SHOKK has extended its global reach by opening its first sites in India and the US.

The US site is in Anaheim, California – a residential area near Disneyland.

Marlon Carter, director of SHOKK USA, says: “While the US fitness market is more mature than the UK, the SHOKK concept is at least five years ahead of anything we have in the US. I can now offer exactly what people were looking for – a hands-on experience that engages all children, at no matter what level.”

A second site is planned for California, plus five in Nashville and one in Columbia.

Meanwhile, the Indian facility – in Jalandhar, Punjab – has been set up in association with Sanjay Karate Schools. Sanjay Sharma, national martial arts champion in 2000, opened his first karate school 12 years ago. The inspiration for a youth gym came when he visited a SHOKK gym in the UK that offered a blend of marital arts and youth activity.

Sharma says: “India is a great place to introduce youth fitness, as communities are now becoming more aware of new ideas, especially the huge benefits of health and fitness.”