Kojo Lewis

Muay Thai/Kickboxing/Boxing/Catch Wrestling/Escrima/BJJ Coach

EARLY DAYS

My journey began in 1991 when I joined the family tradition of Goju-Ryu Karate. I went on to study the art for 9 years, achieving my brown belt and competing in numerous tournaments at domestic level as well as trying out for the England Squad.

I started integrating Kickboxing, Thai Boxing and Wing Chun Kung Fu into my training from 1997 up until I graduated from college in 2003.

I officially started Amateur Boxing  in 2003, joining Honour Oak ABC in Catford South London under The late Tom Arscot. Although I showed promise in Boxing, fate had other ideas once I learned of a sport called MMA!

MMA JOURNEY

2004 to 2019 I trained and competed in MMA at both Amateur and professional level. My years as an amateur were spent with Zt Fight Skool in Hove under Form pro MMA Fighter and Pro Boxer Sol Gilbert then going onto London Shootfighters With renowned Coaches Paul Ivens and Alexis Demetriades.

I turned professional in Dec 2009 with Team Titan under Mickey Papas, UFC fighter Brad Picket and Bellator Veteran, Ash Grimshaw. Over the next decade I’d go on to have 13 pro fights, finishing up with an 8-5-0 record.

I’m greatful to have made it to the World stage back in 2019 after years of graft. Sharing the cage with top class athletes and the eventually fighting for Bellator here in my home town at Wembley Arena. Unfortunately my fight for Bellator would be my last as I tore my ACL seconds into the bout. Perhaps a cruel way to end a career. However it’s lead me to a more fulfilling life of service as a coach.

LIFE AFTER PROFESSIONAL FIGHTING

Towards the back end of my MMA career, I further developed my kickboxing and Filipino Martial Arts.

In 2018 I achieved my 1st Degree Black Belt in CFS (hybrid) Kickboxing under Sifu Dave Onuma. The CFS kickboxing program is unique comprising of methods and techniques from Jun Fan Gung fu (Bruce Lee’s art of Chinese KIckboxing), Filipino Martial Arts, Muay Thai and Silat.

Since retiring from MMA, I delved deeper into my passions of Flilipino Martial Arts, Catch Wrestling & Boxing.

Over the past few years I’ve been intensely studying a Filipino Martial Art called Balintawak under my Instructor Paul Dee. Balintawak is a close quarter, reaction based system specialising in single stick, knife, improvised weapons and Filipino Boxing. Balintawak is a great system it’s has fast become a great passion of mine as the art truly fuses the worlds of practicality and artistic expression amazingly well!

CATCH WRESTLING

I began my Catch Wrestling Journey in Oct 2018 at the Snake Pit in wigan, Attaining my Level 1 & 2 Accreditation in March 2023 under coach Roy Wood.

Alongside this I also trained in Combat Submission Wrestling, and alternative Submission Grappling system created by Erik Paulson, being a hybrid of Catch Wrestling, Judo and Brazilian Ju-jitsu. I’m fortunate enough to have trained with 2 of Sensei Erik’s top Affiliates; Chris Crossan and James E Nicolle.

In 2023, I also earned the honour of being an affiliate Catch Wrestling coach Under Les Allen, a submission wrestling legend who was coached under fellow legend and UFC World Champ Frank Shamrock. Coach Les also graded me with a Blue belt in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu (Carlson Gracie lineage).

My role as a coach is one I take on with passion and sincerity. I aim to give my students the best of what was taught to me as well as my own revised insights on the world of Martial Arts.