TESTIMONIALS

Harry started at Rob Locks Academy in 2020 age just 4. He said he wanted to be a ninja. Joe came along to a few sessions with Harry and joined shortly after. Almost 6 years on, they are both enjoying being put through their paces in the senior black belt classes . Rob Locks Academy has helped both of them with their confidence, self-discipline and fitness whilst making some new friendships along the way. Rob, Zoe and all the instructors are wonderful and have supported Joe and Harry in their journey to achieving their black belts.

3 years ago we thought of an activity for my son Nikolas because he came home from school every day with a lot of frustration! That's how I ended up at Rob Locks Academy, I chose Muay Thai for discipline and to regain his self-confidence. And it was the best decision🤗 I've been saying for a long time that I wanted to do it too but I didn't have the courage until 2 weeks ago. We feel like a family and I'm glad I got to meet everyone.

In 2013, my son Matt was just 4 years old. I was searching for an activity that would help build his confidence and coordination while giving him something he genuinely enjoyed and felt passionate about. At the same time, I was recovering from life-saving surgery and had to rebuild my fitness from scratch. Matt was incredibly shy and wouldn’t let go of my hand, so I found myself joining in too. To my surprise, I absolutely loved it. As my strength and fitness grew, so did my passion for Muay Thai. Before long, I was training five days a week. Becoming an assistant instructor felt like a natural progression, and it’s something I truly love. Matt went on to achieve his black grade, with a newborn Georgia cheering him on from the sidelines. When the academy reopened after Covid, Georgia started training too. Muay Thai has been incredibly beneficial for her ASD and ADHD, and she’s now looking forward to taking her black grading next month. A few years ago, my niece Lexi moved over from South Africa. Growing up in a family obsessed with Muay Thai, it was only a matter of time before she joined the academy! She says it gives her a real sense of achievement and something for herself outside of work. Getting my 3rd Dan Black grade is an achievement I feel very proud of but the thing I love the most about is the people I have met through the academy. It’s a privilege to see the positive impact Muay Thai has on both children and adults passing through the club and to be a part of such a caring and inspirational team. I have learnt so much from Rob and Chris over the years, and Zoe and Scott are fantastic - and really have each member’s best interests at heart. There is so much depth through the rest of the coaches and each one brings something so valuable to the club. Who would have thought that, 14 years after we first stepped through those doors, the academy would still be such a huge part of our lives? ❤️

Jacob and jess wanted to join Rob locks and its got a good reputation and follows a grading system that is recognised unlike there previous Karate dojo. Jess is hoping one day she can become an Instructor. Dorothy joined as she had seen how much fun her brother and sister has and im sure baby brother Jameson will be joining as soon as he's of age.

My children Sina and Sania joined Rob Locks academy a few months ago. As a parent I was worried they'd come back from school and spend too much time on their phones and not get enough exercise. I was recommend Rob Locks by a friend and have found it so helpful for my children. 🥊 Join our children’s Karate & Boxing Academy where the kids learn discipline, confidence, fitness, and self-defense while having fun and making new friends.

Nearly 10 years ago, Will started Muay Thai to helping him build confidence and self-discipline, and to help defend himself if ever needed, especially as we stepped into the reality that children aren’t always kind at school. We always remember Rob saying to ‘Run from danger and only if you can’t, then defend yourself’. What began as a small step has grown into something he truly loves, helping shape his confidence, resilience, and the person he is today. He now enjoys his sessions even more as his cousins Lily-May and Joseph join in the fun! Lily-May and Joseph joined after talking to their cousin Will who had been attending for sometime. Both have been committed to attending for 4 years now and have recently moved up into the same class as Will.

My sons Yahya and Ismail joined the academy to gain confidence and get strong aswell as learning self defence. I have seen alot of improvement and they have become more active. The boys enjoy coming karate as they find it has helped them as well as the instructors are really great with them and very engaging.

