'It gives people a sense of purpose': Northampton martial arts club celebrates 20 years of helping participants

A Northampton based Proaction Martial Arts and Fitness club is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

In 2002, Chief Instructor Tom Nicholson founded Proaction Martial Arts and Fitness based in Brackmills, which has now gone on to be one of the largest martial arts schools in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the West Midlands.

To celebrate the anniversary, the school will be launching a new scholarship scheme and career development programme for young instructors.

Over the last two decades, the school has helped thousands of people improve personal fitness and self-defence techniques, but has also helped individuals to overcome personal challenges, some of which include dips in confidence, family breakdowns or condition diagnosis, such as ADHD.

Chief instructor Tom Nicholson said: “The transformation of our members is what truly inspires us. It is without doubt the most rewarding part of what we do at Proaction.

“We hear from parents and carers that their children have gone from being marginalised and bullied in school to confident, self-assured individuals that have a solid sense of purpose.”

Due to his lifelong enthusiasm for martial arts, Tom’s dream was to become a Tae Kwon-Do instructor with his own schools. Before starting Proaction, Tom believed there was a lack of support in starting a martial arts school. However since the launch of Proaction in 2002, he has felt compelled to give people freedom and confidence to follow their passion

One success story is Alfie who is a quiet but polite 11-year-old boy who has been helped in the past by Proaction, however his slight build and demeanour hide an unexpected secret. He is a Tae Kwon-Do (TKD) and Kickboxing Black belt and the 2022 English Tae Kwon-Do Champion for sparring. These are incredible achievements, which were unrealistic when he first joined Proaction aged 4.

Alfie’s mum, Nic, gives credit to his love of martial arts and his achievements to the environment Proaction fosters in its training venues and the encouragement of the instructors.

She said: “Proaction is a friendly club, everyone is very supportive. The instructors are amazing, very knowledgeable and experienced. They treat everyone as individuals, getting the best out of each student.”

In order to widen access to martial arts, Proaction is launching a scholarship programme that will provide children living in poverty with fully-funded martial arts training ranging from white belt up to black belt.

When asked about the scholarship scheme, Tom Nicholson said: “We’re acutely aware of how the current financial situation is affecting many people. We want this fund to relieve some of the pressures on household finances and hopefully make balancing the desire to train with other commitments more manageable.

“At a time when both physical and mental wellbeing is so important, we want to make sure that there are opportunities available.”

More details on eligibility and the application process will be announced next year. It will be available to members across all Proaction clubs, as well as non-members looking into learning a martial art.

Proaction is also enhancing its career development programme for its members aged 10 to 15. The junior leadership programme has been operating for five years and has more than 50 members progressing through the programme.