After a successful three Style Martial Arts Charity Seminar last year, three Midsomer Norton instructors followed up recently with another event. Sifu Keith McKay Cormack (Kung Fu), Derek Skidmore (PUMA Taekwondo) and Sensei Charlie Wildish (Holistic Karate) took turns to teach a multi-style group of martial artists from all over Wales and the South West.

Derek Skidmore’s Taekwondo School is part of the Professional Unification of Martial Arts (PUMA), which is one the largest Taekwondo groups in the UK and was founded in the Bath/Bristol area. For over a decade, PUMA have supported a fledgling Taekwondo group in Ghana. Being a poor country, no top instructors were interested in teaching in Ghana, so it is difficult for them to get the level of instruction that we take for granted in the UK. After appeals for help, PUMA responded and took the Ghanian group under its wing. For over a decade, PUMA have regularly sent out their top instructors (at their own expense), helped fund and build a Dojang (TKD training hall) and has been involved with lobbying local Ghanian businesses, tribal chiefs, police and others, to ensure ongoing support for the Ghanian Taekwondo group, from both Ghana and the UK.

Although not a member of PUMA himself, event organiser, Sensei Charlie Wildish, explained: “Martial arts have so much to offer people, especially children, in terms of confidence, mental and physical development, focus, discipline and so much more. These qualities and values are important to any society, but probably more so in a poor country where it takes a lot of determination and drive to make something of yourself and be a valuable member of society. Martial arts training is a great vehicle to help achieve these things, and that is why I was very keen to help this PUMA charity.”

Describing the event itself, PUMA Taekwondo instructor Derek Skidmore added: “On our second charity seminar, all the students thoroughly enjoyed getting an insight into other styles of martial arts. We had a large number of children and adults, along with some parents attending and that was great to see. Add to that, raising £300 for a fantastic cause makes it more worthwhile. Thanks to Charlie for his help and support organising it, and suggesting our own PUMA charity benefiting financially. We all look forward to the next fundraiser.”

Sifu Keith McKay Cormack added: “This was yet again a cracking multi-style charity event, with people of all grades from three martial arts gleaning great practical and new applications from each other. It demonstrated a collaborative and open-minded approach, which was really good fun and very respectful of each other.

“A big thank you to Charlie Wildish and Derek Skidmore for their great martial insights, as well as the hard work organising the event – I am really looking forward to the next one!”