Russ Williams

Russ Williams started training with Master Toddy in 1979. At the time Russ wasn’t happy with the way a lot of the Martial Arts were taught. He felt someone would have to train for at least a good few months before it would have done any good if attacked on the street.
Russ wanted to learn a style that you could teach someone today and it’d help them straight away if they were attacked.
He started experimenting with different styles. He then saw a feature about Thai Boxing on a Granada Reports News Programme and went to train with Master Toddy.
At first he found the change over really difficult until Ronnie Green [who was then the European Thai Boxing Champion] showed him how to gradually change his style of training.
In 1983 Russ had his first fight, he won a British Thai Boxing title in 1985 and fought and managed to knock out Tommy Van Der Burg from the famous Meijro Gym at the Jaap Edenhall stadium in Amsterdam.

In 1986 Russ with the help of Master Toddy started his own fight night promotions at the Springfield Hotel near Holywell North Wales, and later that year won a European Thai Boxing title. Russ felt he’d gone as far as he could go fighting under Thai Boxing rules as there wasn’t much competing at a World level at that time. Russ then switched to fighting Kick Boxing under The World Kickboxing Association rules allowing low kicks, at that time the WKA was the main Kick Boxing Association in the World. Russ became WKA British Champion at 3 different weights, European Champion in 1988, won Rico Brockington from Palm Beach Florida USA in 1989 to become Undisputed World Champion.



Achievements

Has appeared on the Welsh TV and has been in local, national and international newspapers and magazines many thousands of times.
1st person in Wales to learn, fight & instruct the arts of Thai boxing & Kickboxing.
Trained fighters from beginners up to World Championship level.
Won 3 World Kickboxing titles at different weights, Had a remarkable feat in 1994 while still World Champion, 3 fighters that he had previously beaten also held World Titles at different weights. Holland’s Tommy Van Der Berg held the Super lightweight, Germanys Tommy Seiler the Lightweight & Ireland’s Paul Lenihan the Featherweight.
Was the 1st Thai or Kickboxer in Britain to have his fights on video, and sold in High street shops. His DVD has just come on sale.
Traveled the World either to instruct seminars, as a fighter, as Welsh representative of the World Kickboxing Association, or accompanying his own fighters.
Places visited- Honolulu Hawaii, Moscow, Nagoya and Tokyo in Japan, Finland, Ukraine, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Holland and the USA.
Is also a Fully Licensed Professional Boxing Trainer.
Has trained fighters for K1 shows.