I was bullied at school, and that’s what first pushed me toward martial arts. It gave me the confidence I had been missing. I started training under Karl Sams at Bulldog Gym before moving to Sakprasert Gym, where I stayed for years and fought proudly under their name. Along the way, my passion for martial arts grew into exploring other disciplines too — learning from Sifu Nic Taylor and even gaining a close protection qualification.

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In my mid-twenties I passed the PRMC for the Royal Marines, but I realised that wasn’t the right path for me. A few years later, at 29, I moved to Malta and opened Sok Ti Muay Thai, a school that became my life for five successful years. Eventually, though, I felt the pull of a new direction. After working in offices that left me unfulfilled, I moved to Cornwall to study photography — something creative that truly inspired me.

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During the final stages of my photography degree, I discovered an equal love for storytelling, so I stayed on to complete a Master’s in Professional Writing with a focus on fantasy. My first book, fittingly, is called The Samurai.

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For a while, martial arts stepped into the background when I discovered ultra-marathon running. I threw myself into it and pushed my limits, with my longest distance so far being 100km. Wanting to share running with others, I started a free community club in St Ives called Stride, to make running fun and accessible to all.

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It was through Stride that my martial arts journey found its way back to me. When some of the runners discovered I used to teach Muay Thai, they asked for a lesson. That one class reignited something I thought I’d left behind, and before I knew it, I was back teaching again — back to being Kru Luke.

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Through all of this, I’ve been lucky to have a strong community of friends who have always encouraged me to chase new challenges and believe I could achieve great things. Most importantly, I have a partner who supports my slightly mad “I want to do everything” mindset, and without that constant encouragement I wouldn’t be able to balance it all.

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Today, I’m still writing, photographing, working, and running, but teaching Muay Thai has returned to my life in the best way. It feels like everything has come full circle, and I’m just grateful to share what I’ve learned with others.