Our blog page and current news
This is where you’ll find all the latest updates from our club, including member progress, achievements, event highlights, and inspiring articles about kickboxing and everything we’re passionate about.
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Adult Kickboxing in Marlborough – It’s Never Too Late to Start
Adult Kickboxing in Marlborough – It’s Never Too Late to Start When people hear the words “kickboxing” or “martial arts”, they sometimes picture young athletes training at a high level. The reality is very different. Adults of all ages and fitness levels can enjoy the benefits of kickboxing, and you don’t need any previous experience…
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Adult Kickboxing in Tidworth – Fitness with Purpose
Adult Kickboxing in Tidworth – Fitness with Purpose Getting fit doesn’t have to mean spending hours on a treadmill or lifting weights in a gym. For many adults in Tidworth, kickboxing provides a more enjoyable alternative—one that combines exercise with learning, personal development and practical martial arts skills. At Impact Martial Arts, our adult classes…
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Looking for Martial Arts Classes in Tidworth?
Looking for Martial Arts Classes in Tidworth? Choosing the right martial arts club is an important decision. Whether you’re searching for a new activity for your child or looking for a fun way to improve your own fitness, finding a supportive and experienced club can make all the difference. At Impact Martial Arts, we proudly…
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Looking for Martial Arts Classes in Marlborough?
Looking for Martial Arts Classes in Marlborough? If you’ve been searching for martial arts classes in Marlborough, you’re probably looking for more than just somewhere to exercise. You want a club that is welcoming, professionally run and suitable for your goals, whether that’s improving fitness, building confidence or learning practical self-defence. At Impact Martial Arts,…
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July 2026 Student achievements
July 2026 has been a another really good month for us here at Impact martial arts, a super busy month with loads of new people coming along to try us out, a few quieter classes towards the end of the month due to the school holidays, but still a solid month. Loads of great achievements…
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Why Families in Tidworth Are Choosing Martial Arts
Why Families in Tidworth Are Choosing Martial Arts Finding the right activity for yourself or your child isn’t always easy. You want something that’s enjoyable, encourages personal development and provides lasting benefits beyond just keeping active. That’s one of the reasons more families from Tidworth are discovering the benefits of martial arts. At Impact Martial…
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Why Families in Marlborough Are Choosing Martial Arts
Why Families in Marlborough Are Choosing Martial Arts If you’ve been looking for a positive activity for yourself or your child in Marlborough, you’ve probably noticed that there are plenty of options. From football and rugby to swimming and gymnastics, every activity offers something different. Martial arts, however, offers a unique combination of physical fitness,…
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10 reasons why you and your child should learn martial arts
There are probably lots more reasons why you or your child should start martial arts, there are so many physical and mental health benefits of doing what we do. 1 – To learn to protect themselves2 – To increase concentration and focus3 – To develop good social skills4 – To gain self-respect and respect for…
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The Difference Between Martial Arts Training and Team Sports
Parents often ask whether martial arts is better than traditional team sports. The reality is that both provide valuable benefits, but martial arts offers some unique advantages that make it an excellent choice for children and adults alike. Personal Responsibility In team sports, success and failure are often shared across the group. In martial arts,…
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Student safety during sparring
Signs of an instructor who prioritizes student safety in sparring include:Clear rules.Controlled contact.Stopping rounds if or when someone loses control. At impact martial arts, student safety during sparring is our number one priority. A good instructor always matches people by size and experience, gives protective gear guidance, and never pressures beginners to spar before they…
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What Makes a Good Martial Arts Instructor?
When people look for a martial arts school, they often focus on the style being taught. While the style is important, the instructor leading the class is usually the biggest factor in a student’s success and enjoyment. A great instructor does far more than demonstrate techniques. Experience Matters A good instructor should have years of…
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Impact martial arts anti bullying classes
At impact martial arts, we offer more than just martial arts, we teach skills that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Learning martial arts and self defence isn’t just about fighting, it’s learning conflict resolution, how to avoid certain situations, the law and self defence, and if the absolute worst happens,…
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June 2026 Student achievements
June 2026 has been a great month for us here at Impact martial arts, a super busy month with loads of new people coming along to try us out. Loads of great achievements throughout the club and below are a few of the pictures of the student belt awards we have seen. All of our…
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What styles we teach at Impact martial arts
Kickboxing.The primary style we teach is kickboxing, and this is a great all round martial art for fitness, conditioning, self defence, with a great syllabus to work through, which will challenge you to become better with each belt. Kickboxing uses a great combination of kicks and punches which are simple and easy to learn, and…
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Breaking the stereo types of kickboxing clubs
At impact martial arts, we always look to try and break down the stereotypes of what people think kickboxing and self defence is all about, and it’s a fairly common question that we get asked when new people are looking to come along “Is it an all male class?” and I always tell people that…
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Earning belts and doing gradings at Impact martial arts
An overview of how our belt system works and what you need to do to achieve these belts? We use a progressive grading system (PGS) where you work through your belts at your own speed and pace, and have the techniques ticked off when they are at a suitable level. This is done for every…
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Why martial arts Is one of the best activities for children in 2026
