Medalists from the National Association of Kickboxing Championships held in Ipswich recently are pictured at the Ipswich Kickboxing Academy. L-R: Matt Robinson, Chrissie Pennock, Tom Bird, Gary Staff (coach) Front L-R: Sam Mockford, Antonio Santana and Lee Johnson (assistant coach).

Four members of Ipswich Kickboxing Academy returned from the NAK (National Association of Kickboxing) Championships with gold medals.

Tom Bird won the under 70/80 kg Low Kicks championship, while Sam Mockford secured the under-80 kilo NAK title at the event at the Ipswich-based Mick Blackwell Academy on Dunlop Road.

Chrissie Pennock also won top spot on the podium in the under-80 kilo NAK Ladies event, while Alain Pozo won gold in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having also won the brown belt featherweight division in Lisbon, Portugal, earlier this month.

Fellow club members, Antonio Santana and Matt Robinson also earned medals, Santana taking silver in the under-70kg category and Robinson winning bronze in the under-80 kg section.

Chief Instructor Gary Staff was delighted with his team’s efforts at the tournament which was for light-continous kickboxing with no stoppages: “We expected a couple of guys to get something but everyone else did us proud as most of them were competing in their first championships.

“They were up against the best fighters from up and down the country and young Sam, who is only 17, has only got a couple of belts but beat the guy that won the title last year.”

The Academy has over 200 members who train in kickboxing, Muay-Thai, Aikijitsu, MMA, boxing and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Also at the tournament, Bury St Edmunds’ Travis Manning, 12, won the -40kg junior boys’ gold medal. His mum Lisa, was also successful in the over 35s -70 kilos ladies’ gold medal.