28/08/2026
πMeet Mr Marc Turner
π©βπ« Certified Instructor Training Member
πTeaches at Wakefield & York
My name is Marc Turner, and Iβve been training in martial arts for more than 10 years. I currently hold a 2nd Dan Black Belt, which Iβm very proud of. It reflects the time, commitment and perseverance Iβve put into my training. Like many parents, I never planned to become a martial artist. It started when one of my daughters was being bullied at school, so we enrolled her in X martial arts to help build her confidence. Eevah joined at the same time and before long I was stepping onto the mats with them. My first goal was simple. I wanted to lose weight. Ironically, I managed to gain weight over the years instead. But martial arts gave me much more than I expected. It gave me confidence, discipline, close friendships and a real sense of belonging. The people have always been one of the best parts for me. We work hard and push ourselves, but itβs just as important to have a laugh and enjoy being there.
Iβve been an active member of the SWAT Team for many years, supporting instructors and students during classes and helping wherever I can. Itβs been so long that I canβt remember exactly when I started, but it was well before COVID. More recently, I decided to take the next step and begin CIT Assistant Instructor Training. Supporting classes and helping students develop has become one of the most rewarding parts of martial arts for me. Seeing a child achieve something they didnβt think they could do is a great feeling. It might be learning a new skill, building their confidence or simply leaving class with a smile. Those moments make every session worthwhile.
Outside martial arts, Iβm focusing on my own health and fitness. As Iβve got older, Iβve become more aware of how our bodies change and how important it is to keep moving, learning and looking after ourselves. In the future, Iβd like to qualify as a Personal Trainer and use my own experience to help people at a similar stage of life. Getting older doesnβt mean you have to stop or slow down. It means learning to train smarter and continuing to look after yourself. Iβve never been a regular competitor, but Iβve recently started exploring another side of the sport through refereeing and officiating at tournaments. It has given me a different view of martial arts and brought a new challenge to my development. Iβve spent much of my martial arts journey supporting other people from the sidelines, but part of me is now wondering if I should dust off the competition gloves and spend a year competing on the tournament circuit. Never say never.
As for my fighting style, you probably wonβt see me throwing tornado kicks or spinning kicks anytime soon. Iβll leave those to the younger students while I focus on staying upright. Iβm more old school and prefer to move forward, stay determined and keep things simple and effective. Iβm a huge fan of Ron Smoorenburg, and his fight with Jackie Chan in Who Am I? is one of my favourite fight scenes, especially the moment involving the jacket. I admire his skill, speed and flexibility, but the chances of me recreating those kicks are about the same as me touching my toes without making a noise.
Martial arts has changed me as a person. It has helped me become more confident, challenged me physically and mentally, and introduced me to some great people. My goal is to keep progressing as an assistant instructor and work towards becoming a full instructor. I also want to build my refereeing experience and help the next generation of martial artists achieve things they didnβt think were possible. After all these years, Iβm still learning, still developing and still enjoying my training.
Hereβs some photos showing it started and how itβs going π
