What a day!
This weekend, Team HKA travelled to the Battle of Kent tournament, taking a squad of fighters ranging from seasoned competitors to those making just their first steps into the ring. As always, our goal wasn’t simply to collect medals—it was to test ourselves, learn, improve and represent HKA with pride.
Every single fighter did exactly that.
Some came home with victories, others with invaluable lessons, but every member of the team showed courage, respect and determination throughout the day. As coaches, that’s exactly what we ask for.
Tom Steps Up
One of the standout performances of the day came from Tom Chetwode.
Although his bout was officially ruled a non-decision after Tom weighed in slightly heavier than his opponent, the contest itself was one of the best technical fights of the day. Both fighters displayed excellent kickboxing skills, with Tom using sharp combinations, intelligent movement and superb ring control to edge the contest. His opponent’s outstanding leg checking made for a fantastic battle that had everyone watching glued to the action.
Following this performance, Tom has now earned his move up to full-contact competition—a huge milestone and one he thoroughly deserves.
Eli Shows Why He’s One to Watch
Eli Welch was one of the first HKA fighters into the ring, and despite being one of the youngest competitors on the team, he once again fought with maturity beyond his years.
His movement, timing and ability to work in and out of range were exceptional throughout the fight. Giving away a little weight against a physically stronger opponent, Eli was forced to dig deep and never stopped battling. It was an incredibly close contest that could easily have gone either way, with the judges eventually awarding the decision to his opponent.
A fantastic performance and another important step in Eli’s development.
Valuable Experience for Sam
Only competing in his second-ever fight, Sam Powell entered the ring understandably nervous, but handled himself brilliantly.
The bout was evenly matched, with Sam showing excellent technique throughout. The main lesson from this fight is simply believing in himself and applying a little more forward pressure.
Unfortunately, the contest had to be stopped in the second round after Sam’s opponent suffered a dislocated shoulder. Following the judges’ decision based on the completed rounds, the victory went to the opposing corner.
Results aside, Sam continues to improve every time he competes.
Emilie Shows Incredible Courage
Sometimes it’s not about the result—it’s about the person.
Thirteen-year-old Emilie Winters showed exactly what HKA is all about after discovering her opponent was 18 years old.
For obvious safety reasons, the contest was ruled a non-competitive exhibition, but both fighters agreed to demonstrate their skills. Emilie never looked intimidated, showing excellent movement, strong ring craft and powerful kicking throughout.
Her confidence and composure were exceptional, and she should be incredibly proud of her performance.
Josh Returns After 15 Years Away
After an incredible 15 years out of competition, Josh Irving made his long-awaited return to the ring.
You certainly wouldn’t have known he’d been away.
Josh controlled the fight from start to finish, using intelligent pressure, calm decision-making and powerful techniques to dominate all three rounds. Against an awkward and aggressive opponent, he remained composed throughout and secured a thoroughly deserved victory.
A brilliant comeback.
Felicity Finds Another Level
Every fighter has that performance where something just clicks.
For Felicity Enthwistle, Battle of Kent was that moment.
Although nervous before stepping through the ropes, she quickly settled into the contest. Once encouraged to let her fighting spirit shine, she completely changed gears, marching her opponent backwards with relentless pressure, powerful kicks and superb determination.
Despite taking some heavy shots herself, she refused to back down and earned a unanimous victory with arguably her best performance to date.
An outstanding display.
A Brave Debut for PJ
Every fighter remembers their first bout, and PJ’s debut was certainly one to remember.
Facing a physically strong and relentless opponent, PJ showed tremendous heart from the opening bell. He landed some quality techniques, kept battling throughout and never allowed himself to become discouraged.
Although the decision didn’t go his way, this was an excellent first experience and one that will give him a solid platform to build from.
The first fight is always the hardest—and now it’s behind him.
Proud Coaches, Proud Club
At HKA, success isn’t measured purely by medals.
It’s measured by the willingness to step into the ring, challenge yourself, learn from every experience and support your teammates every step of the way.
Battle of Kent gave us all of that.
Lead Instructor Jenny summed up the day perfectly:
“Battle of Kent was another fantastic experience for our fighters. Some came away with wins, others with lessons, but every single one represented HKA with pride, respect and determination. We couldn’t be prouder of every member of the team.”
A huge thank you also goes to our families, supporters and everyone who travelled with us to cheer the team on. Your encouragement makes a massive difference.
We’re incredibly proud of every fighter who represented HKA and can’t wait to get back into the gym, learn from the weekend and prepare for the next challenge.
Interested in training with HKA Kickboxing?
Whether you’re looking to improve your fitness, build confidence, learn self-defence or even compete one day, we’d love to welcome you to the HKA family. We offer classes for children and adults of all abilities, from complete beginners through to experienced competitors.
