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A man fractured both of his large toes while on his path to becoming the uncontested global title holder of shin kicking, all because his girlfriend persuaded him to participate in the contest.
Mike Newby, 33 years old, is currently practicing to maintain his title as champion of the Cotswold Olimpick Games. He is using a block of wood to strengthen his shins and hopes to become the greatest of all time in this traditional English sport from the 17th century.
The director of the account, who resides in Cheltenham with his girlfriend, Geo Legate, 26, emerged victorious after competing in three challenging rounds of the traditional Gladiator game. This came shortly after participating in the renowned cheese rolling competition with his partner.
During the Elizabethan period, Mike was only permitted to use straw strands to protect his shins and a pair of plimsolls while defeating his opponents individually.
Countless spectators witnessed as Mike soared to victory with his powerful kicks.
At the event, Mike quickly gained popularity among the crowd, with numerous people chanting his name. He ultimately won the championship after competing in three matches.
The last portion of the competition was intense and lasted for 15 minutes. Mike’s opponent even tore off his shirt as he fell to the ground.
Mike described the mechanics of the game, stating: “To earn points, you must bring your opponent to the ground by striking their shins, similar to jacket wrestling.”
There were eight participants in the bracket, with a total of eight sign-ups and three rounds to complete.
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“You were given the choice to place straw in your pant legs in order to protect yourself from more severe injuries. This was actually encouraged by the organizers.”
The guidelines stated that only soft shoes were permitted. Shoes with steel cap toes or studs were not allowed. I only wore Vans, which are essentially plimsolls.
“Anyone is welcome to register – even if they’re as foolish as I am!”
Following his victory, Mike made his way back to the car despite having two broken big toes. He wasted no time and began preparing for the next year’s competition.
His ultimate aim is to win the championship for five consecutive years and challenge the previous record holder to a super fight in order to determine the undisputed GOAT (greatest of all time) of shin kicking.
Mike, who has been practicing martial arts for his entire life, stated that he had never done shin kicking before.
I really enjoyed it, it was incredibly lively and had a great vibe.
I was facing some men who appeared very macho – one even chose to participate in shorts – I am amazed that I actually emerged victorious.
“I believe I appeared as the underdog since the audience strongly supported me.”
Mike has long been fascinated by martial arts. He holds a black belt in taekwondo and regularly practices judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, freestyle wrestling, and kudo karate.
Mike’s partner came across an advertisement for the Cotswold Olimpick Games and recommended that he compete in the shin kicking competition. This opportunity arose only days after they both took part in the risky cheecheese-rolling trial. Mike eagerly accepted the suggestion.
Mike said: “We thought it would be really fun, we’re both outdoorsy and we love action and adventure and things like that. I didn’t really know what to expect because I’d never done shin kicking before, but now having done it, it definitely has similarities to wrestling.”
Mike was surprised when he won the initial round in a mere 10 seconds.
He stated that he had experienced the pre-fight excitement that comes with competing in martial arts, but the first round ended abruptly.
“I believe the individual lacked experience as he did not even kick me in the shin.”
However, during the ultimate stage, Mike was able to fully immerse himself in the experience.
“The confident individual believed he would emerge victorious, but foolishly wore shorts without any shin guards,” he remarked.
“You have to respect that, and he really showed me what shin kicking was all about – the pain was excruciating, but you carry on.
During the final, my opponent tore my shirt off, causing the crowd to erupt into excitement. This exhilarating moment only motivated me further to secure the victory.
“That particular session lasted approximately 15 minutes, a duration that those familiar with martial arts will recognize as quite lengthy.”
After the game ended, Mike sustained multiple injuries.
“I chuckled, ‘I sustained some rather severe injuries. I returned home with two fractured toes from my own kicks, and my shins were badly bruised from the kicks I received. I was unable to walk back to the car without assistance.'”
“I consider myself fortunate, as the situation could have been worse. I managed to walk away from the event with the everlasting honor of being the winner of the 2023 Shin Kicking World Championships.”
When asked about the experience of being crowned, Mike described it as incredible. He felt that the crowd had been supportive from the beginning, chanting his name in every match. When he ultimately won, the reaction was unforgettable and truly spectacular.
Geo, my girlfriend, was extremely encouraging and expressed her excitement loudly. She was overjoyed when I emerged victorious.
Geo has a history of wild and exciting exploits, including taking part in the Cooper’s Hill cheese rolling competition with Mike. Despite the challenges of the event, both were able to successfully reach the bottom of the hill without injury.
According to Mike, taking part in cheese rolling and being victorious in the Shin Kicking World Championships are enjoyable and impressive achievements, but they are also absurd and make for a humorous anecdote to share.
“It is not only a part of our past, but also our culture and legacy. May these traditional customs endure for generations to come.”
Mike has committed to participating in the competition next year and has already begun his training. He is updating his Instagram followers on his progress using the handle @idahomike_.
He mentioned, “I am training with a hammer.”
I have read that in the past, the most difficult competitors would hit their shins with a hammer to toughen them up. As a result, I have been doing something similar but using a large block of wood instead.
“It may seem unconventional, but it bears resemblance to the training of Muay Thai kickboxers.”
In the future, he expressed his desire to win five consecutive times and challenge the former world champion for a super fight to determine the ultimate GOAT of shin kicking. The previous record was also five consecutive wins.
Source: independent.co.uk
