MEET MICHAEL
Michael Woodward is one of the head instructors at Ascend Martial Arts, and has a long background in fitness and martial arts training. Michael is a veteran of many competitive bouts across many disciplines including Muay Thai, Karate, Sanda and MMA. Michael is a World Champion in Sanda and is still a regular competitor in many circuits.
Michael's Story
Michael began training in Muay Thai and Sanda in 2016, and since then has been a frequent competitor across multiple disciplines in the pursuit of advancing his martial arts knowledge and skills. In a short career thus far, Michael has already represented Australia in 2019 at the World Wushu Championships, one of the largest international combat tournaments in the world. Michael's early success has been largely thanks to the expert training he received at Kumiai Ryu Martial Arts System under the instruction of Hanshi Kevin Blundell.
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Michael has been regularly instructing both experienced athletes and beginners alike in multiple disciplines of martial arts, with a big passion for Muay Thai and striking. In 2022 Michael also completed his Certificate III & IV in Fitness, to further allow him to bring the highest quality fitness and martial arts services to all individuals.
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In late 2023, Michael achieved the status of World Champion in Sanda, a form of full contact kickboxing, in Fort Worth, TX in the USA.
Qualifications and Accomplishments
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Certificate III & Certificate IV in Fitness
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KWA NCAS Level 1 Accredited Martial Arts Instructor
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Registered CSA Coach/Second
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Australian Sanda Champion
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World Sanda Champion
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Competed in the World Wushu Championships in 2019 and 2023
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8+ years training across Muay Thai, Sanda, BJJ and MMA
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Competed in 15+ competitive bouts over the years
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Instructing regularly and conducting personal sessions for 3+ years