Cookham boy, 9, says achieving black belt in mixed martial arts felt 'like paradise'

A nine-year-old boy from Cookham did not expect to reach his goal so early after he received his black belt in mixed martial arts.

Charlie Wheeler joined Matt Fiddes’ Martial Arts School in Maidenhead when he was three years old, keen to take up a sport and try something new.

He had set himself a goal to complete the high-level grading by the time he reached secondary school.

But in only six years, the Wessex Primary School pupil has achieved his first-degree black belt and now supports his teacher, Benji Taylor, as a junior instructor.

This achievement took a ‘tremendous amount of discipline, hard work and self-belief’, said his mum, Lucy Phillips.

“Being autistic, martial arts is great for Charlie because it helps him focus,” she told the Advertiser.

“He knows exactly where he stands with it. It’s quite strict, but he likes that.

“It’s very black and white – he knows what’s expected of him, and his teachers are strict, but full of praise.

“He started when he was three and didn’t look back.”

The youngster has committed to three and a half hours of training a week and took the three-hour panel grading exam in October. He also practises for 30 minutes a day at home.

After receiving his belt in the post this week, his teacher says Charlie is his youngest ever black belt holder and might not be far off the record for the UK’s youngest black belt in mixed martial arts.

When asked what it felt like to be awarded the belt after more than a year of training for his 11th grading, Charlie said: “It felt like paradise.”

Being one of the youngest doesn’t faze Charlie, who began his MMA journey in the under-7s group but had to move up to the older family class when he was five because his belt level was too high.

Children also don’t get recruited as junior instructors until they’re 11 years old, but Charlie was only eight when asked.

“Charlie is such an example of how you can achieve anything you want in life if you work hard enough for it,” said Lucy.

“He’s a hard-working boy and no matter what life throws at him, he always finds a way to push through and show the world what he’s made of.”

Charlie loves the sport, which involves groundwork, sparring and kicks, because of the choice of martial arts on offer.

“If you’re only doing judo, you might get bored with it. With MMA, you can do lots of different fun types, and it's not the same thing every week,” he said.

“It gets me moving, and it’s not just giving me exercise, it’s also fun too, and there are lots of achievements and goals to earn in it.”

When his headteacher congratulated him on his achievement during assembly, Charlie said his peers were ‘shocked’ and ‘amazed’.

“I never thought I would. I thought it was possible, but I didn't think I’d achieve that,” he said.

“My next goal is to get a third degree by the age of 18 or under – my teacher’s belt level.

“My goal when I’m an adult is to become Matt Fiddes’ belt (eighth degree).

“You need to have good concentration, good skill, respect, and show all your energy. Not to be sloppy and be sharp. A lot of training, a lot of discipline.”