days between Kickboxing and Running.

He has graded on an almost bi-monthly basis, when permitted, and also competed regularly. This year alone, Phil has competed in St. Helens, Leigh, Warrington, Birmingham and Manchester!

During the 2006 season, Phil captured the English and the British Welterweight titles. He vacated the English title when he stepped up a level for the British Title. Unfortunately Phil could not accomodate a title defence at the September A.K.A. Kickboxing Championships in Altrincham, due to focusing on his Blackbelt exam, and his title was contested between Paul Leczyki of Bury-St-Edmunds and Alex Humpheries of Bolton.



Phil is currently ranked as the #3 Welterweight in England and is hoping to compete on the final event of the season in Darlington. Hopefully Phil will get a chance for the Commonwealth title in the near future!

Phil has also started teaching beginners now, (white belt to orange belt level ), as an apprentice under Craig Booth ( 5th Degree Instructor ), and hoping to get his 2nd Degree next year.

Further reading - See this weeks WARRINGTON GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER , or click the following link and search for " KICKBOXING "

- --------------------------WARRINGTON GUARDIAN

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-Press Release Next Competition...


...will be hosted by the Paul Pearson and Craig Willis, and the Darlington team.

The venue is the Cockerton Centre for the 6th and final event of the 2006 season.


Warringon Kickboxer, Paige Farrington
is hoping to defend her Ladies British Featherweight Title.


Also looking to make the first defence of his World Lightweight title defence is Chris Heath.


Graham Sayer, who currently holds the World Middleweight title is looking to make the 2nd defence of his Championship.

Those Warrington Kickboxers also hoping to compete, must inform Instructors Craig Booth ( 5th Degree ) or Mark Matthews ( 5th Degree ) as soon as possible. Also too, they should start their sprint-running in order to expand their stamina levels.

For further details click the link below!



----------------------www.aka-kickboxing.com


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Press Release: Free Video Downloads!

You can now view Warringtons Kickboxing champions Graham Sayer, Chris Heath and Paige Farrington in action on the internet, Click the below link.

www.aka-england.org

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Graham Sayer, the defending World Middleweight Champion made a second succesful defence against the very tough British Champion Darren Langthorne , winning by on points after being taken into an addition round!

Photo :
Sayers Kicks to the arms of Langthorne!










There was a changing of the guard at Lightweight. Warrington Kickboxer,Chris Heath, who was defending his World Lightweight title againt European Champion Gary Rickinson was beaten on points. This was a close contest also, and being on home ground with a full house of support obviously gave Rickinson that slight edge.

Nothing could seperate both athletes until the final round, and it must be said that both Chris and Gary gave the crowd an excellent contest. Heath will be back!



A rematch is one not to be missed when the 2007 season starts in February!



Paul Quayle was given an opportunity to represent his country, and faced Indian Kickboxing Champion Jasjeet Walia for the Inter-Continental Title. Paul rallied a tough first round, as Walia unleashed powerful punches. Quayle defended well, using the clinch-hold, and then counter attacked using holding-knee-kicks.




To this the Indian had no defence, and Paul landed several scoring knees to extend a lead. In the second round, Paul had more time to settle with is technique, as the knee-kicks seemed to have taken the stamina away from Walia. Paul scored well on the outside with round-kicks both low and high. At the end of the second round, the Warrington Kickboxer was leading by more than 20 points, and won by T.K.O. ( 20 point Outclass ). Another good International win for Warrington Kickboxing Studio!

View the A.K.A. website for further results, a show report and additional photos.

----------------------www.aka-england.org

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dec : 1st 2006: WKS Brown Belt in JAPAN!

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December 3rd: International Pro. News : 'K-1'.


There is now a full report with action photos
on the official K-1 website.


Hollands Semmy Schilts won the event, and with
it the prize money of $ 400'000!

No body could stop Semmy, and his main strike, the 'Knee-Kick' took him straight to the final!

This is the second year on the run that he has won the World Grandprix final!

The tournament will be featured over the next few weeks on EUROSPORT.

For the complete show report , including action photos....

----------=== -- 'K-1 Show Report


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December 16th: Belt Grades Passed!


Congratuations to all of those that succesfully Graded on Saturday (16th).

Everyone was very impressive in their tests. Wether they were demonstrating exercise drills, use of equipment, or pad drills using kicks, punches knees and elbows.

The advanced kicking was very good too, along with the free-sparring and board breaking.

Blue Belts were achieved by Tony Simcock, Ben Holguin, Mark Fillingham, Robert Lees, Keith Pimblett and Mark Sweetman.

A additional mention must be of Ben Holguin, ( pictured left in his second amateur contest), who has made fantastic progress though the year.

Definately a name to watch out for in 2007!

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