Kick-boxers win fight to hit bout fitness

GUERNSEY kick-boxer Dave Hyett is hoping to land a knockout blow at this weekend's full-contact fight night in Bedford. But despite 15 years' experience of competing in the progressive fighting arts, he has fought in only four full-contact bouts and knows that he is up against stiff competition.

'People are normally roughly the same standard at these sorts of meetings but I believe my first opponent is a bit more experienced than me,' he said.

Hyett will be joined in Bedford by Danny Froome and Chris Stonebridge, two other local kick-boxers, who will fight in heavier weight divisions. They, like Hyett, also take part in all forms of the progressive fighting arts such as jiu-jitsu, Thai boxing and self-defence movements such as karate.

But the Guernsey representatives were given only three weeks' notice of the Bedford contest on Sunday.

'It's been a hard couple of weeks training. We really have had to do more intensive work,' said Hyett.

As well as their normal progressive fighting arts sessions at Jan Lowndes' fitness studio, the group has been running along the beach dragging car tyres and have done some extra workouts with Graham Guilbert at the Amalgamated Boxing Club.

'The boxing coaching was different because we were just using our hands and not our feet but there are similarities and it was very useful,' said Hyett.

'Our training has had to be more than just for general fitness, we are preparing to be explosive in the bouts.'

Guernsey kick-boxers only get to compete if they go to the UK.

'It is difficult to set up anything over here. There is just not the level of interest and people will find it expensive to travel from the UK. It costs about £2,000 to set a meet up and we would just not make the money back.'

And each kick-boxer has to pay their way to compete in the UK.

'I tried to find some funding by writing to various companies to see if they would help but it never got anywhere.'

The Guernsey progressive fighting arts group has benefited from a link with the Jersey Martial Arts Club because the Jersey organisation have a small sponsorship deal.

The two clubs come together to fight in the World jiu-jitsu Championships, which next year will be held in Canada.