News & Events Archive

Welcome to the world of Martial Arts in Cork...

Our new Website will feature Cork’s top martial artists, CMAP “Hall of Fame”and CMAP “Competitor of the Tournament” award winners.

Pictured left to right Mr. Jason Clouston, Mr. Leonard Coughlan, Mr. Szilárd Szücs, Mr. Robin Deegan

On behalf of Cork Martial Arts Promotions Honorary Cork man Mr. Tomaz Barada (right) presents Mr. Ian Kingston (left) of West Cork Kickboxing The 2009 CMAP Coach of the Year award.

Kendo Irish National Championships 2010

2009 CMAP - Coach of the Year Presentation

“Cork Kickboxing on top of the World” Under the guidance of trainer Ian Kingston, Kickboxing competitors from Cork have completed an extremely successful year. Tony

Stephenson achieved both European and World Kickboxing Championship titles, and Lily De La Cour became a European Kickboxing

Champion.

In September, at the European Junior Kickboxing Championships, only a few weeks short of his eighteenth birthday, Tony Stephenson

secured himself a European title. He had earned his place in the final competing against some top Slovakian, Russian and Slovenian

fighters. Whilst this was a fantastic result, more was yet to come for Tony as he represented Ireland at senior level in the World

Kickboxing Championships held in October. Tony competed against older and more experienced fighters from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine

and Poland, and maintained his composure throughout. His trademark kicking and speedy footwork, earned Tony his fist major senior

gold medal, barely one week after he officially became a senior, at 18 years of age.

Picture from left to right Tony Stephenson: European and World Champion. Lily De La Cour: European and Champion. Lord Mayor of Cork: Councillor Dara Murphy. Aidean Kingston: European bronze medallist. Ian Kingston: Trainer and Team coach

Grand Master C.K. Choi, 9th Degree Taekwon-Do pioneer Cork Seminar Some of Cork’s top Taekwon-Do Instructors, in attendance.

It was also at the European Junior Kickboxing Championships, held in Croatia, that Lily De La Cour represented Cork to become European Kickboxing Champion. Lily beat Czech, Hungarian and Croatian fighters only to meet a much taller opponent, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the final. Miss De La Cour, however, was undaunted and won the fight easily to secure her first European title. Team-mate, Aidean Kingston fought his way to the semi finals where he succumbed to a top Croatian fighter to secure himself a well earned bronze medal. The Right honourable, Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Dara Murphy, formally recognised these recent Major International kickboxing successes, as true sporting achievements for Cork City and County. At a civic reception held in Cork City Hall in front of a packed crowd of family, friends and well-wishers. The Lord Mayor paid tribute to these outstanding sporting performances by Cork martial artists and he thanked all involved for their dedication, discipline and commitment to their sport. Article and Picture by

Cork Martial Arts Promotions (C.M.A.P.)

Mr. Brian Buckley Event organiser Master Don Dalton, Mr. Mark Buckley, Mr. Con Connolly, Mr, Graham Connolly, Mr. Pat Barry, Mr. Ruairi O Brien, Mr. Liam Corkery, Mr. Leonard Coughlan .

click on pictures to enlarge

Founding presentation of CMAP, Cork City Hall C.M.A.P. was formed to promote top level achievements within Cork martial arts. Cork Martial Arts Promotions, has been set up to promote Cork Martial Arts successes. Its next major event will be during the Cork summer show, June 19th in Ballincollig. We will be setting up a martial arts display marquee to showcase martial arts to 20,000 plus visitors. For any interested instructor or martial arts club who would like to get involved please contact our P.R.O./Event manager.

The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr, Dara Murphy, (Left) Mr. Leonard Coughlan , public relations officer, Cork Martial Arts Promotions. (Right)

Over all team champions - Cork Kendo Team being presented by P.R.O. of Cork Martial Arts Promotions, Mr. Leonard Coughlan with the “Most Outstanding Performance Award”

Cork Martial Arts Promotions Team

Pictured left to right: Martyna Piotrowska, Sarah Sheehan, Leonard Coughlan, Aoife O’Mahony and Emma Justice

Cork Martial Arts Promotions In association with the Cork Summer Show

Martial Arts Show Case Marquee, Greenfields, Ballincollig, Saturday 19th June

Pictured left to right Gregory Stretton Kung-Fu, Jason Clouston Kendo, Dominic Stephenson Kickboxing , Liam-Og Griffen Karate, Seamus Cogan Muay Thai and Philip McAuliffe Taekwon-Do

