Warrior Club: Two ‘opposite worlds’ unite as DJ links up with Muay Thai champion to form martial arts club for children in Dewsbury

Warrior Club, based at Sweatbox gym on Bradford Road, will teach kids aged between four and 15 in martial arts disciplines such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kick boxing and Thai boxing.

The special project has been established by the gym’s owner David Sa, a UK national Muah Thai champion and coach to some professional fighters, and Sam Townend, a martial arts enthusiast and disc jockey who has spun records around the world in Ibiza, Norway, Cuba and Brazil.

Explaining the programme’s origins and aims, co-founder Sam said:

“I’ve been training martial arts, specifically Brazilian jiu-jitsu for nearly ten years, and I started coaching kids within the last two years of that time. We saw an opportunity to grow the kids programme and reach out to the local community to give kids a real solid opportunity to benefit from martial arts.

“These are two opposite worlds coming together but it’s under the backdrop of martial arts. I think it is a cool thing. My background is dance music, a completely separate route to what David’s come from.

“However, martial arts was a secondary interest of mine and helped me to keep my feet on the ground. I have DJ’d around the world and that kind of lifestyle and environment can be very heavy sometimes and can get quite intense and stressful, but having martial arts has helped to keep me on the road and keep me on track with things.”

He added: “I have seen the benefits and how it can transpire into people’s lives and see the positive effects it can have on people from a very young age. I want to put that back into the local community, especially in Dewsbury where I feel it needs that kind of inspiration and help.

“David’s background is different, he’s a professional fighter and martial arts has brought him to owning the gym at Sweatbox. We have come together and we’re hoping we can produce something positive.

“We want to show that you don’t have to be a national champion to feel the benefit from it but there is always the opportunity to go and advance and win those trophies.”

The duo have already helped Shaw Cross Sharks’ under 11 side with grappling and wrestling sessions, and are looking to support any youths in the Dewsbury area.

“You can be a complete beginner or have any experience within martial arts,” revealed Sam. “We are aiming to give them a route into Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which I’m the head coach for alongside Dan Loucas and our coaching team, and kick boxing and Thai boxing which David and another coach, Ryan Torrance, are doing.

“My martial arts is the grappling and wrestling aspect. It doesn’t include strikes, it’s about control and using various different submissions to defeat your opponent. David’s style is striking, traditional kicking and punching.

“We train right from an introductory level all the way through to competing at a national level and hopefully into the adult teams as they grow older.”

The cost is £40 a month per child, which gives them unlimited access to training, although the first session is free, where you can discuss your child’s specific needs with Sam or David.

“We train children with special educational needs, autism and ADHD, so we want to showcase that martial arts is for everybody,” Sam added.

For more information on Warrior Kids and training times, visit warriorclubdewsbury.com or email [email protected]