Toby started training in Karate at Rob Lock’s in 2024 after we moved from another club and he’s never looked back. He also decided to start training in Muay Thai alongside Sankukai Karate and has now achieved purple grades in both arts. After watching his older brother, Rowan asked to begin Karate at the start of 2025 and then I decided to join myself a few months later. We have both now achieved our orange belts in Karate and are training for green. I’ve found that my fitness level and general wellbeing have dramatically improved too, so every visit feels like an achievement. The training methods, knowledge and overall quality at Robs is exceptionally good. Students aren’t tucked away in an inaccessible room, parents and family are present right there at the side of the mat and are actively encouraged to participate and support their kids. Rob has a fantastic approach to training where both he and his team have a great sense of authority that teaches respect and confidence, but also combines it with lightheartedness and fun. He’s a great character and we love his sense of humour. I find a lot of people have the misconception that martial arts is just about aggression and fighting, which couldn’t be further from the truth. One of the most fundamental principles that Rob teaches is safety and the importance of avoiding conflict wherever possible, but also having the ability to defend yourself if you have to. Plus of course there is general respect for others, courtesy and self-confidence in all parts of life. The countless years of training and experience from Rob and his team speak volumes. This is exactly how martial arts should be taught.

We have been with Rob Locks academy now for 9 years. My stepsons joshua and Jack started Muay Thai boxing and Karate at the age of 8 and 4. They originally started at Haden Hill leisure centre to keep fit, learn to defend themselves and to have fun. Joshua stopped going to pursue swimming but once my son Leo was old enough he joined at the age of 4. Four years later, Joshua my step son wanted to come back and do thai boxing and it didnt take much persuading from Rob and Scott for me to join in too. Its great to have watched the boys learn, grow in confidence and have fun in their lessons. Its also great to be able to train with my stepsons and we look forward to training every week!

It’s really about family and friends. 🙂 Mihnea came to the karate club in November 2024 and was very warmly welcomed. He quickly settled in, showing confidence and enthusiasm from the start. He always comes to class with pleasure and already dreams about earning his black belt, even though there’s still some work to do! Shortly after, his friend and partner in everything, Riley, joined him, just as enthusiastic and eager to do his best. And of course Rob is truly a role model for the two good friends. Carina, Mihnea’s little sister joined after seeing and supporting her brother from the side of the classroom. Together with her dad, took the decision of joining and since then she loved coming. Karate also became a lovely way for our little girls to spend time together through sport, and it’s been wonderful watching them grow side by side. 🥋 The girls all started around the same time and are close in age, one already a little feisty (Carina), another very focused on the sport and very keen to join from the start (Daria), and the chill one (Alexia), who sometimes looks more like a tiny ballerina in the middle of karate practice. 😄 It’s amazing to see their friendship, their different personalities, and how they encourage each other while learning confidence, focus, and discipline. So proud of the little and the big team they’re becoming. 💛 A big thank you to the whole team who train them, guide them and always do their best for the kids. 👏

Liam and Kristen first attended Rob Lock's Academy 2018 at Haden Hill. I remember how friendly and welcoming the team first were. JNR instructor Joe in particular, spending time one on one with my children making their first experience attentive but more importantly fun, they were hooked from that point onwards. Liam and Kristen were 9 & 7 at the time and the impact on their formative years has been massive, my only regret is I did not start them sooner. Overall fitness, behaviour & social skills have all improved massively during their 7 years of training. The administrative side, initially Lena & now Zoe are super friendly and helpful. ALL the instructors are brilliant. There is a definite family feel to the Business. Rob has a commanding but friendly manner welcoming to all and this filters down at every stage of his team. RLA is not just Martial Arts, Rob stresses the importance of punctuality, respect to one another, trust, integrity, proper uniform etc all basic life lessons to help children mature. Rob is obviously an expert in his field and has created a team around him to support his ethos. I’d recommend training multiple times per week, it represents great value for money and ensures you progress effectively both in technique & fitness. My Son at one point was training 11 times a week in three disciplines, and now at 16 years old has his first job at the Academy. Muay Thai improves fitness, strength and stamina massively. In contrast Sankukai Karate seems to focus more on technique and complex katas. I love when my Son has been “beasted by Big Chris”, sounds terrible, but when your child finishes a lesson drenched in sweat, breathing heavy but with a beaming smile RLA are doing things right. Even my Daughter occasionally gets a sweat on! Their current Black Belt class ranges from youngsters under ten years old to members in their sixties, all training in unison at a high level. This encapsulates RLA, everyone welcome

