Rebecca Kane's got girl power - and her own Martial Arts academy

Sep 30 2009 By Hilarie Stelfox

On the flyers for her new martial arts academy, Rebecca Kane uses the slogan “You don’t have to be the big guy’’ alongside a photograph of her 5ft 1ins self. She wants to prove that anyone, no matter how big, small, young or old can benefit from learning a martial art. Hilarie Stelfox reports

IT IS one of martial arts expert Rebecca Kane’s ambitions to see whole families training together at her new academy.

The reason? She firmly believes that martial arts can benefit everyone.

“You can start at any age and it’s good for parents and children to train together,” she said.

“It strengthens family bonds and promotes self defence and confidence.”

Rebecca, 24, knows what she’s talking about as she has been practising martial arts since she was just eight-year-old and is a British, European and International champion.

A woman of many talents, Rebecca, of Crosland Moor, is also a champion Irish dancer and has a degree in English and History from Huddersfield University.

It was while at university that she started the Kane Academy of Martial Arts. It is through the university’s Business Mine and a start-up grant of £2,400 that she has been able to move into her own premises in Huddersfield.

“I started a martial arts club as a way of getting an extra training session for myself,” she said. “All the money I took went straight back into the club. I never paid myself a wage.”

Ironically, it was only the closure of Cambridge Road Baths a few years ago that stopped Rebecca from pursuing a swimming career.

She said: “I was probably going towards being a swimming instructor and then the baths closed and I didn’t like the Sports Centre pool so I switched to martial arts.”

During her time as an undergraduate she took five world titles in Filipino martial arts at three world championships.

But in the last year of her degree she suffered a major health setback which threatened her fitness and ability to compete.

“I was feeling really tired all the time and had started putting on weight despite all the exercise I was getting,” she said.

“I discovered that I had an under-active thyroid problem which is something that is genetic and runs in Southern Irish families. I’m now on thyroxin.”

Rebecca also works part-time in a supermarket as well as running her club and studying.

As she recovered her health she had the time to think about which direction she really wanted to take – she’d been intending to go into teaching – and decided to run her academy full-time instead.

The Kane Academy is based in the Perseverance Mills on Lockwood Scar in Lockwood and Rebecca is hoping it will be fully refurbished and kitted out by next January.