Last month, 16 young athletes gained access to a new pathway into a career in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) coaching – made possible through the power of the Fight for Peace Alliance. Long-time Alliance partner Danny Corr, one of the UK’s leading figures in amateur MMA, travelled from Belfast to deliver an OCN Level 3 MMA Coaching Qualification. Designed by Danny himself, the course gave him the opportunity to share decades of experience in combat sports, coaching and youth development with a new generation of aspiring coaches.
For us, the course was about more than one qualification – it demonstrated what’s possible when organisations, coaches and practitioners share their knowledge, experience and opportunities, giving young people access to expertise they might not otherwise have.
Through developing new skills and gaining the confidence to become coaches, mentors and role models themselves, participants now have a foundation to take their learning forward and support others in the future.
As one of Fight for Peace’s first Alliance partners, Danny’s own gym, Zanshin Karate Jutsu, also known as ZKJ Dojo, has been operating as a non-profit for over 25 years. ZKJ Dojo offers free or low-cost training programmes for young people, giving them the opportunity to learn martial arts while gaining positive mentorship from coaches.
Through our Creating Pathways programme, Fight for Peace supported Danny’s organisation to implement its first ever education programme, from which the MMA course was designed. This built on Danny’s role as one of Fight for Peace’s first Alliance partners, where, back in 2019, he helped shape the direction of our expansion across communities in the UK and globally – bringing his knowledge and expertise in combat sports and youth development to the table.
That’s why it was a full-circle moment for Danny to lead this opportunity for our young people here in London. He spent the day inspiring (and being inspired by) a group of passionate aspiring coaches and combat sports athletes who want to use MMA as a tool for personal development, discipline and positive change.
“What an absolute privilege it has been to deliver the first rollout of the OCN Level 3 MMA Coaching Qualification in England at the incredible Fight for Peace in London,” he shared, reflecting on the experience.
“I arrived as the tutor, but I genuinely left having learned so much myself. The passion, honesty, engagement and willingness to learn from this amazing group made it an unforgettable experience. Coaching is always a two-way process, and these participants reminded me of that every single day.”
The course covered technical mastery, strategic planning, safeguarding and the essentials of building an inclusive club culture – all while keeping the learning fun and engaging. The collaboration was particularly important because it gave our cohort of passionate athletes the opportunity to influence and inspire the future of MMA coaching, helping shape how the sport is taught, experienced and represented.
Throughout August, participants have been further supported by the Fight for Peace team and supervised by Danny as they complete a theoretical assessment. They will go on to present their practical assessments during September in order to receive their full qualification. Upon completion, participants will be encouraged to complete our Life Champions course, focused on enabling coaches to support athletes beyond the gym environment.
Fight for Peace MMA competitor and course participant Sahil has a number of amateur bouts under his belt and shared some reflections on the course:
“It was great. Danny’s teaching style was very engaging and he made everything relatable by applying it to his own life and experiences,” he said.
“We learned lots of new stuff, like coaching methods, which was great. I already do a little bit of coaching, but having the qualification under my belt is helpful. I knew I wanted to be a coach in the future – it’s a great career plan for when my competitive journey comes to an end.”
Sahil’s reflections highlight the importance of coaches being relatable in their approach to teaching. Having Danny as a long-time partner strengthens this connection, with our coaching methodologies and approaches to personal development having been shared, developed and shaped alongside one another over many years.
We believe a coach is more than a coach – they are a mentor, role model and source of support. That remains just as important in a classroom-style learning space as it is on the gym floor, helping young people develop both as athletes and as individuals.
This is where the value of the Alliance really comes to life. By bringing together organisations, coaches and practitioners who share a belief in the power of sport to create positive change, we can exchange knowledge and expertise, strengthen what we do and create opportunities that might not otherwise exist. By connecting communities and practitioners, we can help ensure young people benefit from a wider pool of experience and knowledge.
Our collaboration with Danny is a great example of this in action. From developing young people through martial arts in Belfast to helping shape the next generation of MMA coaches at Newham Academy, Danny’s journey shows how strong partnerships can connect communities, create new pathways and extend the impact of sport even further.
Big thank you to Danny for travelling down to deliver the course, and congratulations to all of the athletes who completed it!
This course was delivered as part of Fight for Peace’s Employability Pillar – one of our Five Pillars alongside Boxing & Martial Arts, Education, Support Services and Youth Leadership. Together, these pillars create opportunities for young people to build the skills, confidence and support they need to reach their full potential, becoming champions in the ring and in life.
