NEWARK MARTIAL ARTS CENTRE
LIGHT CONTINUOUS INTERCLUB COMPETITION
SUNDAY 27th AUGUST 2006

First up for the USKA team was 9 year old Haroon Khan matched against 10 year old
Josh Pettinger from the Lincoln Kickboxing gym.

ROUND 1: Saw two well matched fighters meeting each other head on with some furious exchanges. Haroon predominantly work his lead leg kick but being pushed back because of it. The more balanced work coming from Pettinger to claim him the round.
ROUND 2: Haroon finding his rear leg kick is much more effective in round two. Josh tiring quite dramatically nearing the end of the round and Haroon doing enough to make it even Stevens going into the third.
Josh Pettinger and the Lincoln corner make the educated decision that their fighter has had enough and due to his fatigued state.
The winner by 2nd round stoppage: Haroon Khan.

Next into the ring was 8 year old Noor Mohammed giving away age and 6kg in weight to 9 year old Josh Mulkeen from Jesters Kickboxing gym.

ROUND 1: Noor the aggressor against the heavier Josh saw him getting off with his techniques first and putting together some excellent combinations to take the round.
R2: Josh starting stronger in the second round pushing forward and smothering Noor's kicks.
Noor finding it more difficult to be as effective against Josh's pressure fighting.
As Josh starts to tire however Noor finishes better to even up a very close round.
R3: Noor knows he needs a strong third round to put the victory beyond doubt and goes out and gives us exactly that. Excellent boxing followed by good effective kicks not taking a backward step for the entire segment. The fight finishes and Noor pulls out probably the best round of his fighting career so far.
The winner on points: Noor Mohammed.

Second fight of the day now for Haroon Khan. Haroon's first opponent Josh Pettinger was due to fight again but due to his withdrawal Haroon Khan was asked if he would stand
in and fight again this time against the talented Jesters Kickboxing gym
prospect 10 year old Joe Firth.

ROUND 1: The first round showed good sustained pressure from Haroon and good ring movement from Joe. Both fighters styles really gelled and it was a real pick em round with neither one dominating.
R2: More of the same in round two with neither fighter letting up for a second. Back and forth action again with both lads unable to impose their will on the other. The referee would have a difficult job to score this one if nothing changed in the third and final round.
R3: Haroon's will to win is evident in the third round upping his work rate and piling on constant pressure. Joe still fighting going backwards but finding it difficult to keep Haroon off.
With about 30 seconds left to go Haroon hits the wall and the tiredness kicks in allowing Joe back into the round. A good last round with both lads giving their all.
Referee Dean Sugden gets both fighters ring centre and congratulates them on a very very close and enjoyable fight. He also says how difficult it was to score and that he is awarding the victory by the very closest of margins.
The winner by close points: Joe Firth.

Next up it was time for 13 year old Mark 'The Killer Kicker' Sedgwick taking on one of the home team in the form of Newark Kickboxing's Ryan Sharpe. Ryan was originally matched against Ridwan Khan but due to Ridwan feeling ill on the day Mark graciously stepped in to make up numbers. Mark had a two year age advantage over Ryan but Ryan a 4kg weight advantage over Mark so it looked like being a decent replacement match up.

ROUND 1: Saw Mark do what he does best, keeping his opponent on the end of long technique and picking his man off with kicks to the body and head. Mark's ability to listen and interpret instructions from his corner is phenomenal and this is evident with him following instructions called to the letter to win the round.
R2: Credit to ryan for trying as he was working hard but was finding it increasingly difficult to make his impression felt on Mark. Mark was fighting well going forward and well going back not really letting Ryan into the fight. Another round in the bag for the USKA lad and all he needs to do now is protect his lead in the third to walk out the winner.
R3: The round starts with another surge of effort coming from the brave Ryan.
Mark uses Ryan's momentum against him and lands a perfect jump turning side kick to the face. The kick seems to take all the confidence from ryan and for the rest of the round Mark is the aggressor landing good variety of technique to clearly take the round.
By our reckoning three rounds to nothing and the winner: Mark Sedgwick

13 year old Jay 'Sugarfoot' Collett was next up for the USKA team matched against another Newark fighter and fan favourite in the form of Regis Sugden. Again the USKA fighter had an age advantage of 2 years but a weight disadvantage of 5kg.

