The Road to selection

 

Miles Martial Arts Instructor Benn Fillingham along with student Alex Chalke are both representing Team GB at the 2023 WAKO Kickboxing World Championships. The Senior and Masters Championships is hosting 100’s of participants from all around the world competing across a wide range of disciplines and weight categories.

 

The selection process was by no means an easy feat – only one contender per category could be successful for selection. To stand a chance, both competitors firstly had to podium in the British Kickboxing Championships earlier this year. Competitors then had to attend all GB Squad sessions, held up and down the country to attract the very best of the best. The final stage was a two-day training camp in September where the GB coaches made their final selections.

Albufeira, Portugal

November ’23

 

The last year, Benn Fillingham and Alex Chalke have been training tirelessly to prepare themselves for what would be the biggest competition of their lives….so far!

 

In between training sessions, the opening ceremony and enjoying the lovely weather, we will do our best to keep everyone fully updated with life at the World Kickboxing Championships.

 

Read on for your daily highlights of Team GB/MMA’s adventures in Portugal…

Day 1

 

The day has finally arrived after an entire year training. Benn & Alex are both prepared and ready to give it their all in the WAKO Kickboxing World Championships.

 

Starting things off with an early flight departing at 7am from London Gatwick. The team hit the ground in 25 degrees, blue skies and sunshine, a lot better than the 5 degrees we’d left behind! .

It was then all aboard coaches to the hotel, to get the whole GB team weighed in, registered and all medicals confirmed. Once everyone had successfully made their weight, it was time to rehydrate, recover and relax knowing the most stressful part of the trip was finally over .

 

Then a quick drop off of sparring kits and bags, and we headed to the beach! After a late lunch, there was a need for ice cream, and Alex declared a team mission to find a pistachio cone……in this, we were successful, and ice creams were had whilst watching the sunset.

 

Alex & Benn then had dinner with the rest of the GB team, followed by a meeting led by Neville Wray, with some inspiring words and essential information for the upcoming days.

We are all so proud of these two fighters, and the hard work they’ve put in to get to where they are today. Regardless of the results they are both great role models for the whole club, and are walking proof that if you persevere and give it your all you can achieve your goals, aspirations & dreams.

 

Looking forward to seeing what this week has in store.

 

Go the distance, love the journey!

Day 2

 

Now the team has settled in, the pressure is starting to build, and the realisation that the fighting will begin soon has started to sink in!

 

A full team GB training session took place today, with all the fighters looking sharp and ready for action. As the tournament kicks off tomorrow morning, this was the last chance for the full squad to train together ahead of their matches.

 

At 4pm team MMA headed over to the arena to scope out the Ring & Tatami set up. Shortly after, it was the opening ceremony, where all the presidents & delegates of WAKO made their speeches & announcements to declare the tournament officially open. The atmosphere was electric as all 70 countries came together to fly their flags, as well as scope out their competitors.

 

Upon return to the hotel another meeting was called for the whole Team, where a special announcement was made for Alex Chalke. As it was his first time at a world championship, Neville Wray (Vice President WAKO GB) made mention of the recent passing of his mum, as well as his dedication to the sport, and asked the team to show him their full support.

 

By 7.30pm the draws were made for the first day of fighting. With over 1500 competitors taking part this year, it is one of the largest world championships WAKO has hosted to date! Benn’s original slot had been moved a day ahead, from Tuesday to Monday, and his fight has now been confirmed on Ring 1, at 1pm on the 20th November, facing Uzbekistan.

Lastly, to round off the last day before the tournament truly begins, a Team MMA BBQ was in order…

Day 3

 

An early start today, and the championships have finally begun!

 

The team started off with a coach ride to the venue to get seats secured, making sure everyone had a good view point for the day. By 11am the arena was packed, with over 1800 competitors, spectators, coaches, referees and those in roles supporting the 70 countries in participation.

