about
Wicklow Martial Arts was established in the mid-90s, by fourth-degree black belt Gerard New. Although it initially operated exlusively in the instruction of Taekwondo, the club has since transformed itself to encompass all aspects of kickboxing, with supplementary training in other forms of martials arts and self-defence. In 2002, Marco Copolla and Simon Alvey assumed the responsibility of running the club, and under their guidance the organisation evolved into a professionally run, full-time kickboxing academy. In May of 2009, the club continued to progress, moving into its own permanent premesis and watching its numbers expand to include some 100 members.
Affiliation and Accreditation
Wicklow Martial Arts operates as a member of the Allstyles Kickboxing Association of Ireland (AKAI), under the auspices of the Irish Martial Arts Commission (IMAC) and the Irish Sports Council.
Classes
The club provides instruction for all age goups and opens its classes to all students, from the highly-skilled to those with no absolutely no experience of martial arts. Our Little Dragons classes accept children between the ages of five and 10-years-old, and students can continue their training by virtue of our Junior classes, which cater to both new and advanced pupils. All Little Dragons and Junior classes are closely-supervised with childrens’ welfare and safety put at a premium. In addition to passing on the tenets of self-defence, classes also attempt to instill the virtues of disipline, teamwork and confidence.
All courses are age specific, though we do offer two seperate adult classes, with one devoted to beginners and another exclusively dedicated to expert students. The Adult Beginner Class provides the perfect introduction to the world of kickboxing, presenting newcomers with a step by step guide to the basic elements of training and self-defence. The Advanced Adult Class is designed for skilled students, offering high-intensity training and the prospect of competing around Ireland on a regular basis. Students that make the decision to become competitive fighters are presented with the opportunity to contend on several different levels, including light-contact, semi-contact and full-contact tournaments. Over the past several years, the club has built a distinguished reputation at all levels of competition throughout Ireland.
Current Plans
In August of 2010 the Wicklow Martial Arts intends to continue its expansion, when the club moves into a much larger space, which will include a fully-equipped, permanent gym. The new premises will also comprise a 20×20 feet, raised boxing ring, a larger matted floor area for kickboxing training, and an expanded array of heavy bags and other associated martial arts equipment. The gym intends to provide the very best in training facilities, in addition to supplying first-cass instruction to all of those interested in physical training and martial arts.
