Frontline Martial Arts

Frontline Martial Arts was formed by a group of senior grades and students who found that we could no longer train under the framework laid down by the organisation to which we were affiliated. Attempting to stay loyal to the strictly "amateur" code of the arts was no longer possible, so we were forced to look elsewhere.

September 2023
Master James is promoted to 6th Dan, alongside Steve Ballard (3rd Dan), Christian Ferraro (2nd Dan), Rose Evans (2nd Poom), Emily Shelton (1st Dan) and Isaac Ryall (1st Poom).

January 2022
Training videos, featuring all of the line-work requirements for each of the coloured belt grading syllabuses are produced.

May 2021
Mister Des French returns from Spain, resuming training with us again.

May 2021
Formal - in-person training resumes, post Covid-19 lockdown.

September 2020
Master Evans is promoted to 8th Dan GrandMaster by World Chung Do Kwan.

March 2020
Training moves on-line, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

February 2020
Frontline Martial Arts opens another class, on Thursday evenings, in Alveston.

November 2019
Frontline Martial Arts celebrates more Black belt grading success with Mister Ballard gaining his 2nd Dan and Master McGrath gaining his 4th dan.

March 2019
Frontline Martial Arts adds 5 more Black Belts to our lineup and, fresh from his tournament success, Master James gains his 5th Dan Black Belt.

February 2019
At 50, Master James wins a Gold and a Silver medal at the UK Open Championships.

November 2018
Paula and Simon obtain Child Protection certification.

September 2018
Frontline Martial Arts celebrates 10 years of classes in Alveston, South Gloucestershire.

July 2018
Sensei Alex Field of the University of Gloucestershire Jiu Jitsu club, visited our dojang to give us an introductory session of Jiu Jitsu, as part of our guest instructor programme.

July 2018
Sadly, the Ninja Niños class, in Horfield, has had to close. Andy Morris has been running this class for 3 years but now, due to other commitments, he is unable to continue running the class.

July 2018
By popular demand, Master James and Mister Tovey host another series of womens self-defence sessions in Downend, Bristol.

May 2018
A second "in-house" tournament is held at the Alveston Youth Centre, giving the Juniors and the Mighty Mites an introduction to competition Taekwondo.

January 2018
Mister Andrew McGrath (2nd Dan Tang Soo Do and 1st Dan Yun Jung Do) joins the team.

December 2017
The "Ninja Niños" hosted an in-house tournament, to give them their first taste of competition Taekwondo.

November 2017
The "Mighty Mites" class moves to the Alveston Youth Centre, allowing us to provide a larger matted space to train on.

June 2017
Master Evans and Master James host a series of womens self-defence seminars in Downend, Bristol.

May 2017
We take delivery of 12 new mats, now allowing us to set up 2 6m x 6m rings.

January 2017
Frontline Martial Arts are invited to give a demonstration at the Alveston Youth Centre Open Morning, a showcase event for all community groups in Alveston.

October 2016
Both Master Evans and Mister Morris complete formal First Aid training. All of our team of instructors are now First Aid trained.

October 2016
Our training now starts to include training in traditional weapons - particularly the sword, short staff and Junsado sticks.

March 2016
Frontline Martial Arts take delivery of 24 new mats, funded by the Alveston Parish Council Grant Aid. Many thanks to the council for their generosity.

January 2016
Frontline Martial Arts is approved for Grant Aid, by Alveston Parish Council. This allows us to increase our matted space to 60 square metres.

January 2016
Master Evans and Mister Morris host the first of a series of self-defence classes for women, in the Alveston Youth Centre, at the request of a local community group.

November 2015
Master Evans, Master James and Mister Morris took the first step towards formal coaching qualifications.

October 2015
Mister Andrew Morris has opened a new class, in Horfield, Bristol, for children aged 4 - 7.
The "Ninja Niños" offers an introduction to martial arts, teaching self-defence with a mix of fun games and traditional training.

August 2015
UK Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo formally resigns it's Kukkiwon affiliation in favour of closer ties to World Chung Do Kwan.

June 2015
Master Evans paid a visit to his original instructor's new dojang. This was the first time Master Evans had trained in GrandMaster Davies' school in roughly 15 years.

November 2014
Master Simon Evans is invited to run a series of seminars in sport martial arts and self-defence, for the year 11 pupils at Marlwood School, in Alveston, South Gloucestershire.

