USKA Female Division

This time last week we were awarding our latest 1st Dan Black Belt Grade to Maryam 'The Storm' Sarfraz!

With this being the last few days of Women's History Month we thought we'd pay tribute to this amazing young lady...

8 years of dedication.
From a young beginner…
to USKA Junior Coach…
to USKA 1st Dan Black Belt.

Maryam Sarfraz is proof that hard work, resilience and belief always pay off.

A role model for every young girl stepping onto the mats.

We wrapped up an excellent grading weekend with our USKA Female Division Grading today at the USKA Fight Factory, and once again the commitment and effort on display was outstanding.

Despite taking place at the end of Ramadan and during the Eid Weekend celebrations, we had 17 of our female students step onto the mats to attempt their next coloured belts, ranging from Red Belt (1st Grade) through to Orange Belt (4th Grade).

The grading was conducted by Female Division Senior Instructor Ruqayya Griffith, who put all candidates through a thorough assessment of the USKA syllabus.
The examination lasted 3 hours (4 hours including the preparation and warm-up class), with every student tested across all required techniques and criteria.

Overall, the standard was consistent, with some very solid performances throughout. Each student received individual feedback following their grading, highlighting both their strengths and areas for continued improvement as they progress on their martial arts journey.

Congratulations to all of our successful candidates, a fantastic achievement and a step forward in your development.

As always, a big thank you to Ruqayya and the coaching team for their continued hard work and dedication in preparing our Female Division students to such a high standard.

Our next Female Division Grading will take place in June for those looking to progress to their next belts.

Remember… the hard work starts now. If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

Here is the 26th USKA Fight Factory 'Combination Of The Week'.

The Weekly Combinations will feature various Kickboxing, Boxing, K-1, Low Kick and Continuous drills on the Pads, Bag and in Shadow Boxing format with a slow motion break down followed by an example of full flow ex*****on.
We hope you will find them useful and a good training aid to help you with ideas to practice.

This Combination is presented by USKA Junior Coach Julia Glowacz and Assisted by USKA Senior Grade Sumayya Griffith.

Combo #26 - Kickboxing Combination
Straight Right, Jab, Rear Straight Leg Round Kick (To The Body), Jab, Rear Round Kick (To The Head), Jab, Rear Straight Leg Round Kick (to The Body).

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USKA Kickboxing Combination Of The Week #26 Here is the 26th USKA Fight Factory 'Combination Of The Week'.The Weekly Combinations will feature various Kickboxing, Boxing, K-1, Low Kick and Continuous d...

🎉 Happy New Year 2026! 🎉
To all our USKA members, family, friends, and associates—thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to another year of strength, growth, and success 🥊✨

To conclude a very busy weekend for USKA Fight Factory, we held our USKA Female Division Grading Examination.

A total of 31 Female Division students contested belts across the Red, White, Yellow, Orange and Purple Belt syllabus during a demanding 4½-hour grading, under the scrutiny of Grading Examiner and USKA Female Division Senior Instructor, Ruqayya Griffith.

Candidates should enter a grading having worked harder than ever before, achieved a higher level of fitness than ever before, and become better martial artists overall.
All of this was put to the test today, as Ruqayya ensured that every candidate truly earned their belt.

Unfortunately, not everyone reached the required pass mark.
For those who fell short, this provides an opportunity to reflect on the areas that need improvement before their next attempt.
With the right adjustments, alongside continued commitment and dedication, we are confident they can level up and achieve success next time.

A special mention goes to our A-Star grader, Maryam Ali, who achieved an outstanding score of 93% for Red Belt (A-).

Finally, a big thank you to Female Division Instructor Ruqayya Griffith for continuing to push our girls to their limits and bringing the very best out of them.

08-12-25 - USKA Raise £10,000 to Benefit 5125 People With Our Food Parcel & Hot Meal Campaign!

We did it!

For our 2025 Charity Project, USKA Fight Factory once again proudly partnered with As-Suffa Relief, a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities both across the UK and internationally. Their primary mission is to provide essential food support to individuals and families facing food insecurity.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, £10,000 was raised.
• £5,000 will go towards providing hot meals for individuals in need, offering immediate relief to those facing hunger.
• The remaining £5,000 will fund the distribution of food parcels to 125 families, supplying essential groceries and ensuring access to nutritious staple foods over an extended period.

Each food parcel costs £40 and is capable of sustaining a family of five.

Through this project, we are not only providing nourishment but also helping to restore dignity, stability, and hope to families experiencing hardship. Because of the generosity of the USKA community, we are making a real and lasting difference — ensuring that no child, no mother, and no elderly person is left without a meal.

This project was carried out in the beloved name and memory of our dearly missed students, Khuzaimah Douglas and Azmat Yaqub, who remain forever in our hearts.

