The female fight club in Seaham aiming to empower women in male-dominated sport, working on MMA, kick boxing and jiu jitsu skills

Taking place at the TFT gym in Seaham on June 4, the inter-club event will see female combat sport fighters take part to gain experience of competing in the field.

With combat sports being so male-dominated, it can be difficult for women to find opponents to match with and it’s hoped the event will help them take their skills in disciplines such as MMA, kick boxing and jiu jitsu to the next level.

It’s being organised by Katrina King, a trainer at the gym in Strangford Road, which has gained a great reputation for producing successful fighters.

Katrina, who runs a female MMA class at the gym, said: “I want women to be able to step into the event and gain confidence whether that’s at a competitive or non-competitive level.

"As a woman, it can be so difficult to even get matched. If you fight a man, he can either be too nice or too big.”

She added: “For most women, when they go to an MMA gym they can be the only female in there.

“At this event, there will be no winners or losers, just a nice friendly atmosphere. I want to build a community of women who feel confident to train.”

Katrina already has 40 matches for the day, with those competing aged 12 to 50, with space for more, and she says she’s delighted with the response.

"I would have been happy with 10 matches, so I’m over the moon to have 40,” she said. “We have women from all over the country coming along. The more women who take part in combat sports, the better the level of women in the sport, it lifts us all up.”

Katrina says the benefits of combat sports can be far reaching, from health and fitness to boosting mental health and self defence skills.

She said: “Every woman who tries it loves it, it becomes part of their life. I think the most important thing is the mental health benefits because it really boosts confidence. You get all your negative energy out in a positive way. It’s also the closest thing you will get to real life combat so women says it makes them feel like they can handle themselves if they ever need to.

"It makes women feel empowered and in control of themselves.”

The event will also be raising funds for the Coach Core Foundation to raise £3,500 to support a young female apprentice into a sports coaching career.

The funds raised by the women will specifically go towards supporting a young female from the North East into sports coaching employment with the aim of increasing the visibility of women in sport.

:: The Female Fight Club event in TFT gym starts at 11am on June 4. It’s £2 for spectators with proceeds going to Coach Core Foundation.

You can also donate to the fundraising page to support a woman’s coaching career at justgiving.com