November 2014
Master Simon Evans is promoted to 7th Dan by the senior masters of the World Chun Kuhn Taekwondo Federation, in a special ceremony in Newbury.

August 2014
Master Mark James is promoted to 4th Dan black belt and Mister Steve Ballard receives his 1st Dan black belt, in the 6th black belt grading hosted by Frontline Martial Arts.

June 2014
The Alveston Mighty Mites class, for under 10s, celebrates it's 5th birthday.

March 2014
Taekwondo England releases a statement, confirming that that they are only interested in promoting Taekwondo as a sport, not as a Martial Art. Following this, Frontline Martial Arts relinquish our membership of Taekwond England, joining the newly formed UK Taekwondo Commission.

September 2013
Regular competition style training sessions begin.

September 2013
After discussion with the club members, Frontline Martial Arts become Full Members of UK Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo and Taekwondo England, following the expiry of our AMA membership.

August 2013
Frontline Martial Arts take delivery of 36m2 of training mats.

August 2013
Des, Michelle, Connor and Lewis French return from Spain and resume training with Frontline Martial Arts.

May 2013
Master Evans is invited to train with former World #1 Aaron Cook.

April 2013
Frontline Martial Arts host our second guest instructor, with a seminar in Wing Chun Kung Fu from Sifu Neil Young of Bristol Ving Tsun Academy.

December 2012
Frontline Martial Arts holds it's fifth Dan grading, promoting Demelza Emmerton, Megan Day, Graham Brook, David Kingsland-Wain and Jacob Ford to 1st Dan and Mike Tovey to 2nd Dan.

April 2012
Frontline Martial Arts begins a series of regular sessions with guest instructors from other styles of martial arts, with an intructory session of Aikido from Sensei Dave Reynolds of Thornbury Aikido.

April 2012
Frontline Martial Arts become Associate Members of UK Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo.

January 2012
Mister David Kingsland-Wain qualifies as an ABA boxing coach.

May 2011
Master Simon Evans and Mister Andrew Morris qualify as 1st and 2nd Class WTF style tournament referees.

October 2010
Mister Des French opens the Mixed Martial Arts Academy, in Spain.

October 2010
Master Evans is promoted to 6th Dan by the senior examiners of the British Council for Korean Martial Arts.

March 2010
A fourth Dan grading promotes Mr Des French, Mr Connor French, Mr Andrew Morris and Mr Mark Coombs to 2nd Dan.

December 2009
Mr Lewis French is promoted to 1st Dan in Frontline Martial Arts' third Dan grading.

June 2009
"Mighty Mites" - training for children aged 5 - 9 opens in the Jubilee Hall at Alveston, South Gloucestershire.

March 2009
Frontline Martial Arts holds it's second Black Belt grading - promoting Mr Des French and Mr Connor French to 1st Dan.

September 2008
A second training class opens in Alveston, South Gloucestershire.

October 2007
Frontline Martial Arts undertakes it's first Black Belt grading - promoting Mr Mike Tovey and Mr Mark Coombs to 1st Dan.

May 2007
The Rotunda Club ceases trading, forcing us to find a new venue.

Training begins in Studio 1 of the Kingswood Foundation Limited, a fully equipped dance studio, providing an excellent training venue, including changing and shower facilities.

April 2005
The school's registration with the BTCB expires. After consultation with the members, we register with the Amateur Martial Association (AMA). As a truly multi-style organisation, this gives us the freedom to "cross-train" in other styles of martial arts. Coinciding with this, the school changes name to "Frontline Martial Arts".

Feb 2005
Following a training seminar, run by the senior instructors at the BTCB, we conclude that they are moving away from the martial side of training and concentrating, in our opinion, too much on the sports side.

Reading through the BTCB's insurance policy, it also seems to restrict each member's training to exclusively Taekwondo. We recognise that other styles also offer something positive.

April 2003
The school moves to the Rotunda Club, a night club / party venue in Kingswood, Bristol. The facilities are basic but it does give the adult members a chance to go for a drink in the bar downstairs after training !

July 1999
Frontline Martial Arts begin training in the gym at Speedwell School, Bristol, originally under the name of "Frontline Taekwondo", after registering with the British Taekwondo Control Board.