Meet Your Coaches
Every great class begins with a great coach. At Diamond Kickboxing the standard is set by Head Coach Master Sam Welch, supported by Assistant Instructor Noah Kennedy. Use the toggle below to read each coach's story.
The Man Behind Diamond
Sam Welch walked onto the mats for the first time at just five years old — and never really left. What began as a quiet kid finding his feet became a 22-year devotion to martial arts: kickboxing, Taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts.
He's competed across the country and the continent, won National and London Open titles in BJJ, and stepped into the cage at the O2 London. But ask Sam what he's most proud of and he won't talk about the trophies. He'll talk about the kids.
Why He Teaches
“I coach because I remember what the mats gave me. As a quiet five-year-old, martial arts gave me a confidence I didn't know I had, a discipline I didn't know I needed, and a place where I belonged. Every child deserves that. That's why Diamond exists — not to build fighters, but to build good people who happen to be able to look after themselves.”
More Than a Martial Art
Sam believes every child who walks through our doors should leave with far more than a new technique. These are the things he wants every Diamond kid to carry with them — on the mats, in the classroom, and through life.
Backed by Real Experience
The story matters — and so does the proof. These are the credentials behind every class Sam teaches.
"Hard work beats talent
when talent
doesn't work hard."
Four Disciplines, One Standard
Master Welch's coaching draws on a deep grounding in four complementary martial arts, giving Diamond students a genuinely well-rounded, technical and adaptable skill set.
Kickboxing
Full-contact striking, pad work and ringcraft — the core of the Diamond Kickboxing programme from Little Leaders to black-belt students.
Taekwondo
The discipline where it all began. Taekwondo's kicking precision and footwork form the technical backbone of Sam's coaching style.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
15 years on the BJJ mats — the ground game, submissions and control that turn a striker into a complete martial artist, and the source of Sam's National, European and London Open titles.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
10 years applying striking and grappling together under unified rules — the proving ground that guarantees Diamond technique works in real combat, not just in the gym.
From Age Five to Champion
A lifetime on the mats doesn't happen by accident. Here's how Master Welch built the experience behind Diamond Kickboxing.
The First Step
Master Welch steps onto the mats for his very first martial arts lesson — the beginning of a lifelong devotion that would define the next two decades.
Taekwondo Foundations
A disciplined grounding in Taekwondo builds the precision, footwork and kicking technique that still underpins the Diamond Kickboxing syllabus today.
Into Kickboxing
Channeling his Taekwondo base into full-contact kickboxing, Sam begins competing and refining a style built on speed, control and real-world effectiveness.
Into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Training spans onto the mats of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — a discipline Sam has now dedicated 15 years to, mastering the grappling and submissions that complete a true martial artist.
National, European & London Open Champion
Decades of BJJ dedication are crowned with a hauled trio of titles — National Champion, European Champion and London Open Champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Into Mixed Martial Arts
Striking, grappling and ground game combine as Sam commits a decade — 10 years — to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), proving every technique under unified-rules combat.
A Lifetime on the Mats
More than two decades of training, competing and coaching — thousands of hours honed into a syllabus that works for every age and ability.
5th Degree Black Belt
A rank earned through decades of dedicated practice — a reflection of mastery, not just of technique, but of the character required to teach it.
Tested Under Pressure
Master Welch's coaching isn't just theoretical — it's backed by competitive titles that proved his style where it counts: on the national and international stage.
National BJJ Champion
Crowned National Champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after 15 years dedicated to the ground game.
European BJJ Champion
Took the European title in BJJ, competing against the continent's elite grapplers.
London Open BJJ Champion
Won the prestigious London Open in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu on home soil — a major domestic title.
5th Degree Black Belt
A kickboxing rank earned through decades of dedicated practice and competition — mastery, backed by experience.
What Drives Every Class
Four principles guide everything Master Welch teaches. Together they shape the Diamond culture — demanding, respectful and built for the real world.
Hard Work
Nothing worth having comes without effort. Every session is built to push students just beyond their comfort zone — the place where real growth happens.
Discipline
Discipline on the mat becomes discipline in life. Students learn to turn up, commit, and follow through — it's the quiet habit that changes everything.
Respect
For the art, for the coaches, for training partners and for yourself. The Diamond culture is built on mutual respect — every student, every age, every level.
Real-World Effectiveness
Everything taught must work in a real situation. Technique is never taught for show — if it doesn't hold up under pressure, it isn't on the syllabus.
The Diamond Guarantee — everything taught on the mats is chosen for one reason above all: it must be effective in real-world combat, in every situation. If a technique only works in the gym, it doesn't make the syllabus.
Train With the Diamond Team
Your first trial class is completely free. No commitment, no pressure.
Plan Your Next Step
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