About Us
LEN COOK
Len Cook is the owner and head coach at Champion Striking. He was born in Abingdon, Virginia, and began his training in Traditional Martial arts at the age of 5.
He continued training throughout his life, and as a teenager, he got his first taste of full-contact Kickboxing - and instantly loved it!
Len maintained his traditional martial arts training for a while but quickly realized that he wanted more of the real deal. That's when he set his sights on becoming a competitor in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA).
In 2008, Len had his sights on competing in the sport of MMA. He decided to leave the traditional art of Kung-Fu. Len started training in Kickboxing, Wrestling, and Jiu-jitsu, marking the beginning of his career as a Fighter, Coach, and Martial Artist. It only took a few fights before he decided that Martial Arts and a Combat Sports athlete's life was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He uprooted everything, moved closer to the gym, found a job that fit his training schedule, and dedicated his time to training.
Len climbed his way up the ranks and quickly claimed two Bantamweight titles. In 2011, he won the ISKA southeastern region title, earning the rank number 1 Bantamweight fighter in the southeast region.
Len achieved his goal of becoming a professional fighter in 2011. While training and competing, he was teaching one on one sessions and group classes for Kickboxing, General Fitness as well as Strength and Conditioning for fighters. Len loved teaching people and helping his students and clients achieve their fitness goals. So, he decided to take some time off from competing and spend more time coaching.
On top of working a regular job, Len dedicated his spare time to teaching kickboxing, group fitness, and personal training. Len even turned his two-car garage into a full gym for his clients. He was managing a local store at the time and decided to pursue his passion for teaching. Along with his wife, he decided to open Champion Striking together in September of 2016.
Len has taken up competing again but now pursues Kickboxing as his sport of choice. Len feels truly blessed to have the opportunity to spend his days working with so many great people. It is a dream come true!