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GRADINGS
We grade the children 3 times a year if they are ready. Gradings give children focus and maintain motivation. They work from beginner level all the way to Black Belt. They are given a syllabus with all they need to know on joining, we also have online learning to aid them. The kids love achieving their next colour levels and getting their stars or new t-shirts for passing their gradings.
T4 LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME
T4 Leadership programme is building the leaders of tomorrow. We take a group of students from 8yrs upwards and teach them marketing, communication, customer relationships, presentation, photography, first aid and much more... They get to join the instructors and help out in classes and receive monthly T4 training. It is free to partake and available to any willing student.
SQUAD SPARRING
Squad sparring takes place once a month and is for those students that want to take the sport side of their martial arts training further. We run an intense fight class where we really develop their fighting skills and take them to the next level above their other students. The sessions are tough but the kids love it!
FOR 3 - 5 YEARS OLD
NINJA SKILLZ CLASS
This is our Martial Arts programme for 3 - 5 yrs. This focuses on developing the little ones skills through play and fun. We work on balance, coordination, respect, listening, and of course lots of awesome ninja skills.
The classes are 30 mins and parents can join in with the little ones to help them find their way.
We see children massively grow in confidence in this class, and when they move up to the older class you can see a huge difference in their skills and abilities compared to the other children.
These sessions are very popular with parents and children alike.
LITTLE NINJAS CLASS
FOR 6 - 8 YEARS OLD
Our martial arts class for 6 - 8yrs starts to develop the children's fighting abilities as the work through the grading programme on their path towards a black belt.
We still play plenty of games to help develop core skills and the children work at their own pace building confidence and ability. Everything is handled in an age appropriate way, as we deal with subjects of bullying and self defence.
The children really have a great time and we are blown away by how quickly they learn and how skilled some of them are at this age, they are a joy to teach.
We work on a 1:6 student to instructor ratio.
CHILDREN'S MARTIAL ARTS
Whether it is FUN, FITNESS or FIGHTING, we've got your back!
Our Children's Martial Arts programme teaches children respect, discipline, integrity and how to defend themselves.
If you want to give your child some amazing skills to prosper in life then we are here to help!
We focus a lot on stand up striking skills, punching and kicking, taken from our kickboxing syllabus. We practice this in partner drills, on pads and with sparring.
We take the kicks from Karate and blend it with Western Boxing. The children love getting their protective kit on and getting stuck in.
STRIKING
Fitness is a massive part of the training we do. We always get the children warmed up with lots of exercises on the mats and then the training itself gets then really fit, strong and flexible. The martial Arts we teach means they get a great full body workout and really develop balance, coordination and control.
FITNESS
We use focus mits and kickshields to develop the childrens striking techniques, speed and power. This is a safe way for them to develop the timing and accuracy too.
We often work in very small groups with good ratios of instructors to children so they are kept as active on the pads as they can in a session.
PAD WORK
We compliment our stand up skills with wrestling techniques and training. Mixed with Judo and Jui Jitsu skills we aim to help the children develop the ability to defend themselves if grabbed or thrown about. The focus is on self defence and not sport in this part of our martial arts training.
WRESTLING
Sparring is an essential part to the training we do (6yrs upwards) as it builds the children's spirit, confidence and grit. Getting over the fear of being hit is so important in enabling the children to avoid confrontation or deal with it confidently if they have to.
This is the 'sport' aspect of our martial arts training. Children can enter competitions and take the sport as far as they wish, or just do it in class as part of their training. They are fully supervised, wear protective equipment and contact is kept light.
SPARRING
There is an old martial arts saying that the weapon educates the hand. So we use stick fighting techniques from Kali, a Filipino martial art, to build the childrens coordination and skill. Our Stick Ninja programme was developed to enable the children to train at home and work through a series of training videos in their own time. Grading is optional but we all train sticks in class most weeks.
STICK NINJAS
RESPECT
DISCIPLINE
HONESTY
FOCUS
CAN DO ATTITUDE
THE CDA WAY.
We expect our students to display the following traits at all times, to everyone they meet and through everything they do.
This is how they will find the path to becoming a Black Belt and to becoming a better person, this is the CDA Way.
FUN AND ENGAGING TRAINING IN A FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT
AT COMBINED DEFENSIVE ARTS WE MAKE EVERYONE FEEL WELCOME
We know it can be daunting starting something new, especially Martial Arts classes, many people fear it will not be a friendly place to train. This is why we offer a no obligation 2 week free trial, and guarantee a warm welcome.
Our staff will settle your child in and help you learn through our structured and progressive programme.
Fill in the form and get your trial booked today.
We teach children to be FIT, STRONG and able to DEFEND themselves. As well as being KIND, HONEST and RESPECTFUL.
This is how we approach our training, and this is what makes our students love coming to train at CDA.
Our Cheltenham based children's martial arts classes are for children aged from 3 - 14 years old. We teach practical martial art techniques mixed with kickboxing in a fun, safe and engaging environment, that teaches children how to stay safe.
We believe that Martial Arts is for life, not just a hobby, as it gives so much to us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. We are passionate about Martial Arts and this shows in our teaching. The CDA family is something we are truly proud of and we just know your child will love coming to train with us.
Angie
Our kids attend CDA classes and in each class each child is made to feel welcome, an important part of the team and are taught mutual respect, self defence skills and the importance of trying hard. Plus they are getting fitter, having a laugh and their confidence is blooming. Thank you.
Phillip
Combined Defensive Arts is a fantastic club. From day one incredibly friendly and welcoming and without egos. My son attends the children's ninja skills class. He had separation anxiety which was affecting his school work but Lee and the class has helped incredibly with this. Again, from the start he loved the class and it's boosted his confidence in all aspects including school.
HONESTY
RESPECT
DISCIPLINE
FOCUS
CAN-DO-ATTITUDE
JUNIORS CLASS
FOR 9 - 14 YEARS OLD
This is our martial arts class for older children aged 9 - 14yrs.
We are all about developing the martial arts skills of our students through fun and engaging drills and exercises. We focus more on sparring, grappling and stick work at this age as the likely need of the skills we teach them is increased.
We have a full grading syllabus, regular sparring sessions and good hard physical workouts.
These are our busiest classes and we have children that have been with us for years mixed with complete beginners.
We work on a 1:7 instructor to student ratio.
Do i have to sign a contract?
NO, you can leave at any time (although we hope you won't), we charge on a monthly basis with flexible fee options depending on how often your child trains. If they decide at some stage they want to leave (we know what kids can be like) then just let us know and we can cancel your membership.
Can i have a FREE trial?
YES we offer a no obligation 2 week FREE trial to try out our martial arts, kickboxing, self defence and children's classes.
Just fill out the contact form and we will be in touch.
You can train as much as you want in any class for 2 weeks for FREE.
My child is quite shy, can i stay and watch?
YES, during the 2 week trial you are allowed on the mats to sit with them and watch (or help with the younger ones), after the trial you can sit in the waiting area and view the class on our TV screen to see how they are getting on. All our instructors are very welcoming and we know how to help the shy children settle in. We have had years of experience and some of the shy children are now our most confident.
Do i need to buy lots of expensive kit?
NO, initially we can lend some kit to your child, but we also sell the kit they need at very reasonable prices, which can be purchased a piece at a time. We also give discounts when you first join up. Your child gets a uniform with their joining package too.
YES, we are open all year except for Bank Holidays, 2 weeks at x-mas and 2 weeks in the summer. Other than that we are open and also put extra session on in the holidays. Your membership fees are based on a 48 week year.
Do you run classes all year around?
Frequently Asked Questions!