Parents today have more choices than ever when it comes to activities for their children. From football and swimming to dance and gymnastics, every activity offers valuable benefits. However, martial arts remains one of the few activities that develops physical fitness, confidence, discipline and life skills all at the same time. At Impact Martial Arts,…
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The Hardest part of running a martial arts school
People often see the teaching.They see the classes.They see the gradings.They see the events. What they don’t always see is everything happening behind the scenes.The planning.The cleaning.The maintenance.The administration.The safeguarding.The risk assessments.The marketing.The late nights.The early mornings. Running a martial arts school isn’t just teaching martial arts.It’s running a business while trying to create the…
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Impact martial arts joins up with the Marlborough sports forum
If you haven’t heard of the Marlborough sports forum, they are a great organisation supporting all types of sports in the Marlborough and Wiltshire areas. Their primary goal is to promote and develop sport and sports facilities in the town of Marlborough, Wiltshire. We have joined up with them and we are now looking at…
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How we teach martial arts at Impact martial arts
Just a little thought. Learning kickboxing or martial arts isn’t just about learning a technique a couple of times and then moving on to the next, it’s also about the real life and practical application of that technique. What we do is show people how to actually use that technique, or combination of techniques in…
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Student progress – Kara Quigley
At impact martial arts, it’s always great to see our students progressing and really doing well in class. Kara has been with us since 2023 and just earned her purple belt. Kara’s progression so far… White belt – 14/11/2023Red belt – 14/01/2024Yellow belt – 11/04/2024Orange belt – 06/06/2024Green belt – 24/04/2025Purple belt – 24/04/2026 Kara…
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5 Important things every martial arts club should have
Does your martial arts club have these in place? We certainly do. These 5 things below are an absolute minimum requirement for any martial arts club, and without them, you should think twice about signing up with them. Check out this important page from our association for some independent advice on what to look for…
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Impact martial arts safety record
Quite often I get asked the same question “Is kickboxing safe?” and I give the same response pretty much every time, Yes, I believe it is very safe. Yes of course it does carry the same risks as any sport does, but as the chief instructor at Impact martial arts, it’s my job to ensure…
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27 years of Impact Martial Arts
Founded on the 14th of February 1999 by chief instructor Wayne Timlin, Impact martial arts has now been teaching kickboxing for 27 years in the Marlborough (Wiltshire) and Tidworth (Wiltshire) areas, and we are going from strength to strength. The classes are all full and we have a great bunch of people supporting us week…
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May 2026 round up and summary at Impact martial arts
May 2026 has been a great month for us here at Impact martial arts, a super busy month with loads of new people coming along to try us out. Loads of great achievements throughout the club and below are a few of the pictures of the belt achievements we have seen. Billie Pierro awarded her…
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Kickboxing and Muay Thai in Malia
While we were on a family holiday in Malia, we decided to have a couple of Muay Thai sessions while out there, which understandably isn’t always a great idea in 30+ degrees heat. We found Axilleas Muay Thai not far from us and booked in for a couple of sessions. The owner/instructor Giannis was a…
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Additional belts held by the chief instructor Wayne Timlin
I think its always good for everyone to try multiple styles of martial arts before choosing one that really suits them, and over the years I have tried out and earned belts in many styles. Below are some of the additional belts the chief instructor of impact martial arts, Wayne Timlin, has earned over the…
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Training with Jonathan “The General” Haggerty – May 2024
Me and my eldest daughter Lauren, had the pleasure of training with the 2 time One Championship World champion Jonathan Haggerty in Cambridge, it was a really warm day, but a great day all round training with someone so talented and experienced. Jonathan “The General” Haggerty is an elite British professional Muay Thai fighter and…
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Impact martial arts and the IAOMAS
Impact martial arts used to be part of a great group in the UK called the International alliance of martial arts schools or IAOMAS for short. The International Alliance Of Martial Arts Schools is a student support system, the co-operation of Martial Arts schools worldwide to allow all martial arts students to continue to train…
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Self defence instructor training
A lot of people confuse martial arts and self defence, and lots of clubs claim to be teaching self defence, when in fact they are just teaching people to kick and punch. Although there is some crossover, there is a lot more to learning self defence than just being able to kick and punch. Self…
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Does your club have a structured martial arts training program for instructors?
Martial arts are one of the largest sporting and recreational activities practiced in the World. As such, we have a duty of care to ensure our Instructors at Impact martial arts have the training and understanding in areas of work such as safeguarding, risk management and much more, this is due to the amount of…
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Impact martial arts 10 years membership to the cobra martial arts association
Joining the cobra martial arts association was probably the best thing we ever did as a club, its a real association that provides everything that could be needed to support a martial arts club (without the interference). The head of the CMAA, Andrew Morrell is such an experienced and knowledgeable guy and is only ever…
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Muay Thai training in Thailand – August 2014
Some of the team at Impact martial arts planned a trip out to Thailand to experience the ancient art of Muay Thai first hand. Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is a traditional full-contact combat sport and martial art from Thailand known as the “Art of Eight Limbs.” It utilizes punches, kicks, elbows, and knees, allowing…
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Mark Weir Seminar April 2011
What an opportunity to train with Mark “The Wizard” Weir, who is a now retired from professional fighting, but was a mixed martial artist and a pioneer of British combat sports. Born in Gloucester in 1967, he became the first Black athlete born in the United Kingdom to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)….