ROUND 1: The first round saw again both fighters meet centre ring going toe to toe with fast exchanges of technique. It seemed to be a case the boxer in Regis against the kicker in Jay although both fighters were well versed in kickboxing technique.
Jay giving as good as he got sustains a bloody nose that is breaking his concentration because of the heavy flow of blood.
Not alot to split them in round one but we were hoping the cleaner kicks would give Jay the nod with the judges.
R2: A clash of shins in round 2 saw Jay hobbling. This could prove costly as Jays game plan is based around his rangy kicks. Unable to keep his opponent off with his kicks Regis is now finding his range easier and hitting Jay with good punch flurries that is again troubling his bloody nose and disorganising him. The stronger work from regis taking him the round.
R3: Regis recognising the tactics that were working well for him in the second round tried again to adopt them in the third. Smothering Jay with the boxing and landing effective kicks on the way out. The round finishes with Regis on top and Jays face masked in blood from the constant flow of his bloody nose.
A worthy winner with a very strong performance: Regis Sugden.

Usually USKA's 14 year old Tyler 'The Steppin Razor' Shakespeare is one of the hardest to match on light continuous day shows but match maker Dean Sugden found an opponent in the form of Ben Thorrold from Peter Dunnett's Combat Kickboxing Academy.

ROUND 1: The ever improving Tyler had some problems to work out in round one against Ben Thorrold's awkward and erratic style. Offensively Tyler was finding it difficult to land his shots as cleanly as what he would have liked but defensively he was looking very strong.
Tyler then found some clean body kicks that visible shook Ben and momentarily had him stop to catch his breath. First round to Steppin Razor.
R2: Tyler told in his corner to relax, not work so hard for openings and pick his man off did exactly that in the second round. More relaxed meant more fluent and Tyler now was getting his shots off before Ben could even respond. The body kicks and the boxing giving him the most trouble and winning Tyler the round beyond any doubt.
R3: Tyler in his flow now continued the trend from the second round. Working good lateral movement and the most he was having to deal with was an occasional annoying front kick.
Building up a nice points lead and never truly having to extend himself to stay in front.
The winner by comfortable decision: Tyler Shakespeare.

With USKA back on a winning footing it was now time for the time of USKA senior
Adam Kiani to step in to face Combat Kickboxing Academy's Darren Potter. Darren had a 4kg weight advantage over Adam but in terms of size both men looked well matched.

ROUND 1: The weight advantage didn't seem evident for Darren Potter with Adam looking the stronger and aggressor in the fight from the opening bell. Adam controlling the centre of the ring was stalking his man and stopping him getting any effective techniques of his own off.
A very comfortable round going to the USKA man.
R2: Again controlling the centre off the ring effectively Adam is showing good variety of technique in round two and keeping his man busy on the defensive to stop him working his own offence. All one way traffic sees the second round as the first and in favour of Mr Kiani.
R3: The third round was much the same as the first two. Adam in control and experimenting with different combinations of attack without being over pushed defensively.
The end of the round saw three rounds to nothing
in favour of the winner: Adam Kiani.

Another senior bout next into the ring now with Qasim 'The Terminator' Ali in to face Combat Kickboxing Academy's Nick Barnes. These are both big lads at 89 and 90kg respectively so the crowd were anticipating a battle of the bangers.

