A respected west Cumbrian gym are celebrating their 20th year in martial arts.

Just Grind MMA and Fitness Centre, formerly known as Hokushinko Fight Academy have marked 20 years since the club opened on St John's Court, Workington.

The gym has produced champions in boxing, mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and karate.

Karate was where it all began for the gym. Founder Mark Hodgson, a forty year stalwart of combat sports, took over a semi-derelict building with training partner Kevin Rowntree to establish the club.

Training and classes took place in schools and halls for 20 years prior. He said: "I started when I was 17, 40 years has flown by."

The style of karate practised at the gym by Mark and wife Lisa suited MMA well. MMA was a fledgling sport then. Mark said: "It didn't come into the UK until 2000. We put on some of the first shows."

Mark promoted War in Workington and Cage Carnage in Carlisle. The lively nights provided a foundation for a now strong presence in Cumbria.

And his fighters saw success in some of the UK's top promotions.

"I was getting fighters on Cage Rage, Cage Warriors. Anderson Silva was fighting on those shows."

Silva went on to win the UFC middleweight world title and status as the sport's pound-for-pound best.

Shows promoted by the club are now under the Clash of The Titans banner, largely focussed on boxing, it has seen fighters like Alex Nicholson, Shane Roe and Natalie Hynes making a name for themselves.

Hynes trains under Lisa Hodgson in a ladies class which has also been running since the gym's formative years.

"Lisa's been there right through from when it started" said Mark.

Fighters at the gym have also been trained by boxing coach Dave Straughton, Muay Thai coaches and former MMA fighters Ben Roberts and Ian Wilson, wrestling specialist Alex Cook and competing MMA fighter Jordan Holmes. Black belts Jenna Pooley Pears and Ross have since stepped-up to coaching roles having trained at the club since childhood. Holmes runs the Hokushinko Hit Squad team out of the gym.

Plenty of famous faces have come through the gym over the years, with special seminars held by catch wrestling legend, the late Billy Robinson as well as top BJJ competitor Ben Eddy and Mike Grundy.