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The Students’ Union is an independent charity that exists to advance your education at the University of Portsmouth through a range of exciting services and activities. Our mission is to have a positive impact with every Portsmouth student: Students are heard, students are empowered, students thrive.
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Mixed Martial Arts
Activity
UPSU Kickboxing, MMA & BJJ is one of the largest and most active societies in the Students Union with over 150 members last academic year, hosting weekly training sessions and socials. Kickboxing, MMA and BJJ are great ways to exercise as they're fun, interesting, and effective.
We train out of Gym01 based in Fratton. Gym01 is one of the best Martial Arts gyms in the country and especially the south. Active members include ex UFC fighter Phil Harris, as well as rising amateur MMA star, Charlie Hatton. Gym01 has a very friendly atmosphere and everyone is willing to help everyone out, no matter your skill level. You are guaranteed to be learning the best techniques from our experienced coaches, including our MMA coach, Brian Adams, who has coached multiple champions and UFC fighters, also winning Cage Warriors Coach of the Year in 2012. Henry Pike, our BJJ coach is a black belt and fully qualified personal trainer who is FMS certified. Also, our fully qualified Kickboxing coaches Emmeline and Michael originally starting as part of the university team, having gone on to hold black belts and compete in kickboxing.
Our membership currently stands at a £30 joining fee, via the union website. This lasts the whole academic year and includes a free t-shirt with our team logo available in most sizes. Members will also need to pay £7.90 for each session they attend if they don't already have a Gym01 membership. If you hold a Gym01 membership, you can take the Society sessions out of your included sessions for that month by booking onto them.
Training Sessions:
Our sessions consist of a variety of discipline specific exercises including fitness, flexibility, technical drills and some fun and games! When experienced enough, there is also a chance to technical spar with your teammates, to put the techniques you have learnt into practice and see where they fit in within a fight.
All fitness levels are welcome. Please see our Facebook and Instagram page for information about taster sessions, with dates coming soon on both platforms.
A lot of people are worried about coming to a Martial Arts class but there's nothing to worry about. Nobody will make you do anything you don't feel comfortable with. If someone is too aggressive or has too big of an ego and they do not calm down when asked, they will get kicked out. Simple as that. We don't tolerate egos.
Our session times:
Monday:
Strength & Conditioning 19:00 - 20:00 (Student Union)
Wednesday:
BJJ 12:00 - 13:30
Kickboxing 13:45 - 15:15
MMA 15:30 - 16:30
Friday:
Women’s only kickboxing 12:30 - 13:30
Sparring 15:00-16:00
Opportunities:
For those looking for something to work towards or to progress their training, there are plenty of opportunities to compete in interclubs and against other universities. We also have multiple current MMA and Kickboxing fighters in the society, successfully competing on multiple promotions, including the local show ‘Shock N Awe’. You can watch videos of members and ex-members fighting on this show in the link below:
https://youtube.com/@shocknawetv?si=vOJXgEhDIMRSKNnC
If you don't wish to compete but are interested in working on your technique, understanding and fitness, we offer gradings where you can aim towards achieving coloured belts from yellow to black, allowing you to track your progression.
Any questions please don't hesitate to contact us on our social media accounts or by email - kickboxing@upsu.net
Committee Membership 24/25 (5010/168)
Committee Membership until 1 August, 2025. This membership is only for committee members - all other students should sign up for a Full Membership.
Expires on 1 August 2025
Full Membership 24/25 (5010/168)
Full Annual Membership until 1 August, 2025
Expires on 1 August 2025
Contact Us
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Call: 023 9284 3628
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Email: hello@upsu.net
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The University of Portsmouth Students’ Union has a vision of creating a positive impact with every Portsmouth student during their time at University.