A group of young muay thai martial artists have become the first athletes at Fight for Peace to embark on Khan 1 (Level 1) of a new grading system introduced by Head Coach Senior Kru Star Joyce. 

The grading system comes following the introduction of junior muay thai at Fight for Peace, which provides sports sessions to children aged 7 to 14. Composed of three khans (levels), the grading framework allows young people to work their way through the ranks, increasing their knowledge and skills as they progress.

“The idea is to have something to work towards and a sense of achievement, especially for the younger members who are not necessarily competing yet. There’s a structure to everything and they are learning at every level”, explained Coach Star. 

Each khan is broken down into three component parts, giving young people regular bitesize progressions to maximise engagement and motivation. Six young people passed stage one of Khan One in March, stepping onto the grading ladder and becoming the first ever Fight for Peace athletes to do so in the process.

To pass the grading, young people must complete a practical test in which they must demonstrate knowledge of Thai language and history, have the ability to perform basic guard, defence techniques and footwork, and complete one minute rounds of supervised sparring.

The emphasis is on learning and enjoyment and so young people are guided through the grading process and given lots of practice, including a mock exam in the run up.

“I was delighted to be present at the grading”, said Fight for Peace CEO Lee Hemmings. “Sport is at the core of what we do and seeing the popularity of the junior sessions, and the enjoyment of the young people, is testament to the power of sport and the quality of services our coaches are providing.”

“We want young people to reach their full potential in sport and in life and this grading system gives them a real sense of progression and an insight into what they can achieve through focus, dedication and the right support. Well done to everyone that participated, I am already looking forward to many more gradings in the near future!”

Big congratulations to the muay thai history makers at Fight for Peace!