‘Amazingly Inclusive’ Martial Arts Club Celebrated

A martial arts club where students “kick and punch with love and respect” has been recognised for its inclusive support of the community.

Nam Yang, based on London Road in Brighton, was presented with a Parent Carers’ Council award for excellence in the charity and voluntary sector.

Sam Byford-Winter, co-founder of Nam Yang, thanked instructors and volunteers for their “amazing” work to make the outreach work a reality.

Anita, whose son Josh attends classes, nominated “unsung heroes” Nam Yang for the award because of how “amazingly inclusive” the club is.

Josh started training with Nam Yang during the pandemic as part of a collaboration with Brighton Table Tennis Club, something that Anita says, “saved our lives”.

At first, Nam Yang ran private sessions at Josh’s home, but over time he was able to attend a weekly session at the gym in a mixed class.

“It’s given us all a sense of belonging, a sense of community,” she said.

Nam Yang’s diverse club membership includes people with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers, members of the LGBTQ+ community and those from low-income households.

Anita has seen more than just the physical benefits of attending sessions adding that being welcomed in has also helped build Josh’s confidence.

She said: “If you are a part of one thing, it’s a gateway to feeling a part of everything.”

Inclusion and integration are central to the club with mixed ages, abilities and backgrounds training together.

Sam said this made people more “accepting and understanding of everybody’s needs”.

“It’s really lovely to have that nice balance of a national champion training in the same room as somebody with Down’s syndrome,” he added.

“If all we teach people at the end of the day is to kick and punch, then I think we’ve failed them a little bit.”

The club also works closely with local charities including supporting a volunteer-run scheme which provides meals and entertainment for adults with learning disabilities.

It previously gained recognition nationally, becoming the UK’s first martial arts “Club of Sanctuary” for its support of refugees and asylum seekers.

Sam remains committed that martial arts should be accessible and inclusive for all and that “nobody should be left behind”.

“We have a saying that we kick and punch each other with love and respect, and that sums us up quite nicely,” he said.