The CKI School of Martial Arts has over 900 members, over 450 of whom are female and has been providing a community service for over twenty years. If you’ve not heard of Ismail Saleh, the Chief Coach and Project Manager, then be prepared to be impressed…

“Most of the kids we meet have watched programmes such as Power Rangers, but that couldn’t be further from the reality of what we do here. We teach martial arts, or freestyle karate as a sport, rather than a purely aggressive activity.”

The school, through Saleh’s dedication, promotes social cohesion and positive social interaction through aerobics, karate and kickboxing, but it is martial arts for which they are renowned.

“We recently took twelve students to the World Championship, each of whom had to finish in the top three of the National Championship, in order to represent England. We brought back eleven gold, nine silver and six bronze medals from the two tournaments, which was a tremendous achievement.”

With success such as this on his hands, the multi-talented coach and mentor is already looking to the future.

“We are searching for new and larger premises and are overloaded with demand, meaning that we don’t ever have to advertise. We have started to teach boxing and also have plans for a drop-in centre, almost like a youth club, to create a hub for youngsters to enjoy and feel valued.”

It is those values that have provided Saleh with the desire to turn CKI in to what it is today, with the sport having had a profound effect on him from a young age.

“I got involved in martial arts and self-defence as I was suffering from being bullied at school, so I decided to do something about it. I started to learn in Leicester, having moved here from Africa when I was young and then regularly travelled to Westminster Abbey to learn from the masters.”

Those trips were to prove fruitful for him as he experienced great personal success, despite professing that he failed to reach his own potential due to a lack of quality available coaching.

“I was at two national and one World Championships, finishing second. My brothers and nephews had started to learn the art and I looked in to the costs for me to teach them. There was clearly a need for this in the local community and I helped to fill that void.”

Intriguingly, the club is non-profit and does not receive funding from any groups or organisations to assist in the running of the school. Each enrolled student pays £5 per month in subscriptions and opportunities are granted to families on benefits or low income. Saleh believes passionately in preserving the accessibility of the school.

“Through sport, I feel it is easier to teach someone about what they are missing in life and how they can improve their life. We have people from single parent families, or people who have been in prison and we accompany the sporting guidance we give them with educational advice. I take great pleasure in being able to make a difference to someone’s life.”

And their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, with the school recently winning the Queen’s Award for Volunteer and Community Service for 2008. Whilst Saleh is clearly proud of this, he is keen to reiterate the essential mentoring service that is provided for local children.

“We have helped to teach children respect, discipline and have certainly helped to reduce anti-social behaviour, by turning kids away from the streets and encouraging them in to a stable and educational environment.”

The helping hand that Ismail Saleh has held out is nothing new for the inspirational leader.

“I was a volunteer for the Learning Disabilities Football World Cup, which was held in Leicester in 1996. I have since become a very good friend of Steve Humphries, the Games Director of Special Olympics Leicester and I’m looking forward to the club having a significant involvement in the event.”

Looking around at the array of trophies, pictures of celebrities and reports of success on the world stage, you soon realise that there is a little corner of Leicester that is home to a true sporting great. Ismail Saleh, remember the name.

Ismail would like to dedicate this feature to all of his friends and to give a special mention to Leicester City Council for their support. For further information on CKI, contact Ismail on 07808277893.