Raptor Kickboxing

A huge congratulations to Arthur who has really stepped up his sparring recently, along with his concentration and technical skills has rewarded him with the Raptor Kickboxing - kick-boxer of the month for May 2026!!!

Another fantastic ICO Team England Squad Training session took place today at the USKA Fight Factory, with over 50 fighters in attendance all putting in the work as preparations continue for the upcoming World Championships in France.

Despite the muggy conditions, with rain outside and temperatures rising inside the gym, the squad showed great commitment and determination throughout the day.

We opened the session with reflex and reaction pad drills to get everyone switched on and moving before progressing into a deep flexibility session, including partner stretching led by USKA Coach Sami Kelly.

From there, attention turned to defensive tactics as we worked on solutions to some of the more problematic attacks competitors may face in competition. The squad then moved into a variety of themed padwork combinations, each designed to replicate different fight scenarios and tactical situations they may encounter on the mats and in the ring.

The physical side of the training concluded with a gruelling strength and conditioning circuit that squeezed every last drop of energy from those in attendance, with everyone digging deep and pushing through the fatigue.

At the conclusion of training, the squad gathered to observe a minute's silence in memory of ICO World Director for Traditional Karate and President of South Africa, James Vermaak, who sadly passed away this week.

Master James was a great martial artist, leader and gentleman who dedicated so much to our sport. He will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him and sharing time with him.

God Bless you, James. 🙏🏻

Our next ICO Team England Squad Training session will be held at the USKA Fight Factory on Saturday 4th July.

Reggie is the first Raptor to get kick-boxer of the month twice. This is down to his hard work, focus and determination every lesson. Well done young man!!!

Archie joined Raptor a few month’s ago, his mum Charlotte has recently signed up.

There’s something special about training in martial arts together as a parent and child.

It’s more than punches and kicks — it’s shared goals, discipline, confidence, and learning to grow together both mentally and physically.

For children, martial arts builds:
✔ Respect
✔ Focus
✔ Confidence
✔ Self-discipline
✔ Resilience

For parents, it’s an opportunity to:
✔ Stay active
✔ Lead by example
✔ Strengthen the bond with your child
✔ Relieve stress
✔ Create lifelong memories

When parents and children train, everyone improves together. You celebrate victories, overcome challenges, and support one another every step of the way.

Families that train together build stronger connections — on and off the mats. 💪❤️

Congratulations to Olivia who completed her first kickboxing lesson with us yesterday!!!

Welcome to the club Wooka-Dingo!!!

With Bobby Donovan from Raptor kickboxing today

Another massive step forward on the road to the ICO World Championships today as the fifth ICO Team England Squad Training session of the season took place at the USKA Fight Factory in Birmingham.

With over 70 fighters and coaches in attendance from clubs all across the country, the atmosphere from start to finish was electric as the squad pushed through another high intensity day of technical development, tactical drilling and physical conditioning under the guidance of Head England Coach Neil Kelly.

A huge highlight of the day was welcoming very special guest instructor and former Professional ISKA Super Middleweight Champion of the World Dale Wood to the session. Dale has competed and succeeded across virtually every fight discipline imaginable, collecting titles from Area honours right through to World Championship level during an outstanding career in combat sports.

His experience, technical knowledge and understanding of high level competition brought a completely different dimension to the day, with fighters and coaches alike benefiting from the insight and advice he shared throughout the session.

There is no doubt everybody left with valuable information and fresh ideas to take back to their own gyms as preparations continue towards October’s World Championships in France.

Today also marked the first official suit sizing session for confirmed ICO Team England squad members. Seeing athletes being measured up for their England kit added another level of excitement and anticipation to the day, making the reality of representing their country on the World stage feel closer than ever before.

The standards, attitude and work ethic shown throughout the entire session were outstanding and once again demonstrated the strength, unity and determination running throughout this year’s England squad.

Train Hard… Fight Easy… because champions are built long before they ever step into the ring!