A RAMSEY kickboxer came first in his category at Europe s biggest martial arts tournament last weekend. Ryan Connor, became the over 80 kilogram continuous champion at the Irish Open in Dublin. Connor, 23, fought men from England, Ireland and Italy in fo

A RAMSEY kickboxer came first in his category at Europe's biggest martial arts tournament last weekend.

Ryan Connor, became the over 80 kilogram continuous champion at the Irish Open in Dublin. Connor, 23, fought men from England, Ireland and Italy in four two-minute knock-out rounds to reach the final, where he won over two two-minute rounds. He narrowly lost out on further silverware in the points section.

Aaron Godden, from March, won his first round fight in the over 80 kilogram category, but narrowly lost 9-8 in his second fight.

Connor, from Whittlesey, teaches kickboxing and kung fu in Ramsey, and weighed in at 81kg. He received a call up to be a reserve fighter for the England team after his performance over the weekend.

"I'm very, very pleased as it was a big tournament, the biggest I have been in," said Connor.

"I thought that nerves would get hold of me but I got a lot of support and was well prepared before I went and that got me through and helped me to perform well. It was my first international fight and so a big step up for me.

"I had to just keep winning and it was tough to fight people from all over Europe. It was interesting to see different styles of fighting and in some fights you had to think on your feet and in others you just had to improvise. It was hard work but I kept going.

"I will definitely be entering it next year and I will be more prepared because I will know what to expect. I will have a year to train and improve and I will be looking forward to it as this time I didn't want the weekend to end."

Andy Whitwell, an executive of the British Chinese Kickboxing Association (BCKA) and trainer at the Ramsey BCKA Club, said he was "very proud" of what both fighters had achieved.

"They have worked hard over the last year and will be pushing forward for next year's event. I'm really pleased with how they did and I'm optimistic about their futures."

Connor has been practicing in kickboxing for seven years and kung fu for four years, but he only began using them to fight at a competitive level one year ago.

"It's good to use kung fu to improve my technique and the kickboxing for power and speed. I use a mixture of both and find it a very effective combination."

Both fighters will next be in action at the Boston Championship Series that starts on April 19.