“I have been training with Gav since November 2015 and have loved every second. Gav always demonstrates: – Extreme attention to detail to master all techniques – A variety of martial arts including jujitsu, karate, boxing, kickboxing and judo – working different aspects each week to combat boredom – Top psychology knowledge to keep you positive and in an successful frame of mind due to his NLP training – Great goal setting objectives in the short, medium and long term to ensure success Topped off with a great sense of humour to make for a fun and challenging session every Friday. I would 100% recommend to any beginner or experienced fighter.”

Tom Bennett

“Been training with Gavin for about 10 weeks now, had 20 or so private lessons and some mixed classes. Have to say there is never a problem in explaining in detail why certain moves are done both in striking, ground work and locks and holds.  Although I’ve been doing martial arts for over 25 years there is always something new to learn and when you go to a new club sometimes it can be difficult but lessons here are always carried out to a quite meticulous regime of warm up, stretching followed by the lesson and then warm down and always with the help of one of his two sons Tristan or Corin , I would have no problem recommending this gym to anybody of all ages as the training is always carried in an atmosphere of confidence and trust. All you have to do is turn up and work hard and listen.”

Graham McDonald

“The private lessons are geared towards the individual’s need, in my case this was more about developing my own self confidence to handle everyday situations rather then any particular fitness plan or fight technique. I have found that simply standing up for myself in a financial situation more than paid for the cost of my sessions and has given me the self reliance to try new things and open myself up to new experiences in my life.”

Christopher John Edge B.A (Hons)

“I was about sixty years of age when I first met Gavin Smith about three years ago when I needed to buy some gloves for a punch bag that I had bought off the net. I went to Gavin’s and found out that he did personal martial arts training and I signed up. Best thing I ever did.

When we started I was overweight, unfit, slow and didn’t have a clue how to address any situation that required opposition to force. With Gavin’s patience and his lessons tailored to my physical and psychological strengths and weaknesses I started to improve. In my case it was slow and hard work to start with as it is difficult to adapt an old body with an established mind set but then it gathered pace…

But he did it.

With his structured guidance my fitness increased dramatically, my body became more supple, I had much quicker responses, my confidence increased and of course I acquired a martial arts repertoire built around my abilities.If you want to add fitness and confidence to your life – go to Gavin Smith.”

David Jaundrell

“I started personal MMA training with Gavin for a couple of reasons. Firstly because I travel a lot and wanted to learn how to effectively defend myself and my family when we are abroad should any confrontational circumstances arise (as they sometimes do). Secondly, I’ve always wanted to learn martial arts but was never keen on the traditional kata based martial arts disciplines taught in large classes. I was keen to get a more tailored training program so that I could progress at my speed rather than everyone else’s and so that I’d be able to focus on learning and applying the practical aspects of fighting rather than learning primarily choreographed sequences of moves as when I’d briefly tried Karate previously.

In my first 9 months of training I’ve made far more progress than I ever could have reasonably expected. From having virtually no prior experience; my fitness, technique, balance, co-ordination and confidence have improved more than I imagined possible in such a short time and I now feel confident in all aspects of fighting – both standing up and on the ground. The classes evolve as I do, so as I progress, the degree of difficulty is increased which means the training doesnt get dull or stale, and its always challenging. Originally I was only interested in the standup aspects of the training but the more I’ve trained, the more I’ve enjoyed doing the groundwork (jiu jitsu) as well. I also find that training one on one makes it far easier to learn the techniques correctly, particularly in the jiu jitsu, compared to group learning.

I would highly recommend private classes at Combat Athlete either on their own or in addition to the group classes.”
James Bridges