05/08/2026
π₯ The Story Behind Your Belt: Why PKA Makes Us Different
Well done again to everyone who attended and passed the recent regional grading.. . . . . Ever wondered where "PKA" on our club branding actually comes from? It's not just a badge β it's nearly 50 years of history.
The Professional Karate Association (PKA) was founded in the US in 1974 by Mike Anderson, and Don and Judy Quine. That September, they staged the first-ever World Championships in Los Angeles β the event that introduced the world to what we now call kickboxing, evolving out of full-contact karate.
Within months, Mike Haig (the same person who still grades you for your PKA Belt) brought that same discipline across the Atlantic and established PKA-Kickboxing here in the UK, built from the ground up as genuine kickboxing, taught properly, safely, and for everyone.
That's the tradition your Coaching Team has now carried for over 20 and it's why every KickboxUK class, whether it's a 4-year-old on their first pads session or an adult working towards their black belt, is rooted in real, quality-assured kickboxing. Not a watered-down version, not a mixed bag of styles picked up along the way. The real thing, delivered with genuine care for our community.
That's the difference. πͺ
π www.kickboxuk.com