Hastings Kombat Academy's success at Battle of Kent

Four of HKA's fighters stepped into the ring at the Battle of Kent, and every one of them showed real determination, courage and fighting spirit.

Serenitie McDonald was first up, in only her second fight and at a much bigger event than she’s used to. The nerves were understandable, but she quickly settled and fought her heart out. She kept moving forward and never let her opponent get comfortable. Even with her opponent backing away the whole time, Serenitie held the pressure on and took a convincing win. She perhaps doesn’t realise just how good she is!

Finnegan Armer Court, known as Finny, was also having his second fight. He came out raring to go, with great speed and barely any time for his opponent to think. He may be a small fighter, but he certainly packs a punch! It was a brilliant, evenly matched contest with both fighters giving everything, and it was incredibly close. Lead Instructor Jenny Fry, said she "genuinely thought Finny had done enough to take it", but the decision went the other way. It was a fantastic effort all the same.

James Smith, again in just his second fight, faced a tough challenge in a taller opponent with some excellent kicks. He took some heavy shots to the body but showed real grit and refused to give up. James kept pushing forward, looking for openings and making his opponent work hard for every point. The decision didn’t go his way, but he should be incredibly proud of how he performed.

Last into the ring was Jayen Corbett, who had beaten his opponent before, so it was no surprise that the other fighter was keen to turn things around. It was a fantastic fight, with Jayen setting the pace from the first bell. He gave his opponent very little room to work, throwing a constant stream of strong kicks and punches, and he went flat out for the whole round. The result was another convincing win.

Jenny added, “We are incredibly proud of all four fighters. Competitions like Battle of Kent are about so much more than the result. It’s about building confidence, learning to deal with nerves, showing resilience and having the courage to step into the ring.