X Martial Arts Schools Leeds

10/09/2026

👋Meet Miss Kiera McKee
👩‍🏫 Certified Instructor Training Member
📍Teaches at Wakefield & Leeds

Hi, I’m 18 years old, and martial arts has been a huge part of my life since I was seven. I started training shortly after moving house, and what began as a hobby quickly became something I fell in love with. As a child, I was naturally very quiet and shy, but martial arts helped me come out of my shell, build my confidence, and become the person I am today.

When I was around 10 years old, I was given the opportunity to join the SWAT team, assisting with classes and helping younger students. I spent five years on SWAT, and it was during this time that I realised I wanted to become a martial arts instructor. In 2023, I joined the CIT team, being able to help someone understand a technique and then seeing them successfully put it into practice is one of my favourite parts of being an instructor.

My aim is to help every student find the same enjoyment and passion for martial arts that I have. Whether your goal is to build confidence, improve your fitness, lose weight, learn new skills, or work towards joining the competition team, I want to support you in achieving it and enjoying the journey along the way.

Outside of teaching, I’ve been part of the competition team since 2022. I’ve earned multiple medals over the years, and in 2022 I became a world champion in Ireland. This year, I was proud to achieve my 3rd Dan Black Belt, another milestone in my martial arts journey. I’ve had my fair share of injuries over the last few years, but this year I’ve finally been able to make a full return to competing in both points and continuous.

When it comes to sparring, I love to throw a defensive side kick. I believe that having a strong foundation and being able to execute the basics well can make a big difference both in training and competition.

Here’s some photos showing it started and how it’s going 👏

05/09/2026

👋Meet Mr Charlie Jones
👩‍🏫 Certified Instructor Training Member
📍Teaches at Wakefield

My name is Charlie Jones I have been training at Xmartial arts schools for 11 years I am currently a second Dan black belt and my favourite technique is a hook kick.

I started martial arts at 6 years old after trying many other sports and not feeling a connection with them but with martial arts it clicked, I gained confidence, fitness and a drive to be better.
The instructors always made me feel welcome and valued. Xmartial arts and has had a big impact on my life.

Here’s some photos showing it started and how it’s going 👏

02/09/2026

30/08/2026

𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨’𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚, 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨’𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘 💚🥋

Training should challenge you, help you improve and push you to become better.

But it should also be somewhere you genuinely enjoy being.

29/08/2026

👋Meet Mr Joshua Thompson
👩‍🏫 Certified Instructor Training Member
📍Teaches at Wakefield & Leeds

Hey Im Josh and i am 19 years old and I have been training at XMA for 9 years. All of these years training have changed me so much and helped build me into a much more confident person and i have been able to use my training as a place to let out my emotions. As of now i have been on the CIT programme for 8 months (since the start of 2026) and it is helping me develop my martial arts and people skills loads as-well as being an enjoyable experience. I am a 2nd Dan Black belt right now and am hoping to be able to go for my 3rd Dan at the end of 2028. I have also completed around the country and have been able to fight against the best in the world. During my time training I have decided that my favourite technique to use is a gainer kick as it is challenging and hard to learn but also is exciting to throw.

Here’s some photos showing it started and how it’s going 👏

29/08/2026

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗗𝗢 𝗪𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣? 🥋🔥

A good warm up is an important part of every class.

It gets the body moving, raises the heart rate, prepares the muscles and joints for training and helps students switch their focus onto what they’re about to do.

It also gives us a chance to work on coordination, movement and fitness before the technical part of class begins.

28/08/2026

👋Meet Mr Marc Turner
👩‍🏫 Certified Instructor Training Member
📍Teaches at Wakefield & York

My name is Marc Turner, and I’ve been training in martial arts for more than 10 years. I currently hold a 2nd Dan Black Belt, which I’m very proud of. It reflects the time, commitment and perseverance I’ve put into my training. Like many parents, I never planned to become a martial artist. It started when one of my daughters was being bullied at school, so we enrolled her in X martial arts to help build her confidence. Eevah joined at the same time and before long I was stepping onto the mats with them. My first goal was simple. I wanted to lose weight. Ironically, I managed to gain weight over the years instead. But martial arts gave me much more than I expected. It gave me confidence, discipline, close friendships and a real sense of belonging. The people have always been one of the best parts for me. We work hard and push ourselves, but it’s just as important to have a laugh and enjoy being there.

I’ve been an active member of the SWAT Team for many years, supporting instructors and students during classes and helping wherever I can. It’s been so long that I can’t remember exactly when I started, but it was well before COVID. More recently, I decided to take the next step and begin CIT Assistant Instructor Training. Supporting classes and helping students develop has become one of the most rewarding parts of martial arts for me. Seeing a child achieve something they didn’t think they could do is a great feeling. It might be learning a new skill, building their confidence or simply leaving class with a smile. Those moments make every session worthwhile.

Outside martial arts, I’m focusing on my own health and fitness. As I’ve got older, I’ve become more aware of how our bodies change and how important it is to keep moving, learning and looking after ourselves. In the future, I’d like to qualify as a Personal Trainer and use my own experience to help people at a similar stage of life. Getting older doesn’t mean you have to stop or slow down. It means learning to train smarter and continuing to look after yourself. I’ve never been a regular competitor, but I’ve recently started exploring another side of the sport through refereeing and officiating at tournaments. It has given me a different view of martial arts and brought a new challenge to my development. I’ve spent much of my martial arts journey supporting other people from the sidelines, but part of me is now wondering if I should dust off the competition gloves and spend a year competing on the tournament circuit. Never say never.

As for my fighting style, you probably won’t see me throwing tornado kicks or spinning kicks anytime soon. I’ll leave those to the younger students while I focus on staying upright. I’m more old school and prefer to move forward, stay determined and keep things simple and effective. I’m a huge fan of Ron Smoorenburg, and his fight with Jackie Chan in Who Am I? is one of my favourite fight scenes, especially the moment involving the jacket. I admire his skill, speed and flexibility, but the chances of me recreating those kicks are about the same as me touching my toes without making a noise.

Martial arts has changed me as a person. It has helped me become more confident, challenged me physically and mentally, and introduced me to some great people. My goal is to keep progressing as an assistant instructor and work towards becoming a full instructor. I also want to build my refereeing experience and help the next generation of martial artists achieve things they didn’t think were possible. After all these years, I’m still learning, still developing and still enjoying my training.

Here’s some photos showing it started and how it’s going 👏