New martial arts studio Fierce Muay Thai comes to Fareham run by personal trainer Paul Massey

The martial arts studio has been set up by Paul Massey – and despite a turbulent 2020, it opened to customers in December.

Paul got into martial arts as a teenager while working at Fareham Leisure Centre, where he also met his wife, gymnast Vanessa Hobbs, who competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Paul has battled illness, injuries and surgery, but is still fighting, and says he is glad to have found his calling as a coach.

He said: ‘I have found that I am a better coach than a fighter.'

Paul, 34, has worked his way up through the rank of Thai boxing - and is now a member of the United Kingdom Muaythai Federation.

He has been teaching since 2017, renting halls and community centres, before setting up at Stubbington Sports Club.

When that venue did not reopen last year, Paul was forced to look for alternative venues – even temporarily setting up a studio in his garage.

Paul said: ‘When I was told that I couldn’t open up again at the sports club, I was pushed into finding my own premises.

‘I kept seeing this place in West Street, my friend works next door in the hairdressers so he put me in touch with the landlady and I managed to get hold of it. I thought it would be difficult to get a change of use, as it was originally a washing machine shop, but we got it.

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‘That shop – South Coast Appliances – moved across the road and we moved in. My members were so eager for us to get in that they pitched in, I had people coming in to paint and decorate, they were so eager for us to open. I honestly couldn’t have done it without them.’

The studio opened after the second lockdown and they spent the weeks in the run up to the latest tougher coronavirus restrictions getting the place set up, even setting up a full-sized ring.

Lockdown means the gym is temporarily closed again, but Paul says he is hoping that people will still see the benefits of supporting a local business – and of getting fit by learning martial arts.

He said: ‘I hope and pray that the future will be brighter once we've beaten coronavirus.'

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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