Thomas joined in 2022 after asking to join karate for a few months. He quickly took to it and was really motivated to achieve each new belt and is currently a Junior Black Belt. I (Dad John) joined in 2023. I was reluctant at first, I had never done any martial arts and was quite unfit, but I could never find time time for the gym and I was taking Thomas anyway so decided to give it a go. I found everyone really welcoming and three years later I'm still loving it and I’m fitter than I've ever been. Older brother, Michael, also joined in 2023 after seeing how much Thomas and I enjoyed the classes, while our youngest William had to wait to be 4 to join, but started his karate journey in 2025!

Enya and Arun started Muay Thai over 2 years ago now. I wanted them to start some sort of self defence and fitness class and after the initial trial week we decided on Muay Thai. At first Arun was very reluctant to participate in the classes but after a few months he really started enjoying the lessons and thrived. He was definitely not as confident as his sister when he first started but I would say it is the other way around now! They have both made some lovely friends along the way too. Their commitment has surprised me and they are always excited to work towards their next grades.

I started Karate and Thai boxing in October 2022. At that time, it was my 12-year-old son, Cameron, who had started just a month before. After seeing how well Cameron was doing after just four weeks, I decided I wanted to give it a try, as it was something I always wanted to do as a child but was never encouraged by my father to do. It was then I realised I had the potential to go far in martial arts, even though I started at the age of 33. In May 2023, my son Leiland then started his journey in martial arts (on his 4th birthday!), and I believe that Karate and boxing have helped build his confidence, his discipline, and his attitude towards learning. Finally, my wife Laura joined in March 2024 to help herself get fitter and build her confidence, because she could see how much it was helping myself and Leiland and saw it as a way to better herself. Joining Rob Lock’s Martial Arts Academy was one of the best decisions we have made as a family, and we will forever be grateful to Rob and all his team for what they have done for us

I signed my eldest son up for karate in 2019 when he was 7 years old to help with he’s anxiety and self confidence issue. In the years since I’ve seen he’s confidence grow and flourish in life as well as karate and couldn’t have been prouder when he graduated to black belt level. Since then my younger son has joined the junior karate class and currently holds his first brown belt, he has a lot of fun in his lessons. Last year my eldest asked to join the Mauy Thai classes and encouraged me to join up with him. I’ve been doing both Mauy Thai and karate myself now for a while which I really enjoy and my fitness levels have improved significantly, although I’m constantly reminded by my sons that they’re higher grades and better than me.😂

Our goal at Rob Locks Academy is to create a family friendly environment and through this we've seen our family groups grow and to celebrate we are going to do a 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 FAMILY FRIDAY POST 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 each week to honour these families This is our first families testimonial: When Hannah first stepped onto the mats in March 2013, we thought Karate would just be a fun confidence builder. We had no idea it would spark a full family tradition. By 2015, Zoe jumped in also starting Muay Thai inspired by her big sister’s focus and enthusiasm. Then in 2016, Dad (James) joined the fun too bringing even more energy to training nights and diving into Muay Thai as well. In 2019, Lara decided it was her turn, stepping in with determination and just the right amount of sibling rivalry. And in 2020, Hayley completed the lineup, officially making Karate and Muay Thai something we all share, love, and look forward to together. What began with one brave girl trying something new has grown into a family passion that keeps us active, connected, and incredibly proud of one another. Martial Arts isn’t just part of our routine, it’s part of who we are.