England Team Squad Training in York

Yesterday, Lilia and Digger made the trip to York for another important step in the build-up to the WKKC World Championships in Cadiz, Spain, taking place from 25th–30th October.

The session was hosted at XMA Martial Arts in York and brought together members of the WKKC England Team for a demanding day of training, learning and preparation.

And this wasn’t just another training session.

With the World Championships getting closer, the focus was firmly on what it takes to perform when the pressure is on.

Learning from a World Champion

The session was led by Joe Tierney, a former multi-time World Champion, the founder of the Martec Martial Arts brand and WKKC England President.

Having competed at the highest level himself, Joe brought a huge amount of experience to the session — not just from a technical perspective, but from understanding what it actually takes to prepare for a major championship.

The team worked through a variety of sparring drills, designed to develop timing, reactions, movement and the ability to work effectively under pressure.

This was followed by plenty of free sparring, giving everyone the opportunity to put the techniques and tactics into practice against different opponents.

And then came the fitness session…

No Easy Finish!

The session finished with a gruelling fitness workout that tested everyone.

There is something very different about fitness training when you’re preparing for competition.

It’s not simply about being able to run faster or do more press-ups. At the end of a fight, when you’re tired and your body is telling you to stop, your ability to keep working, stay composed and continue making good decisions can make all the difference.

That’s why conditioning is such an important part of fight preparation.

You don’t get to choose when you get tired in a fight — so you have to prepare for it.

The Psychology of Winning

One of the most valuable parts of the session was Joe’s discussion around the psychology of fight preparation and developing a winning mentality.

At this level, physical ability is only part of the equation.

Two fighters can be technically very similar. They can have comparable fitness, speed and experience. But when they step onto the competition floor, mindset can become the difference.

Joe talked extensively about preparing mentally for competition, dealing with pressure and approaching a fight with the right mentality.

It’s a reminder that you don’t simply prepare your body to fight — you prepare your mind too.

Competition can create nerves, doubt and uncertainty. Learning how to manage those emotions, trust your preparation and stay focused on the job in front of you is a skill in itself.

One Step Closer to Cadiz

For Lilia, the session was another valuable opportunity to train alongside some of the country’s best competitors and experience the standards required at international level.

Every session between now and October matters.

Every round of sparring.

Every fitness session.

Every mistake that gets corrected.

Every lesson learned.

And every opportunity to develop the right mindset.

The World Championships in Cadiz are now getting closer, and the England Team is putting in the work to make sure we’re ready.

There is still plenty to do — but that’s what makes the journey exciting.

25th October. Cadiz, Spain.

The preparation continues.

Train hard. Prepare properly. Believe in yourself.

Then we’ll see what happens when the England Team steps onto the competition floor.

 

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