Busy months ahead for fighters at Banbury martial arts gym

Since opening in 2007, the Banbury Martial Arts Centre on the Power Park Industrial Estate has been a home for all things combat sport-related in town.

After heavy floods last December caused the multi-sport gym to temporarily close, the centre – run by ex-professional fighter couple Stuart and Tanya Davies – is now back in business.On Saturday September 9, the gym will see amateur mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters Joe Gascoigne and Lee Curry travel with Stuart to Coventry to compete.

The same evening, Harvey Hale and Cyprian Stryczek will travel to Epsom for a boxing event with the gym's boxing squad, which is led by undefeated light-heavyweight Joe Jackson-Brown.

Later in the month, on Sunday September 24, a team of six Banbury muay Thai boxers will make the journey to Birmingham. Following this, the next big date on the gym’s calendar is November 4, when the team will travel to Wales to take part in an international Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competition.

The mission of the gym has always been to be an inclusive place that caters to all, from those who have ambitions of fighting for world titles to those who simply want to improve their fitness.

Currently, the centre has around 120 members, with 30 active fighters competing in a range of sports including muay Thai, MMA, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and boxing.

Stuart said: "We do everything; we have personal training, women’s only classes, work with kids in trouble at school, all the way to training professional fighters, which there are 10 of in the gym at the moment.

"After the massive flood, when a water main burst and the gym was ruined, we had to start all over again, but the community at the gym all came together and helped clear the place and rebuild.

"We are now as active as ever and excited about the next few busy months."

The centre is open seven days a week and operates a busy schedule of classes from early mornings to late evenings. Banbury Martial Arts Centre will be offering a free week's trial over September for anyone interested in having a go.

For more information, visit https://bmacgym.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/BMACFam