ROUND 1: Qas shows his underrated kicking skills straight from the opening bell with a flush rear leg round kick to the side of Nick's head. Both fighters start to play the waiting game with neither wanting to commit to much on the offence instead content with waiting for the counter attack of the others lead. Qasim looking like the fighter with more about himself but lack of workrate had the round ending close enough.
R2: On instruction from the USKA corner a faster start for Qasim again leading with a head kick this time of his lead leg. A busier Qasim has Nick flustered now and covering up to try and stay out of trouble. A few more head kicks from Qasim later ended the convincing round for him and puts him without doubt ahead in the contest.
R3: Qasim again starts the round strong and puts Nick under some serious pressure. You can see that Qas is slipping into full contact mode and as a result is getting cautioned from referee Dean Sugden to lighten up and watch his power. Qasim finishes the round without incident and now it was in the judges hands to decide the verdict.
Clearly the winner on points would have been Qasim but unfortunately due to the excess power warnings the referee had no choice but declare the fight: A Draw.

Time now for 15 year old Jake 'Rattlesnake' Richards to take to the ring for his bout against 14 year old Lewis Dunnett from Combat Kickboxing Academy.
1 year age advantage to Jake and 2kg weight advantage to Lewis.

ROUND 1: Jake immediately starts the fight going forward and putting Lewis against the ropes and working for position. Jake is working his accurate jab effectively and backing up his good work from the hands with multiple kick combinations. Jake is getting his shots off first and Lewis is having to settle with returning less effective fire. The round ends and it is a good one for the USKA fighter.
R2: Lewis is struggling with Jake volume of technique but is working hard trying to gain position of the centre of the ring. The battle goes close quarter and both lads are having as much success as the other. Realising he has become less effective on the inside Jake breaks away and again starts to pick his man off at kicking distance.
The bell sounds and it is two in the bag for the Rattlesnake.
R3: Lewis starts strong in the third round and for the first time it is Jake who finds his back to the ropes. Jake not happy about this reasserts himself and takes back control of the centre.
It is however Lewis's best segment of the fight and he is trying hard to turn around Jake's early good work and grab the judges eye. Jake showing his experience realises what Lewis is trying to do and again goes through the gears to raise his game. Jake again finishing the stronger to take the round.
The clear winner in a good fight: Jake Richards

Back into the ring again now for 14 year old Tyler 'The Steppin Razor' Shakespeare matched in this his second fight against Combat Kickboxing Academy's Chris Pollard.
Not only did Chris have a 2kg weight advantage but also a 9 years age
advantage at 23 years old.
Tyler who is phenomenally strong for 14 years of age was confident of holding his own in there and knew skill wise that he would more than likely have the advantage
and know enough to stay out of trouble.

ROUND 1: Started with Tyler dictating the pace and Chris somewhat overawed by Tyler's technique backing off and fighting on the defensive. As the round went on out of frustration Chris seemed to be adding more power but still was struggling to find his target cleanly.
The round ends with the cleaner work being done by Tyler winning him the session.
R2: The second round begins with Chris obviously been told by his corner to up his work rate and try and close Tyler down to make his work less effective.
Chris pressed forward and in a combination opened up with a hard flurry cracking Tyler on the nose with a hard right hand. Tyler smiles back in response but it is evident that he is not happy about the power just displayed by his senior opponent.
The punch it seems has also bloodied Tyler's nose to make matters worst.
Tyler tightens up his defence and a serious look is now on his face. Chris again lets rip with another hard right hand but this time Tyler has it covered taking it on the gloves. Feeling his man was taking a liberty Tyler stalks Chris into the corner and lets rip a devastating punch flurry finishing with a left hook to the body that downs the hapless Pollard.
There were claims of a low blow from the Pollard corner and in an act of political correctness the bout is ruled over due to accidental injury. It is decided that it will be scored up to that point. Happy enough that their man is in front there are no complaints from the
USKA corner. As expected the decision is a good one and the bout is awarded to the winner: Tyler Shakespeare.

Another two fighter now with 15 year old Jake 'Rattlesnake' Richards kindly stepping in for a demonstration bout against another fighter who hadn't been matched in the form of 18 year old Combat Kickboxing Academy's Mark Coole. Mark as well as being
3 years older was 7kg heavier.