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Instructor grades and qualifications are important
When choosing any martial arts club or school, it is very important that you choose one where the instructors qualifications (grades) are traceable and from a legitimate source. A lot of clubs have in house gradings, meaning their grades are not linked to a national governing body, and a lot of times this makes them…
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Bob Spour seminar – June 2011
Another opportunity to train with a legend in the martial arts world, and this time it was Bob Spour, a highly prominent British martial arts instructor, author, and referee best known for his lifelong expertise in Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) and self-protection systems. Bob Spour is a pioneering figure in the dissemination of Muay Thai…
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Grand Master Sken seminar July 2010
We had another opportunity to train with Grand Master Sken (born Sken Kaewpadung) a world-renowned Thai martial artist and a pioneering figure who helped introduce Muay Thai to the Western world over 40 years ago. Born in Northern Thailand, he moved to the UK in the late 1970s, establishing deep roots for the sport across…
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5th Dan Master promotion for Lee Rivers
It was an honour and pleasure to be able to hand this 5th Dan black belt award to my long term friend and fellow martial artist, Lee Rivers, who couldn’t be more deserving of achieving this master status. I started training under Lee around 32-33 years ago in Swindon where he was an instructor in…
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Grand Master Den Butler Seminar – April 2006
I was fortunate enough to attend a seminar hosted by Grand Master Den Butler, who is a highly esteemed martial artist known for his contributions to Japanese Ju-Jitsu and Shotokan Karate. Now holding a 10th Dan black belt, he is a prominent figure in the martial arts community, primarily associated with the development of self-defence…
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Master Sken seminar – October 2004
Just a little blast from the past from when we got to train for 2 days with an absolute legend in the martial arts world, and Master Sken is truly one of those. For those who do not know him, Grand Master Sken (born Sken Kaewpadung) is a world-renowned Thai martial artist and a pioneering…
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Chief instructor of impact martial arts awarded his 7th Dan black belt
Well I certainly wasn’t expecting this little surprise last night, and for those who were in the Marlborough session when I was awarded this, you would have seen the shock on my face when I received it. Martial arts has been a way of life for me for around 35 years, and I have been…
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The 2 most senior belts we have ever awarded at IMA
May 2026 – I had the absolute pleasure of awarding these two amazing people and dedicated instructors their Master 5th Dan black belts. Jake Evans has been with us for over 23 years and Eiros Pike has been with us for around 17 years, so 40 years combined knowledge and experience between them. This is…
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New senior black belt awards at IMA – April 2026
April 2026 Saw two new senior black belt awards at Impact Martial Arts. Billie earned her 1st Dan black belt in kickboxing and Julian earned his 3rd Dan black belt in kickboxing. Julian has been with IMA for over 14 years and Billie over 7 years. These are two absolutely amazing awards and well deserved….
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Practical applications of the techniques you learn in martial arts.
Just a little thought. Learning kickboxing or martial arts isn’t just about learning a technique a couple of times and then moving on to the next, it’s also about the real life and practical application of that technique. What we do at impact martial arts Marlborough and Tidworth is show people how to actually use…
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Instructors at lower grades than students in some martial arts clubs.
Yes, really. I have recently had a new student who has come along to join us, as the club they were attending has a structure which allows students training there to become instructors after a few months. Now I know this is absolutely ridiculous and hard to believe, but these Mc Dojo’s pop up and…
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How safe are martial arts? 2024 Statistics for IMA
How safe is martial arts and kickboxing in terms of injuries? As with any sport, including full contact kickboxing, there is always a risk of injury due to the nature of what we do. Think of it the same way as anything we do, how safe is riding a bike? How safe is crossing the…
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How long does it take the average person to get a black belt?
The normal answer to this is “Never, the average person never trains long enough to get a black belt” Maybe 1 in a 100 will actually make it to black belt. This is a question I get asked time after time, and probably one of the most common questions asked when they start martial arts….
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What is the difference between Kickboxing and Muay Thai?
What is the main difference between Muay Thai and Kickboxing? Muay Thai is an eight-point striking system while kickboxing is a four-point system. This is the reason why you can often hear that Muay Thai is the “art of eight limbs. ”In other words, Thai boxing can uses eight limbs to strike and do damage…
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The importance of staying hydrated in martial arts
The correlation between dehydration and Orthopaedic injuries (Muscle strains, tears and pulls). Exercise and hydration. Are you drinking enough water? As warmer weather approaches, summer sun, hot temperatures, and a more active lifestyle become more common. It’s recommended that you stay hydrated, especially in hot weather or when engaging in intense physical activity. Staying hydrated…
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Can learning martial arts help stop bullying?
The simple answer is yes, martial arts builds confidence, confidence stops bullying, and this is something we teach at our martial arts and kickboxing classes in Marlborough and Tidworth. Another reason why I personally think martial arts and self defence is an absolute necessity for everyone, especially young people… Fact 1 – 40% of young…