Derry academy striking while the iron is hot!

Strike Martial Arts Academy is at the heart of the biggest surge in interest in kickboxing in Derry in a generation.

Just a few weeks ago, over 100 kids took to the ring for the first time in a mammoth ‘Rising Stars’ event, showcasing their skills at the same time as building self-confidence, the third show to date, and undoubtedly the biggest.

Trained by former ISKA World Heavyweight Kickboxing champion Daniel ‘Pinta’ Quigley, kids of different ages and backgrounds pack out Shantallow Community Centre each week, learning skills that will not only help them in the ring, but in their personal lives as well.

‘Rising Stars’ is an event which helps show these competitors just what they can achieve if they put their minds to it.

“Rising Stars was set up basically for young kids who want to try and get involved in kickboxing, in the competing side of things, who may be a wee bit nervous,” Daniel explained.

“We set it up as a large-scale event, so we have all the lights and the walk-on music, and it's all about building their confidence.

“They're getting into the ring, they're all geared up, they've been doing their training, they've been working hard, and then they come out with a wee medal. It's just to see the smiles on their faces.

"Anybody that's going into the ring knows how it feels- it's daunting, it's a very scary experience, so we try to tell them that that experience that they're learning, of getting in the ring, that fear factor, fight or flight and stuff, that can be adapted to outside life as well, be it going to new events, or meeting new friends.”

This is a new world entirely from Quigley’s days of fighting at an elite level, but it’s clear that he enjoys the coaching side as much as he did competing. From those days of focusing on himself, he is now surrounded by others, all working together for the betterment of kids in the community.

“When you're fighting, you need to be just thinking about yourself,” he acknowledged. “You can be a wee bit selfish, just thinking about yourself, and you have to, because it's just you, but when you're a coach, you're thinking about everybody else. When you're running shows, you're thinking about matching the right fights; you know, there's somebody’s son or daughter in there, so you have to look after them, so aye, the pressure's there, but I think the main thing is having a team around you, that's going to help support you, and help.

Pinta Quigley with a class of young ones at the end of the session.

“There are lot of good coaches, so it's good to see, and there's always a wee bit of stigma with combat sports, that it's violent and it's dangerous, and obviously when you're going for fights, there's an element of that there.

"It's all the stuff I've come along with, the character building and the fitness building, physically and mentally, and I think that's needed at the minute with social media and the way things are. It's helping children get stronger mentally as well physically.”

Popular

Moving from the Bay Road to Shantallow has really opened doors for Strike and for kids in the area, making lessons much kore accessible for everyone. That is just one factor in the increase in popularity of the sport in recent times.

Strike Martial Arts Academy main coaches Pinta Quigley and on right Brendan Daly with Jack Nicell who travelled to Barnsley for his latest fight on Saturday, and Amy Cassidy who fought in Dubli at the weekend.

“Combat sports in general has just become a lot more popular,” Daniel continued. “In the last 10 years, it's got a lot bigger. For us personally, for our gym, we moved from the unit in the community area to Shantallow, so we've become more of a community-based club, and once we moved down here, there's been a lot of young people coming in.

“Unfortunately, it's kids coming on because they're being bullied; social media is a big impact on children at the minute, so you have them type of things, and then it's just people coming on for social reasons, they make friends.

There is an element as well who are fighting and competing, so everybody comes for their own reasons, but the sport's really taken off now.”

Two of Strike’s brightest young talents are Jac Nicell and Amy Cassidy, who were both in action at the weekend, both examples of what can be achieved with dedication in a supportive environment.

“Jac and Amy just did a six-week training camp, and they were in at six o'clock in the morning, so we'd collect them at half five in the morning, going to the gym, doing our sprints in the morning, and then we're back in the evening then, training, so it takes a lot of discipline,” Daniel said.

The Strike Martial Arts Academy session taking place in the Shantallow Community Centre.

“They have to keep their weight in a certain category, so they’re disciplined when they're eating at home and stuff, but it's great that you tie in with their parents, you tie in with their home life, and if anything's going wrong, the parents are really involved in it as well, so you have to give their parents a shout out as well, it's not just me. It's like a wraparound service, because everybody gets involved, because again, you're getting on the ring and you're competing, so you need to be, I always say that, you need to be 100% committed.”

Irish Open

Indicative of the growing popularity of the sport in Derry was the recent announcement that this year’s ISKA Irish Open will be held in the city for the first time. It will be held at Templemore Sports Complex on April 6, an incredible honour for everyone involved.

“The success we’ve had with Rising Stars, and we run HEAT, which is our own home show as well, it's been really successful, we've had Irish champions and stuff at it, so we were selected for Derry, and by ISKA, International Sport Kickboxing Association,” Daniel revealed.

“They host the Irish Open, which is a big thing for Derry, the ISKA has never had one here before, so we've made a wee bit of pressure, me and the team, but we're going to raise the challenge.

Strike Martial Arts Academy session taking place in the Shantallow Community Centre.

“The app is open at the minute for people to sign up if they want to fight on it, and we've got competitors from all over England, Ireland and beyond, that's going to be coming and competing. I'm very lucky to have a good team behind me, that's helping me support, to build this scene of kickboxing, and that's our plan really.”

“We see it out there on our mats. We have a kids club, with nearly 30 kids, we have a club in the Waterside, and then we must have 60 teenagers and adults here, all working, so it's really good. At the moment they see it prospering, so long may it continue.”

Strike Martial Arts Academy hold classes in Shantallow, on a Tuesday and a Thursday evening, from 5:30pm (Mini Strike), and then from 6:30pm to 8pm (Seniors and Mixed abilities).

They also host a Mini Strike class in the Waterside Shared village at 6pm on a Monday evening. All information can be found on the club’s Facebook page.