ROUND 1: Jake had been by his corner to play it safe and fight defensively minded until he
knew what his older opponent was bringing to the table.First impression was that he was a decent enough mover and knew his way around the ring.
When Jake fought going forward however this all changed as Mark was no way near as potent fighting going backwards. Jake stringing together good boxing combinations dictates the action a closes the first round well on top.
R2: Starts with both fighters knowing where they had most success in the first round and trying to recreate the same scenario for themselves again. Both trying to push the other back and control the centre of the ring. Jake looking the stronger and fitter of the two as the round went on again finishing on top.
R3: The final round begins with both fighters again fighting for position. Jake's variety is causing Mark problems and Jake's experience and class is starting to show.
A tiring Mark is in survival mode now just trying to get through the round.
The bell sounds and again Jake is the man out in front.
Due to the bout being a demonstration because of the gap in age and weight in favour of Mark it was pre decided that it would be declared a no decision bout.
If it had to be judged however there would have only been one winner.

The next fight up we had been anticipating for some time. 13 year old Mark 'The Killer Kicker' Sedgwick matched against Newark Kickboxing's rising star Kyle Kerry.
Both lads were almost perfectly matched in age and weight and we knew Kyle was a quality fighter having already witness him beat Jay 'Sugarfoot' Collett by a razor thin decision at the Seni show earlier in the year.

ROUND 1: It was apparent at from the opening bell that both fighters really wanted the win as both met each other centre ring mixing it up. Both slightly over eager and as a result not landing as cleanly as what they would have liked.
Early signs of frustration from Kyle as he lost his footing a few times from the clench banging the canvas with his glove to signal that he was fazed.
The referee Shaun Burton sends him back to his corner for calming words from his coach Dean Sugden and then the action resumes.
Kyle does not seem to know what to do with Mark and as the round goes on is showing more and more signs of frustration.
Right at the end of the round Mark lands a body kick that doubles Kyle up and it looks like the Newark lad is losing confidence to add to his frustrations.
R2: Battle hardened Mark's nose began to trickle blood at the start of the second round after being caught with a punch by Kyle but not bothered Mark was more interested in getting back to the fight than have the nose dealt with by his corner.
The action resumes and Kyle attempts a spin kick only to be intercepted half way round by a clean round kick to the head from Mark. Kyle goes down heavy and his face shows that he is losing his composure and his grip on the fight.
One last exchange that again seen Kyle bundled down sees him signal to his corner that he has had enough and the bout is called off.
The winner by second round stoppage: Mark sedgwick.

Time now for the first USKA girl to fight with 10 year old Stacey Richards matched against Jester Kickboxing's Emma Erskine.

ROUND 1: Both girls start well and show that they are both well versed in good kickboxing technique. Good movement and nice variety in punch, kicks and defence.
As the initial barrage subsides though it is Stacey that seems to be able to sustain it and after landing a nice head kick onto Emma it is the Jesters girl that is giving up ground.
The cobra punch in particular is working well for STacey and that is setting up both the axe kick and the round kick well as scoring technique.
A round in the bag for Stacey that leaves Emma playing catch up.
R2: The second round is more of a close quarter affair, Stacey has found a nice tight defence that is working for her and as a result does not mind standing within punching distance.
Emma is having to fight going backwards now and is having less success because of it.
Another good round for the USKA girl finishes as both girls make their way back to their respective corners.
In between rounds amazingly referee Dean Sugden tells both corners that the fight is close and will be decided by the work done in the last round. Hearing this Stacey is asked for none stop pressure going into the third.
R3: Following instructions Stacey goes from 0-60 in 5 seconds and straight into 5th gear in an attempt the secure the 3rd round and in turn the fights decision.
Emma seems to be wilting under the pressure and Stacey just seems to be getting stronger as the round goes on. Emma's offence has all but stopped and again it looks like she is just trying to get through the round and hear the final bell.
The end of the round couldn't have come soon enough for her and as soon as it rang it was clear to see that there was only going to be one winner announced.
The winner by points decision: Stacey Richards

Another mouth watering clash now with 15 year old Azad 'The Wrath Of' Khan matched against experienced Impact Kickboxing's Zak Ward.
This was by far the most experienced fight of the day in terms of both fighters technical ability and previous competition experience.

