17/06/2026
What a massive day for Combat Base North East last week .
We kicked things off with some promotions, always the best way to start any Seminar.
First up, a huge moment for the club as Lee Carr, Adam Raine, and Chris Campbell earned their black belts.
Chris Campbell is someone I’ve trained with for 25 years. A true veteran of CBNE with experience in both grappling and MMA. Decades of commitment, consistency, and loyalty to the mats.
Lee Carr, also an accomplished grappler and mixed martial artist, always pushing himself and I am really impressed and proud of him now teaching his own No-Gi class.
Adam Raine 1 of the 3 musketeers as I call them. As technical a grappler as you’ll come across. Sharp, precise, and dedicated to refining his art. I have known him since he was a young lad and has always had great ethics and morales to match his grappling skills….I am really pleased he wasn’t put off by my mischief and practical jokes on his first session.
All three not only train hard but they teach and share their knowledge, helping to shape the next generation at CBNE. Couldn’t be prouder of them.
Next up, Adam Lowes earning his 1st degree black belt. A serial BJJ competitor who’s stepped onto the mats at all the major competitions, constantly looking to test himself against the best and always looking to improve.
We rounded out the promotions with Laurie Major, promoted up to 2nd degree black belt. A senior member of the team who’s still sparring hard at 61 (what an inspiration), and also a black belt in Judo. This one is special for me as Laurie’s dad was one of my Judo coaches when I first started my grappling journey over 40 years ago. To promote Laurie today is something that genuinely means a lot.
With the celebrations flowing, we moved straight into an excellent seminar led by the heads of Combat Base UK, Darren and Helen Currie. Outstanding coaches and even better people. We owe them a lot, and it’s always a privilege to have them on our mats.
And to make the whole day even more special, we were joined by CBNE royalty, Steve Muckle, my coach. Steve used to travel to Pontefract multiple times a week, (a 250 mile round trip) to train with Darren and Helen. He put in those miles until he earned his blue belt, the rank he needed to start CBNE. What an inspiration! Without that commitment, this club simply wouldn’t exist.
A huge day for the team, the club, and the community we’ve built. Pride doesn’t even begin to cover it.
