Breeding a new generation of champions in Solihull? Paul Rouse goes ringside.
The noble art is often credited with helping to get kids off the street. “There’s not a lot of need for that in Solihull,” admits Paul Gilmore with a wry smile. “But boxing, kickboxing and the martial arts, in general, are a great way of improving fitness, building confidence, instilling discipline, encouraging teamwork, and teaching self-defence. Even if you don’t go on to take up any of them full-time, or compete at a higher level. And even if you’re not in the first flush of youth. The appeal is across the board.”
Paul, chief instructor and owner of the Combat Sports Centre in Solihull, is speaking from experience. A former primary school teacher, he went on to become British, European and World kickboxing champion in an 18-year fight career before deciding to pass on his skills and knowledge to the next generation.
Many of his former pupils from the centre now work there, and several more have gone on to set up their own affiliated clubs across the Midlands.
Located in a series of former industrial units in Vulcan Road, just off Lode Lane, the Combat Sports Centre comprises a fully- equipped gym, full-size boxing rings for sparring and contests, changing facilities, a café, an area selling sports goods, and Solihull Playtown, an educational pre-school ‘role play’ facility run by Paul’s wife Celine, also a former teacher.
Combat Sports Centre runs a complete seven-day programme of kickboxing tuition, with separate sessions for Little Ninjas (aged 5-7), kids (aged 8-13), and adults (13 upwards), as well as traditional boxing and MMA, a hybrid of striking, grappling and jiu-jitsu.
And with its immediate neighbours including facilities offering swimming, dancing and climbing, there’s often some spin-offs from those on a ‘passing trade’ basis.
Inspiration
Paul’s inspiration, and love of martial arts, came from growing up watching Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies. “These days,” he says, “there’s so much more available via streaming, YouTube and other types of social media. But there’s no substitute for the real thing. That’s why we offer everybody the chance to come and have a free trial to see if they like it. Why we work on a monthly membership system, rather than locking people into long contracts. And why we have a family membership package.
“Ideally, around nine or ten is the best age to take up either boxing or kickboxing, especially if you want to progress beyond it just being a bit of fun. But our Little Ninjas is a great way of introducing younger kids to a worthwhile activity. Over the last few years, we’ve also found that more girls are coming along. And we’ve seen a lot more interest from parents as well. Our split now is probably 70:30 between kids and adults. And around 60:40 between males and females. We also find there’s a surge of interest whenever any of the disciplines are shown on mainstream TV, at events like the Olympics or Commonwealth Games.
“Keeping people interested and motivated is the key. If you’ve been longing to get into shape but find that you keep reverting back to the same comfortable excuses, we can hopefully offer you something different. And if you’re working 9-5 and the prospect of hitting the gym after a busy day seems daunting, or just plain boring, coming to us will stimulate you. We can guarantee that!”
Quotes
The walls of the centre – which is also the HQ for the International Kickboxing Academy and the West Warwicks Amateur Boxing Club – are peppered with motivational quotes, and being a dad of two boys himself, Paul is an advocate for starting ‘em young, and for the positive influence of any form of sport. But some sports, he firmly believes, are a better influence than others.
“I’m not knocking football, for instance. Both of my lads love it. But when you see some of the prima donnas the game produces, are they necessarily great role models?
“We have had some great success stories here,” he explains, proudly pointing out the progress of young local boxers like Elise Glynn, who competed in last year’s European Women’s Boxing Championships in Montenegro and who Paul reckons is “a shoo-in” for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
“But it’s not all about fame, fortune and medals. Martial arts is the perfect way to involve the whole family, as it caters for all ages and abilities, and combines fitness time with family time and a chance to get together.
“We pride ourselves on offering a friendly and welcoming environment, with a team of dedicated, positive and successful people who work to ensure that everybody who trains with us benefits from the experience. Even if it’s only knowing how to handle yourself in a tricky situation.”
With two ex-teachers in the family, it’s no surprise that Paul believes “we are still both in the business of health and education. We educate all who come into contact with us to be healthy and aware of their own potential.”
He also points out that boxing’s varied and high-intensity workouts offer a blend of strength and cardiovascular conditioning that improves agility, coordination and balance, and which has been recognised as being beneficial for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease – hence the reason the centre does a lot of work for the charity Parkinson’s UK.