There were 19 GB fights on the schedule for the first day, with some fighters benefitting from bi’s into the next day, due to being ranked from wins in the many world cups that had taken place throughout the year. The team GB atmosphere was immense. Whether the competitors won or lost, everyone was there to support each other.

 

Being selected for a championship of this magnitude is a huge achievement on its own, and that was clear to see in the sheer skill, dedication and tenacity of everyone there today!

Come 1pm it was time for Benn to make his kickboxing debut at a world level Benn vs Uzbekistan. Draws can sometimes put you in a really tough position, and regardless of who you’re facing, you have to do your best to go up against whoever ends up in the opposite corner of the ring. We are so very proud of everything Benn has achieved, we’ve dedicated a little section to him below.

A huge shout out to all the other GB members that made it through the 1st round. The standard is extremely high as expected at a world championships. There were tough fights for everyone, and it’s only just beginning.

 

Up next is Alex Chalke who will find out his draw tomorrow, and will be fight ready for Wednesday. A well earned sleep tonight for everyone!

Benn – An inspiration to all at MMA

 

This was Benn’s second ever Full Contact fight, and he ended up fighting against one of the worlds top contenders in his first match!
Due to a power cut after the 1st round, live coverage was lost but the fight continued on. After a tough first round Benn found his feet, and was trading shots with his opponent.
A ‘questionable’ 3rd standing 10 count was given, which meant Benn had to be taken out of the match. He was gutted but this is the sport and the referees decision is final.
We could not be prouder of what he’s achieved and how he performed. He always trains with passion and pride, giving everything to being the best he can be. Benn is a fantastic role model to those around him and we are lucky to have someone of his calibre as a part of MMA.
Lessons have been learnt, and now it’s back to training, and looking ahead to what next year will bring 👊

Day 4

 

And it’s kick off for the second day of the championships. 1800 competitors started out yesterday morning, and less than 500 are now left. 21 fights for GB  today & 11 wins. Tensions are getting considerably higher as the competition continues, but the team spirit is strong; and the support amongst all competitors is clear to see in every match.

 

Notable mentions:

Finn Heesom -74kg Light contact vs South Africa ‘World Class’ match. Clearly demonstrated the true meaning of being able to hit your opponent and not get hit yourself.
Tennessee Randall -60kg Female Full Contact vs Norway. Phenomenal performance as always and easily the best pound for pound Female Full contact fighter. True inspiration and role model for woman to get into the sport of Kickboxing.

Alex Chalke  has drawn Portugal  for his first match of the championships and his debut at a competition of this level. He’s prepared and ready to give it his all!

Again, as always just getting selected for Worlds is such an accomplishment in itself, we are looking forward to supporting Alex tomorrow on Tatami 3.

 

So proud of you Alex Chalke, an example of someone who always strives to be the absolute best and doesn’t let anything stand in his way.

Day 5 – A Day of Controversy

 

 

The Worlds continued today with a 10am start and 29 fights for Team GB. As the tournament goes on, each day the standards are getting higher and higher, and the pressure is building as some categories start going into their quarter & semi finals!

 

Alex’s fight slot was scheduled for 3.30pm, and he was prepared mentally & physically to face off against Portugal  on their home ground. Unfortunately his opponent pulled out, and the reason given was ‘due to injury’. This does happen at competitions of this level, as the matches are tough and the fighters are giving it their all. Unfortunately on this occasion, the Portuguese opponent still fought in the ‘kick-light’ category only 45 minutes later. It was frustrating for Alex, but entirely out of his control, and we are all looking forward to him being able to fight tomorrow in the next match.

 

Alex wanted to share his thoughts on what occurred with all those back home at MMA – ‘I am obviously disappointed that my opponent felt he did not want to fight, but a win is a win. Hopefully all those that tuned in to watch were not too disappointed.’

