ICO TEAM ENGLAND SQUAD TRAINING – SEPTEMBER 2026!
With the ICO World Championships in France now just weeks away, preparations stepped up another level at today’s Team England Squad Training session.
And today, everything suddenly got very real!
It was a packed session with an excellent turnout as Team England members came together for one of their final opportunities to train as a squad before heading to France.
The England kit was officially distributed, with the squad dressed to impress in the national colours they will proudly wear as they represent their country on the mats and in the ring at next month’s World Championships.
The squad also completed their Fit to Fight medicals, with every athlete being checked over as part of the mandatory safety requirements ahead of competing in France.
We were also delighted to welcome a special guest instructor to today’s session in the form of ICO Female Ambassador Amie Weaver.
Amie is a highly successful and experienced coach who has helped produce numerous World Champions across both mat and ring disciplines at multiple World Championships.
Amie kicked off the training with a high-energy, high-intensity warm-up that quickly had everyone sweating and ready for the work ahead.
From there, she moved the squad onto the pads, working a series of striking drills both on the advance and on the retreat, encouraging everyone to stay sharp, composed and effective while constantly changing direction.
ICO Head England Ring Sports Coach Neil Kelly then took over for the next section, moving the squad into sparring drills and exploring multiple ways of dealing with the same attack.
The emphasis was on giving fighters options, encouraging them to think, react and adapt rather than relying on just one response when under pressure.
With the hard work already well and truly done, there was still one final challenge waiting!
The session finished with a high-intensity team circuit blast, squeezing out that last bit of energy and fighting spirit from everyone before finally calling time on another action-packed and extremely productive squad session.
Amie will also be part of the Team England Coaching Team in France, where she will be on hand to offer advice, support and corner work to Team England competitors throughout the Championships.
With the England kit on, medicals completed and another tough training session in the bank, you could really feel the excitement and anticipation building amongst the squad.
There is now just ONE final Team England Squad Training session remaining on 3rd October.
One last opportunity to cross the T’s, dot the I’s and make those final adjustments before Team England heads to France in pursuit of World Championship success.
The hard work has been done.
Now it’s about sharpening the tools, staying focused and making every remaining session count.
FRANCE… WE’RE COMING!
WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SESSION HERE
