LAST month two members of the South West Kickboxing Academy successfully passed their latest gradings.

Lauren Hutchings successfully passed her second grading, showing big improvements in her training and new confidences over the past 12 months to earn her yellow belt.

The other successful graded member was head coach Steve Lilley earning his fourth dan whist away as at Martial Arts All Styles (MAAS) weekend. During the weekend Steve spent Saturday helping training kick boxers to become referee's and judges and then on the Sunday successfully passed his fourth dan grading and started on his path to his Shodan-Ho in Spirit Combat by beginning to learn the children's syllabus which doubles up as a women's self-defence programme.

Steve is hoping to launch Spirit Combat classes, women only self-defence classes and further kickboxing classes in 2014 in the west Devon and East Cornwall areas.