As well as Alex’s fight being over before it began, there was huge uproar when Finn Heesom got disqualified due to a highly debated low kick to the groin. Finn was clearly and easily in the lead against his Irish opponent with all three judges scoring him the winner when he threw a back kick to the body and dropped his opponent to the floor. The Irishmen was clearly in pain, and claimed it was a kick to the groin. After 5 minutes of the Irish fighter on the mat trying not to be carried away by stretcher, a DQ was issued. As you can imagine, a swarm of WAKO presidents, officials & coaches all came rushing to tatami 2 as the GB coaches debated the case. Unfortunately the referee ruled that the Irish competitor won by default, and once a referee has made a decision it is very rarely overturned. The consensus in the GB camp was that this was not a fair decision, and it was a truly heartbreaking outcome for Finn, and the sport as a whole!

 

However, in more positive news, tomorrow Alex Chalke enters the semi finals against Austria . If he wins, he will be in the finals on the same day.

 

We wish you the best of the luck Alex, and know that you will give it your all!

Day 6

24 GB fights today and all were semi final or final rounds!

To start the day off, after a lot of debate the night before, the GB coaches and presidents managed to overturn the referees decision of the previous nights debacle. Finn Heesom had a rematch with the Irish opponent at 9:45am before all other fights and with the entire arena watching. As expected, Finn won very comfortably and took no risks with any back kicks and showing a masterclass performance.

 

Come 11:30 it was time for Alex Chalke to enter the matts and have his fighting debut. This time his opponent actually showed up! It was an Austrian that made the 6ft4 inches GB contender, for once in his life,  look very small. Unfortunately, by the time the bell went, the Austrian had won by 2-1 to the judges. It was a close match that had most on the edge of their seat, (see the full fight review below). Alex walks away with a Bronze medal.

 

All the Veterans Point Fighting, Light Contact & Kick Light categories had their final rounds of the championships today. All of the vets podiumed with 3 new World Champions, 6 silver medals and 3 Bronze medals. !!!CONGRATULATIONS ALL!!!

 

The day of fighting was finished with the vets and forms ceremony. Each World Champion would step onto the podium with their countries flag waving and national anthem being played. Truly an awesome experience that is well deserved for anyone that manages to reach the top!

FIGHT REVIEW

Alex’s debut at the pinnacle level of WAKO Kickboxing in the +94kg Veterans Light Contact Category.

We all know Alex is a big guy. 6ft 4 with arms the same length of his legs and with hits like a mule…..but when his opponent from Austria emerged, Alex was no longer the bigger contender. Suddenly the ring felt very small. Most would have let the clear difference in size affect them mentally and physically, If it did, then Alex did an astounding job in not showing it!

After the first round the Austrian was up by all 3 judges but not by many points, so it was still close. After a pep talk by Leigh Randall and Dwayne Reid in the one minute rest between rounds, Alex came out with all guns blazing.

15 seconds left and GB was up by 2-1 in the judges, the atmosphere was electric and all were cheering him on. The Austrian felt the pressure but managed to land a front kick which took the wind out of Alex and just snuck in a couple of extra shots which took the score 2-1 to Austria in the end.
A valiant performance by Alex Chalke against the number 1 ranked contender and new World Champion. Alex walks away with a head held firmly high and a bronze medal at his first World Championships.
We all, (the MMA instructors, coaches, fellow students, friends and especially his family) could not be more proud of you Alex, rising to the moment and giving it your absolute all! Another true inspiration in camp MMA.

Day 7

 

Finals day for most of the GB competitors. WAKO GB now has 6 world champions. What an achievement, a huge congratulations and well done!

 

To open the 5th day of the championships Roy Baker, President of WAKO, announced a one minute silence to pay respects to the ongoing wars currently going on around the world.

