Local tournament success just the beginning

Local martial arts instructor Ben Pollett wants big things for his students.

The owner and operator of Pollett’s Martial Arts Centre Orange, Ben is a life-long marital artist with a passion for competition. He has successfully competed at state, national and international events as well as coached numerous successful fighters both in Australia and abroad.

Last month, Ben’s Orange students took part in the International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) Western NSW Open in Bathurst, where the Pollett’s team brought home a huge haul of medals across a number of martial arts events.

“We went over there and competed with the guys and came in we were the number one club in the area,” said Ben, who believes there is a lot to gain from putting your skills to the test in competitions.

“I've competed my entire life and I think competition is very good, it builds a lot of character, builds courage, helps you deal with nerves and is good for confidence,” said Ben.

“We always keep mindful of how we are not just about being a good fighter, but being a good person with good character… that's the main thing we like to push across, even though we have a reputation as a tough fighting gym, everyone is very kind to each other and everybody works as a family and I personally think that is why we get such good results.

Ben’s students are now in training for the ISKA NSW titles in Liverpool on 31 March, but with the interest in martial arts growing around the world Ben has his sights on even broader horizons.

“I'm bringing new opportunities to this area for the local youth so they can get out there and rather than just compete in these little tournaments, I want to take them to the bigger shows,” said Ben.

“I want to give the opportunity to these guys here to take them out of the country. Take them to the city, do some competitions there and when they are used to competing there, off we go — let's go do big things!

“So that's the present goal: to offer people the opportunity to be something great if they want to. The martial arts are becoming really mainstream now, there are some big dollars there, if you've got the personality and if you’ve got the skill you can do something great.”