OUR STORY

Black Dragon Blitzers was founded in Yate in August 1998 by Rita Ogden, with the help and guidance of Master Richard Hopkins, founder and president of the World United Martial Arts Federation (WUMA).

RITA OGDEN – FOUNDER
Rita is a 2nd Dan black belt in Wado Ryu Karate, a 7th Dan black belt in Hop Kuin Do Kickboxing and a 1st Dan in Zen Shin Do Samurai Sword. During her martial arts career, she has taught semi-contact, light-continuous and full-contact sparring, traditional kata, self-defence, weapons and creative forms to music. Her achievements include the WUMA Most Successful Female Instructor award, international refereeing and qualification as a martial arts medic.

MATT OGDEN – CLUB LEADER
Matt began training at the age of four and has dedicated his life to martial arts. He holds a 2nd-degree black belt in Wado Ryu Karate and a 7th-degree black belt in Hop Kuin Do Kickboxing. Matt has won six world championship titles, achieved numerous competition successes and earned a place in the martial arts Hall of Fame. He has also worked as a martial arts actor and is a founding member of the Double Dragon Fight Stunt Team.

Today, Matt leads Black Dragon Blitzers with Rita’s continued guidance and support. The club welcomes children, teenagers and adults of all abilities, whether they want to improve their fitness, build confidence, progress through their belts or compete. Our instructors help every student train safely, develop at their own pace and achieve more than they thought possible.

All Videos

Greece 2008 World Championships - Creative Kata - Matt Ogden

02:11

Matthew Ogden Points Fighting

01:39

matt ogden kickboxing

01:13

Matt Ogden points fight Feb 2010

02:22

OUR METHOD

What We Do

WHAT WE TEACH
Black Dragon Blitzers provides structured kickboxing training for children, teenagers and adults, from complete beginners to experienced competitors. Weekly classes run from Monday to Friday at Yate Gym, Stanshawes Court, and Bailey’s Court Primary School in Bradley Stoke.

Our classes develop fitness, confidence and practical martial arts skills through punching and kicking techniques, blocking, padwork, self-defence, kata, weapons, sparring and syllabus training.

ELITE SQUAD TRAINING
Monday Elite Squad sessions focus on advanced sparring, competition preparation and full-contact training. These sessions are exclusively for Platinum Plan members; Silver and Gold memberships do not include Monday training.

SEMINARS
We also run focused seminars covering individual martial arts disciplines. Dates and booking information are published on our Seminars page.

GETTING STARTED
Your first taster session is free. After your trial, choose the Silver, Gold or Platinum monthly plan that best suits your training. A one-off £65 lifetime BDB membership is also required and includes a club training T-shirt and training trousers. A WUMA licence and insurance costs £25 per year.

Students must have suitable protective equipment before taking part in sparring. As you progress, use the BDB syllabus to practise your techniques between classes and prepare for gradings. Our instructors will help you choose the right equipment and support you throughout your training.