Top-class martial arts nous comes to York gym (From York Press)

Top-class martial arts nous comes to York gym

10:02am Wednesday 25th January 2012 in Martial arts

EXPLOSIVE beginnings have been made by the Chokdee Academy.

The martial arts complex, which is less than five months into its new base at the York Business Park in Nether Poppleton, opened 2012 with a hat-trick of triumphs.

And reinforcing the club’s ethos of excellence and providing the best-possible training, it hosted a seminar from Dave Butlin, one of the leading training exponents in mixed martial arts.

In the first bill of the year three of the Chokdee Academy Thai-boxers – Danny Harrison-Little, Matt Reading and Niall Durkan – all won on the show held at the Kaitphontip Club in Leeds.

Said Chokdee Academy owner Richard Cadden, himself a two-time world Thai-boxing champion: “It was the first show of the year and to have all three fighters winning was a superb beginning.”

He added that both Harrison-Little and Redding will be fighting on a big show in Leeds on February 18 with Harrison-Little gunning for an English title.

Both those fighters, plus another Chokdee graduate, Dan Mullarkey, are to journey to Thailand for a two-week training camp ahead of the Leeds show.

Added Cadden, who has used his contacts in Thailand to tee up special trainers for the trio: “All three of the lads have funded a lot of the trip themselves, so that shows their dedication and commitment to being as successful as they can be.”

The visit of Butlin to the Academy’s Poppleton base proved a big hit with the members who attended the workshop.

A major name on the UK MMA circuit, Butlin was an unbeaten professional fighter and is the current head coach of the England MI team, as well as head consultant coach for the Chokdee gym.

Said Cadden: “Dave shows the class of training we have here.”