A North East martial arts academy is celebrating a remarkable year of success, with 12 of its students selected to represent England at the World Championships in the USA.
Burns School of Black Belts, based in Benton, Newcastle, will send 12 students to the World Kickboxing and Karate Association (WKA) World Championships in Maryland in October.
The academy has enjoyed success on an even wider scale, with a further 30 students recently competing and winning at a separate world championship event in Barnsley. Collectively, students from Burns School of Black Belts’ branches in Benton, Jarrow and Cullercoats have achieved more than 100 world championship qualifications over the years.
However, behind the medals and international qualifications is an academy that prides itself on providing a friendly, inclusive and family-focused environment.
Unlike many clubs which hire community halls for training, Burns School of Black Belts has its own dedicated training facility in Benton, providing a permanent home where students of all ages and abilities can learn and develop.
The spacious training area is equipped to accommodate everything from beginners taking their first steps in martial arts to experienced competitors preparing for international competition. The center also provides dedicated seating for parents, allowing families to watch and support their children during training.
The purpose-built environment enables instructors to work closely with students and provides a consistent, safe and professional setting in which they can build fitness, confidence, discipline and technical ability.
Classes cater for a wide range of ages, including the academy’s youngest Mini Dragons, as well as children, teenagers and adults.
Academy founder Rick Burns has more than four decades of experience in martial arts. He began training in judo in 1984 before going on to study a wide range of disciplines including Aikido, Taekwondo, kickboxing, freestyle karate and Sambo.
He eventually concentrated on kickboxing and freestyle karate and has continued to train throughout his career.
Now a sixth Dan black belt, 16-time world champion and holder of 26 European titles, Rick says one of his greatest achievements is being able to pass his knowledge and enthusiasm on to the next generation.
He said: “I started martial arts when I was young and have tried a lot of different styles over the years. Eventually I moved into kickboxing and then developed a more family-friendly approach combining freestyle karate and kickboxing.
“It’s fantastic to see so many of our students achieving at this level. We are very much a family, fun and friendly academy, but that doesn’t mean our students can’t reach the very highest levels of competition.
“We have students who have qualified for world championships and many of our youngsters have already reached double figures in terms of international qualifications.
“I get to do every day the thing that I love, and most importantly, the thing that makes us happy.”
The academy’s success demonstrates that high-level competitive martial arts and a welcoming family environment can go hand in hand.
For Burns School of Black Belts, success is not simply about winning medals. The aim is to give students the opportunity to become fitter, more confident and more disciplined, while developing skills and attitudes that can benefit them both inside and outside the dojo.
That philosophy, combined with dedicated facilities and experienced coaching, has helped create an environment where students can progress at their own pace, whether their goal is simply to become fitter and learn a new skill or ultimately to compete on the world stage.
The 12 students heading to Maryland will now enter an intensive period of preparation before travelling to America in October.
But there is another challenge facing the team. The WKA England squad is entirely self-funded, meaning the students and their families must raise the considerable costs of international travel, accommodation and competition themselves.
For these young North East martial artists, however, the opportunity to pull on the England colours and compete against some of the best competitors in the world makes the hard work worthwhile.
And when they step onto the mat in Maryland, they will be representing not only England but also their families, their coaches and the North East academy that has helped them get there.