 

7 final rounds for GB today:

PF S M +94 Chris Aston (GBR) vs Johannes Weninger (AUSTRIA)

FC S M -51 Kieran Jones (GBR) vs Furkan Karabulut (ITA)

PF S F -60 Evelyn Neyens (GBR) vs Francesca Ceci (ITA)

FC S M -63.5 John Dalton (GBR) vs Tatu Maunu (FINLAND)

FC S F -60 Tennessee Randall (GBR) vs Kinga Szlachcic (POL)

PF S M -69 Jack Buckley (GBR) vs Timmy Sarantoudis (GER)

PF S M -84 James Meekin (GBR) vs Conor Mcglinchey (IRELAND)

3 out of 7 GB contenders came out of today as a World Champion.

Last day of competing is tomorrow where the rest of the finals take place and also the team events where each country will choose 5 fighters to represent and face off In point fighting matches to be crowned the teams World Champions.

 

Another brilliant day at the WAKO worlds, such a pleasure to be a part of something so prestigious!

Day 8

 

Last day of the WAKO Kickboxing World Championships.

 

With over 1800 competitors and 70 countries it’s been a wild ride! There has been plenty of highs and lows, but above all, the standard has been impeccable. Every country brought their best and every competitor gave it their all.

 

This is the premier league of kickboxing. Earning a medal at a championship like this is a huge achievement. Getting selected and being able to prove that you belong at this level is a feat within itself.

 

Two finals today with one gold and one silver to add to the medal tally. Followed by the team events; the Men’s Point Fighting team fought all the way to the quarter finals where they just lost out against USA, it was a hard fought match against the Americans. However, the Woman’s Point Fighting team pulled it out the bag and became the World Champions in Team Point fighting. An epic battle with the Bulgarians which was masterfully played, well deserved and an impressive display of talent!

 

During the final ceremony they gave out some special awards which GB won 2! Best Tatami coach went to Dwayne Reid who is one of the Light contact coaches & best tatami competitor went to Jack Buckley for his astounding performances in Point Fighting.

 

Both Alex and Benn have done MMA and themselves proud, these experiences will stay with them forever and inspire others to try and achieve the same.

The End

 

Now the championships are over,  the wait, responsibility and pressure has gone. All the fighters can completely relax and reflect on what an amazing week of fighting it has been.

 

But before that……it was time for the official after party!

 

All the competitors from every country flocked to the strips of Portugal to let their hair down and party throughout the night. After a long, intense week it was definitely needed. Come morning, once the dust had settled, it was time to head home.

 

We thought this was the right time to go through some non fighting related highlights:

• At the beginning of the trip we decided to go to the local beach cafe where Alex decided to purchase two pairs for ‘Ray Bons’ sunglasses. As you can imagine it became an ongoing joke.

• Gio introduced us to his glorious magic trick which had very different reactions.

• Once Mike became a World Champion in his category, autographs and photos ensued.

• Benn received a massage from one of his coaches….

• Alex on the pursuit of pistachio ice cream

• Late night punch machine competition with the locals

• teammate got engaged

A few words of thanks…

 

“It was another amazing experience and atmosphere spending the week with world class athletes from all over the globe. I  just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated money to help make this trip possible, it is hugely appreciated as it allows us athletes to continue to do what we love!
So thank you again.”

Benn

 

“Having started martial arts at 12 years old, I never thought I would end up representing my country at a World Kickboxing Championships 30+ years later. It has been an amazing journey and an experience of a lifetime. The highs, the lows and everything in-between has been what makes this special. As many of you will know, this year has been an emotional challenge personally, and this event has provided the focus I required. I may not have come home with the Gold, but to fight at a World level and go toe to toe with the best, has been incredible. The whole event form start to finish was emotionally and physically draining, but worth every minute.

I would like to say a huge thank you to all the MMA team, especially Mr David Cross for his support. I would like to thank everyone who donated to our fundraiser, and to Tania and Elliot for tolerating my constant absence from home while training.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to Leigh Randall, Sean Veira and Duane Reid for their coaching support at a national level, and a special thank you to Lucy Edwards for her personal support throughout. Kickboxing GB has a bright future and I look forward to seeing what 2024 will bring.”

Alex