ROUND 1: As soon as the first bell rang it was clear that Zak was a good mover, Lateral movement straight away that would give Azad some things to think about.
Azad however has got a wealth of experience of his own both on the mats and in the ring so he well used to having to solve problems and different styles of fighting.
Both fighters looked equally as talented as one another. Similar kicking ability but Azad's timing looked however to be the superior. Missing with very little and catching and moving out of the way of Zak's technique in a confident manner.
First round to Mr Khan.
R2: The second round started a little more scrappy with Zak trying different things in an attempt to break Azad's rhythm, to a certain degree this was working for him because Azad was now missing a little more with his kicks but still looking the stronger with his punches anytime the fight went close quarter.
The tactics from Zak looked to be taking their toll as he was starting to tire and at the end of the round looked like he was glad to hear the bell for a much needed respite.
Two rounds to Azad and only one to play for.
R3: Zak knowing he needed to pull something special out of the bag again try's to start strong and put the heat on Azad. Azad's physical strength however is making it difficult for Zak to impose himself on him.
Azad is getting the better of the argument both at long range and close quarter now and Zak under heavy fire is beginning to run out of ideas how to slow Azad down.
As if things weren't bad enough for him, Azad throws and connects a big spin kick to punctuate exactly how much he was in control of the contest.
Another big side kick to the face of Zak and i'm sure i could hear a fat lady singing in the background. Final bell sounding and a happy Azad and equally happy Zak because it was all over embrace and show each other their respect.
Another good win for Mr Khan in a division in which nobody else seems to come close.
Winner: Azad Khan

Now for probably my only sore point from the day in terms of matching. total beginner and first time USKA fighter Megan Kelly matched against the precocious talent of Newark Kickboxing's Laurie Pearson. This was due to be Megan's very first competition experience and she could have done without such a tough first test and induction by fire.
Megan as well as giving away alot of experience was giving away 2kg in weight.

ROUND 1: Straight away by Laurie's movement both with her head and her footwork we knew that she in terms of experience was not a novice.
She was putting her combinations together confidently and Megan looked a little out of her depth and overawed by Laurie's combinations.
Megan to her credit was trying to kick her way out of trouble but Laurie's two arms, two leg attacks seen it difficult for her to find any gaps.
The sustained straight punch attack from Laurie through the guard of Megan had bloodied her nose to add to her worries and many a first time fighter would have had enough at this point and thrown in the towel. Megan however is from strong stock ;-) and her fighting heart was in no mood to quit.
The bell signalled the end of the round and Megan made her way back to the corner for some much needed advice.
R2: Knowing the predicament Megan was in, the corner told her to pay more attention to her defence and try and stay out of trouble as much as possible. Laurie started the second round even stronger than the first and applied heavy pressure from the opening bell.
Megan again responded well and although not winning the contest was more than coping well with Laurie's attack again showing bucket loads of heart.
The second round closed with once again Laurie on top but Megan still hanging in there.
R3: Third and final round now and Megan with a tighter defence seems to be finding her footing a little better. Taking more shots on her arms now and even managing to mount offence of her own with her kicks to the body of Laurie.
Still mostly one way traffic but Megan still in there and trying right up to the final bell.
The points winner: Laurie Pearson.

