Martial Arts in Newcastle City Centre

Newcastle has a long fighting tradition, and you can still feel it in the clubs tucked into the city's old streets and industrial units. Within a short walk or bus ride of Monument there is kickboxing, MMA, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing running most evenings of the week, taught by coaches who have been at it for decades. Whether you want to get fit, learn to look after yourself, find something for the kids or eventually step into a competition, the centre and its fringes have a club for it.

This guide rounds up the martial arts clubs genuinely training in and close to the city centre, what each one teaches and who it suits best. If you are mainly after a general gym with a punchbag in the corner, our guide to the best gyms in Newcastle city centre is a better starting point.

Kickboxing and MMA in the heart of the city

The Advanced Fighting Centre is about as central as martial arts gets in Newcastle. It sits on High Bridge, the narrow lane between Grey Street and the Bigg Market, and has been training fighters since 1993, at this address since 2000. It is family-run, with head coach John Atkin leading a small team of coaches that includes members of his own family.

The timetable covers kickboxing, boxing, MMA and ninjutsu, with a members' open mat for extra practice. What stands out is how well it caters for younger members and newcomers: there are short Terrapins classes for small children, a Tigers and teens class, dedicated teen kickboxing and MMA sessions, and a girls-only kickboxing class on Friday evenings. Rather than a free trial, the club runs a paid taster session so you can try a class before joining.

Best for: city-centre kickboxing and MMA with a strong kids and teens programme and a girls-only class.

Muay Thai, grappling and Kali in the Ouseburn

Down the hill in the Ouseburn Valley, Team Phoenix Martial Arts on Lime Street has been part of the neighbourhood since 2002. It is a little different from a standard fight gym, teaching a blend of systems under its own banner rather than a single style.

Its Infinite Kickboxing classes are built on Muay Thai with elements of Jeet Kune Do and Panantukan (Filipino boxing), while Infinite Grappling draws on shoot wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling and Filipino and Indonesian grappling. There is also Infinite Kali, the Filipino stick and blade arts, for those who want something more unusual. Children are catered for through Phoenix Kids, which teaches ju-jitsu and self-defence basics with a belt grading path. New starters can book a free trial week, which is a generous way to see whether the style suits you.

Best for: adults who want a varied, self-defence-minded mix of striking, grappling and Filipino martial arts.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

If grappling is your main interest, Alliance Jiu Jitsu Newcastle on Rothbury Terrace in Heaton is a short hop east of the centre by bus or Metro. It is an official affiliate of Alliance, one of the most successful competition teams in the history of the sport, which gives members a clear technical lineage and a route into competition if they want one.

BJJ is often described as physical chess: you learn to control and submit a resisting opponent using leverage and position rather than strikes, which makes it a popular choice for people who want realistic training without being punched in the face. The academy runs adult classes alongside kids' beginner BJJ from age six and a more advanced class for older children. A free trial class is available for beginners, booked through the club's website.

Best for: anyone wanting focused Brazilian jiu-jitsu with a respected team behind it, including children from six.

Muay Thai, boxing and MMA in the West End

For a dedicated, full-time fight gym, Northern Kings operates from the Armstrong Industrial Estate off Scotswood Road, a short drive or bus ride west of the centre. It describes itself as Newcastle's leading Muay Thai gym and has been going for more than a decade, with a timetable that has grown to include boxing, MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and combat fitness classes alongside Thai boxing.

The gym has a reputation for producing competitive fighters, but its classes are open to complete beginners too, and the combat fitness sessions are a good way in if you want the workout before the sparring. Being in an industrial unit rather than a city-centre basement also means more space on the mats.

Best for: serious Muay Thai and boxing training, from first session to fight night.

Classes for children

Martial arts are one of the best all-round activities for children, building coordination, confidence and discipline as well as fitness. In and around the centre, the Advanced Fighting Centre runs the widest range, with separate classes for small children, older children and teens. Alliance Jiu Jitsu starts children on BJJ from six, and Team Phoenix teaches ju-jitsu and self-defence through its Phoenix Kids programme. For more ideas after school, see our guide to after-school clubs in Newcastle city centre.

Karate, judo and traditional arts

Traditional styles such as karate, judo and taekwondo are taught across Newcastle, but most clubs run from community centres, schools and sports halls in the suburbs rather than in the city centre itself, and many change venues from year to year. The national governing bodies (the Karate Union of Great Britain, British Judo and British Taekwondo among them) all have club finders on their websites, which are the most reliable way to find an affiliated, insured club near where you live or work.

How to choose the right club

Watch a session before you sign up, and ask a few plain questions. Are the coaches qualified and insured, and is the club affiliated to a recognised governing body? For children, is there a safeguarding policy, and are classes grouped sensibly by age and size? Is sparring optional for beginners? A good club will welcome those questions, offer a trial or taster session and make a first-timer feel at home rather than out of their depth.

Know a martial arts club in or near the city centre that we have missed? Let us know.