Khuda Hafiz — may God be your guardian. 💛

Direct Beneficiaries of this project: 5125 People

We proudly brought our USKA Fight Factory end-of-year celebrations to a close today with an incredible Charity Iron Girl Competition followed by the USKA Female Division Student Presentation Awards for 2025.

With a record-breaking 55+ competitors registering to take part, the Iron Girl challenge saw our athletes push themselves through six demanding, fitness-based events. The effort, determination, and spirit shown throughout the day were truly inspiring. All profits raised will support our annual charity initiative, providing food packs and hot meals to families and individuals in need, in loving memory of our deeply missed students Khuzaimah Douglas and Azmat Yaqub.

After the competition, the girls enjoyed some well-earned downtime with fun party games, bringing plenty of smiles and laughter to finish the challenge on a high note.

The day concluded with USKA Female Division Senior Instructor Ruqayya Griffith presenting Iron Girl medals, top scorer trophies, and our Student Awards for 2025, celebrating the hard work, progress, and commitment of our members throughout the year.

A huge thank you goes to Ruqayya, her Junior Coaches, and all helpers for delivering a fantastic event, and to everyone who supported the day and helped make it such a memorable success.

Here are a list of all of her Iron Girl and Award winners for the day...

Iron Girl Years and Under Highest Scorer - Ava-Deen Akhtar (192 Points)
Iron Girl 8 - 10 Years Highest Scorer - Liyana Suleman (201 Points)
Iron Girl 11 - 14 Years Highest Scorer - Anniyah Iqbal (275 Points)
Iron Girl 15 - 17 Years Highest Scorer - Safiyyah Ali (392 Points)
Iron Girl 18 - 29 Years Highest Scorer - Saeeda Begum (323 Points)
Iron Girl Mums 30 Years + Highest Scorer - Farah Zaman (251 Points)

USKA Female Division Student Medal Awards 2025 - Aliyah Ali
USKA Female Division Student Medal Awards 2025 - Hafsah Iqbal
USKA Female Division Student Medal Awards 2025 - Javeria Qadeem
USKA Female Division Student Medal Awards 2025 - Sophia Surah Akhtar
USKA Female Division Student Medal Awards 2025 - Liyana Suleman
USKA Female Division Student Medal Awards 2025 - Rumaysah Khan

USKA Female Division Student Awards 2025 - Arissa Khatun
USKA Female Division Student Awards 2025 - Hana Rasool
USKA Female Division Student Awards 2025 - Ava-Deen Akhtar
USKA Female Division Student Awards 2025 - Safiyyah Ali

USKA Female Division Student of the Year Award 2025 - Saeeda Begum

Once again, a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved, and congratulations to all for making the event such a fantastic success.

Following yesterdays busy General Grading at the USKA Fight Factory it was time for the girls to step up today with the USKA Female Division Grading Assessment.
We had 18 girls attempt grades from Red Belt (1st Grade) to Green Belt (5th Grade) once again under the watchful and experienced eye of Female Division Senior Instructor Ruqayya Griffith.

We don't cut corners at USKA and each and every students technique was scrutinised over the 3 hour grading (4 hours if you include the 1 hour warm up class) to ensure it was up to scratch before any new grades could be awarded.

We are please to announce that everyone made the grade today with everyone walking away happy with their new belts and certificates that will be worn with pride and a sense of achievement.

Special mention to our A Star Grader Manha Deen (Red Belt 91 / A-)
A big well done to all of you on an amazing effort and superb results.

A big thank you as always to Ruqayya for continuing to raise the bar with our female students and for getting them ready and getting them through their latest assessment.

The next USKA Female Division Grading will be held on Sunday 14th December for anyone who would like to start preparing for it.

Although next year marks USKA’s 30th birthday, today also celebrates a special milestone in our history, 9 years since we opened our doors at our current Warwick Road location.

We’ve been through highs and lows, but we’re proud to say that today we are stronger than ever and excited for what the next 10 years will bring for what we (admittedly a little biased) believe is the premier Martial Arts school in the area!

🎉 Happy 9th Birthday, Warwick Road USKA Fight Factory! 🎉

The gym looks absolutely fantastic!
Following a complete repaint over the last three weeks and a total gym mat resurfacing on Sunday the USKA Fight Factory looks and feels brand new!
An excellent service and job from Shak Hussan with the total gym repaint and a top class supply and fit of the mats resurfacing from Rob and Mark at Midlands Boxing Ring Hire has brought the gym back to life and we can't wait for you all to see it, so much in fact that we've put together this little preview video for you.
We can't thank Rob and Mark at Midlands Boxing Ring Hire enough for going above and beyond to get the gym resurfaced and helping to get it back ship shape and ready for classes in just one monster shift day.
If anyone out there is looking for anything gym refurbishment related, trust me, these are your guys!
What do you think guys? You like??

Amazing new USKA Fight Factory mat make over! The gym looks absolutely fantastic!Following a complete repaint over the last three weeks and a total gym mat resurfacing on Sunday the USKA Fight Factory lo...