*Authors note*
Experiences like this one can either make or break a first time fighter and luckily for us Megan is not broken easily but promoters and match makers need to be very very careful when matching fighters in their first bouts.
Nerves are already a massive part of first fight experience and i could see someone with less metal than Meg never getting back in the ring after such a raw deal.
On a positive spin, Megan showed heart, determination and guts beyond the call of duty and for me it was one of the highlights of the day that made me and the whole of USKA proud.
We all salute you Megz.

The final bout of the day and somewhat a bit of a showcase saw top British Cadet Amateur prospect Qasim 'The Dream' Nisar in a demonstration bout against arguably the Country's best Super Lightweight professional fighter in shape of Lincoln Kickboxing's
Steve 'Stone Cold' Swinburn.
Both fighters had high profile fights just around the corner and was using the demonstration as quality sparring. Steve in his 'last man standing' 8 man tournament the following week featuring 8 of the country's top Super Lightweights and Qasim with his golden belt rematch coming up in three weeks time against 'Razor' Rajesh Salan. Steve for the record had a 4kg weight advantage over Qasim on the scales.

ROUND 1: Steve started fast moving first and piling pressure onto Qasim working in combinations. This fast start put Qas on the defensive and looking for his openings to let his own shots go.
Qas starts to find his jab to break steve's rhythm and is starts to slow down the Lincoln mans offence. Qasim is starting to find his flow now putting his boxing together and landing nice punch to kick combinations.
Steve for the last thirty seconds goes mainly on the defensive as Qasim goes through the gears but Steve being incredibly fast lets got with fast flurries of punches finishing with the kick to show Qas he is still there.
End of a really enjoyable round for the crowd.
R2: Qasim starts the second round this time trying to get off first. Leading with the jab and slotting the fast left leg round kick in under the elbows of Steve. It is Qasim's rhythm that is giving Steve trouble now and it seems like a role reversal of the start of round one.
Steve struggling to get off first starts to fight successfully on the counter attack catching Qas with a beautiful fast right hand.
Qas again gets straight back to work throwing in combinations but again falling victim to two more laser straight rights from Steve.
A more intense round than the first draws to a close and the crowd know they are witnessing two top class operators in the ring.
R3: Steve stars the last round showing yet another dimension of his fighting skills. Moving around the outside of the ring employing lateral movement.
Qasim is working his jab extremely well now but Steve is still showing he is dangerous on the counter attack letting go eye catching flurries that in fairness to Qasim are catching him mostly on his arms.
Both fighters styles are gelling well and making a brilliant demonstration of technique in the demonstration.
The bell rings and both fighters touch gloves as a mark of respect for each others abilities.
Referee Dean Sugden after the demonstration said that he was very proud to have the opportunity to have both lads do a demonstration on his show and said also that one day maybe they would meet again for real in a competitive fight.
Thank you Steve and the Lincoln team for once again allowing Qasim to gain experience sharing the ring with such a talented young fighter.

As a point of interest Steve Swinburn dominated the 8 man event winning it in sensational style to the acclaim of some of the county's top promoters and fighters.
We at USKA would like to extend our congratulations to Steve and his team on a sterling performance.

The final thing to do on the day was the presentation of the Junior and Adults fighter of the day awards. These would go to fighters who promoter Dean Sugden felt were most worthy of the accolade.
Junior student of the day went to Megan opponent Laurie Pearson from Newark Kickboxing who won two fights on the day and looked impressive in both and Adult student of the day went to Tyler 'The Steppin Razor' Shakespeare who despite being only being 14 years old looked fantastic in bouts against a 17 and 23 year old.

On reflection of the whole competition Newark can pride itself on being the premier date on the light continuous calendar and although every competition has the occasional mismatch in either experience or weight Dean with his experience as a top coach and promoter tries to keep this to a minimum.
A nice venue, pleasant crowd, fair judging and welcoming atmosphere all helped in making it a great day and one we look forward to attending again.
Congratulations to the promotional team, fighters from all camps involved and great spectator support on another A class light continuos show.
USKA finish the day with a tally of
10 WINS 3 LOSES 1 DRAW 1 DEMO