A local kickboxing expert has become a world champion, after taking up the sport at the age of ten.
Dan Cooke took Gold while representing Team GB at The World Martial Arts Games in Oslo.
Dan began kickboxing in the 90s as his best mate was ‘massively into’ film by martial arts star Jean Claude Van Damme.
“He was my best mate, so I went along to class with him,” he explained.
Both boys loved the sport and eight years later Dan got his first black belt.
“I swear it [kickboxing] kept me out of trouble when I was younger,” he said. “The discipline and always having something to aim towards.”
After the age of 18 Dan started to have more success in tournaments and represented Great Britain at the World Championships in Prague taking, a Bronze medal there in 2000.
Through his 20s and 30s he continued to train and began to teach kickboxing as well but cut down on competing.
He moved to west Wales 10 years ago and set up classes in Newcastle Emlyn and Llandysul and in 2018 took a double gold at the Welsh Rumble.
Last year, at the age of 45, Dan thought he would give competing one last shot.
“I decided I had one last tournament in me,” said Dan. “I wanted to have one last go but really it was to finally prove to myself I’ve got past fighting and need to focus on my students and live vicariously through their achievements.”
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He entered the Midlands Open held in Kettering which was also a qualifier for Team GB.
“I went along old, overweight and under-fit,” said Dan. “But many decades of training were still with me and I left the tournament with double gold, winning both events I entered.”
In January Dan got an invite to try out for Team GB.
“I decided at this point if I was going for it, I was really going for it,” said Dan. “Clean healthy living. I lost four stone and trained like mad.”
Dan was accepted onto the team and began training.
“Being in the team meant I think have trained harder for this than I did 25 years ago,” said Dan. “In the run up I won the Welsh open also which was a good sign things were going well training-wise.”
In Oslo Dan competed in two categories; Super Heavyweight, Black Belt Points and Super Heavyweight, Black Belt Continuous.
He won the Points competition and took a Bronze in the Continuous.
“Becoming world champion almost 25 years to the day after taking a bronze before was an amazing feeling,” he said.
Dan now teaches at Lampeter Wellbeing Centre.
“It’s nice to show my students that I can still do the things I am teaching and training them to do,” he said.
Since the World Games Dan has been asked coach for the Welsh students for Team GB, a ‘surprise and an honour’ He is also focussing on attaining his Fourth Degree Black Belt.
“I am looking forward to 2026. To see what comes for me but also my students,” said Dan
Dan’s classes are at the Lampeter Wellbeing Centre on Monday Wednesday and Thursday. 7-8pm. They are still only £5 a session.
“Kickboxing might be life but it’s not my livelihood, so I like to keep it affordable to as many as possible,” he said.
