Navy host Warrington sparring workshop 'empowering' women and girls through martial arts
More to 40 women and girls have taken part in a groundbreaking Royal Navy hosted combat sports workshop in Warrington, designed to empower and boost confidence by an introduction into martial arts.
The women-only sparring event saw participants take on military fitness, discipline, teamwork and core values training, all delivered in a safe environment to encourage women and girls to build confidence, resilience and self-belief.
The event was hosted in partnership with Royal Navy Combat Sisters, Ms Muay Thai and Unity Thai Boxing, with the aim of supporting a wider campaign to end violence against women and girls.
Empowering women through martial arts
Royal Navy leading physical training (LPT) instructor Sophie Colbourn, who is an accomplished boxer and football player for the Senior Service, said that the event was a rare opportunity to "empower women to feel confident and be around the martial arts community".
She added: "I've come down to support the team today. I think it's very important that we get these women in the gym to empower them to do a little bit more and make them feel good.
"I think it's an absolutely fantastic idea. It allows them to expose themselves a little bit and feel confident with what they're doing."
British Muay Thai kickboxer and Combat Sisters ambassador Amber Kitchen was a special guest at the event.
A safe space
She said: "So I strongly believe it's important to have women's only sessions, different women empowering each other, it makes everyone come out of their shell a bit more.
"Obviously in the gym it's very male dominated, so to have a safe space where all ages can come, different women empowering each other and have a fun day with it, it's just perfect, it's what the sport needs."
The Royal Navy also worked alongside The Jessica Project as part of its work supporting the wider campaign to end violence against women and girls.
The Jessica Project is a survivor-led not for profit organisation supporting recovery from sexual violence and domestic abuse.
The Combat Sisters was the latest community project in northern England to be driven by Royal Marines and Royal Navy personnel.
It builds on the combat sports initiative – tackling knife and gang crime in major cities – and has been running for more than two years.
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