A Rising Tide lifts all boats equally - an old adage often applied to the economics of entire countries but on this occasion used by a Muay Thai instructor to describe the benefit of the "Cork Martial Arts Promotions" Marquee at the Cork Mid Summer Show in Ballincollig this year. Imagine a technology exhibition where different mobile phone companies set their stalls less than 10 feet from each other - Nokia beside Samsung, Alcatel beside Blackberry and LG beside Motorola. You can almost see the distain and disgust on the rival sales teams' faces as they peer across at each other, pinching prospective clients from one another and sabotaging their neighbour's promotional material. How impressed would you be if one of the team leaders was able to stand back with the epiphany that as a collective group, the exhibitors were promoting the one product - the mobile phone. By joining forces, they could promote a friendlier environment, a more professional display, a more diverse demonstration of mobile technology and above all, provide an opportunity for prospective consumers to celebrate their individualism and differing tastes in design & requirements. Would you be impressed or shocked if that team leader were to say "A Rising Tide lifts all boats equally"? It was Seamus Cogan of Spartan Muay Thai who quoted that adage to me as we shook hands on the morning of Saturday 19th June. I had trained with Seamus before and knew he was an open minded professional instructor so I almost expected that attitude from him but as he said it, I looked around to see that under the guidance of Leonard Coughlan and Cork Martial Arts Promotions, no less than 6 martial arts clubs/instructors were joining forces to show a united front in the presentation of the fighting arts. Each instructor took time to speak with the other, congratulate them on their students' performances and ask about their individual experiences. Apart from the excitement of high impact and high energy demonstrations given on the half hour, the atmosphere of mutual respect between all martial artists played no small part in drawing crowds of awe-struck spectators. I was the 'karate guy' (as I seem to be know in some online forums) and along with Joe-Tom Hayes, Aine O'Donnel and William 'Wilverine' Browne, we performed our demonstration in the time it took morning to become noon. We were followed by the Tae Kwon Do team lead by Mark Buckley, Pat Barry and Leonard Coughlan. Next up was the West Cork Kickboxing team led by Ian Kingston followed by the Kendo team organised by Vincent Long. Later in the afternoon, Spartan Muay Thai under the guidance of Seamus Cogan and John Kelly took to the ring and then closing the show was Greg and his team from the Shao Lin Centre in Ballyphehane with a Kung Fu performance. Music was expertly provided by DJ Ralph! The marquee was very professionally presented. Leonard had the CMAP promo display towering proudly over the boxing ring, which provided the raised platform for the various performers to shine. Each martial art also had a display stand promoting its history and the club representing it. Weapons and trophies were posing like priceless museum pieces. 50" Plasma screens presented video clips from tournaments and seminars around the world and Instructors were on hand all day long to answer any questions onlookers may have had. As a participant, I was impressed but for those being introduced to the world of martial arts, I expect they were dazzled with expert displays of deadliness, beguiled by the discipline, control and dedication of the performers and truly warmed by the welcoming atmosphere fostered and promoted by Cork Martial Arts Promotions. I would like, on behalf of all of the instructors and performers involved to express respect and gratitude to Leonard and his team for bringing the whole event together. No doubt, months of planning and buckets of energy went into the preparations. Money was obviously invested in terms of display material and above all else, abundantly wise foresight predicted that a group effort promoting many different martial arts would be the most appropriate format for the event at hand. Given the same opportunity, many clubs/instructors would have made the day all about themselves and their arts. As I understand it, Leonard even asked his colleagues from another TaeKwonDo club to hold that torch - Coz that's just the kinda guy he is! Fair play my man!

Article by: Liam-Og Griffin from K2C Martial Arts & Fitness Centre

The recent CMAP publicity activities, at Mahon Point Shopping Center, on Saturday July 31st were designed to coincide with the release of the latest Karate Kid movie. Hundreds of children and their families thronged to see the martial arts blockbuster with Jackie Chan, and emerged wanting to be karate kids, just like Will Smith's talented offspring, Jaden; and CMAP was there to help make their dreams come true. With information and flyers being handed out from our eye-catching stand and many enquiries redirected to our CMAP website, this 12 hour promotions marathon was an outstanding success. To be part of our next Promotion please contact our PRO Leonard Coughlan.

Karate Kid Promotion

Archive of our Articles

Our NEW CMAP Logo & Branding

The newly designed CMAP logo will be officialy revealed at the Ballingcollig Summershow 2010 on Saturday 19.06.2010. The design was done by Oisin Bonus (rising_phoenix87@hotmail.com).

On behalf of Cork Martial Arts Promotions, Sensei Liam Griffin Snr 5th Dan Shotokan, Karate from Curam de Cara Martial Arts Academy, Cork - presents Mr. Philip McAuliffe from the Mallow Taekwon-do club with the CMAP "most outstanding performance award" at the "Battle of Kinsale - 2010" Martial Arts show.

"Battle of Kinsale - 2010" Outstanding Performance Award

2010 Cork I.T.A Championships "most outstanding performance" award winner Dylan Fitzgibbon. Being presented by P.R.O. of Cork Martial Arts promotions, who sponsored the award. Dylan also won the junior -63kg ITF World Title in Argentina 2009.

Dylan Fitzgibbon, (Left) Mr. Leonard Coughlan , public relations officer, Cork Martial Arts Promotions. (Right)

News & Events

Cork Kickboxing on top of the world

Grand Master C.K. Choi, 9th Degree Taekwon-Do pioneer

Cork Seminar

2010 Cork I.T.A Championships