A three-time shin-kicking world champion, who trains by bruising his legs with a hammer, has earned a congratulatory motion in parliament after calling time on his undefeated career.
Mike Newby, 34, a PR associate director, who lives in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, with his fiancee Geo Legate, 28, won the shin-kicking round of the 2023 Cotswold Olimpick Games – a martial arts contest in which two competitors kick each other’s shins until one of them collapses or submits.
Now known as “Shindiana Jones”, Mike returned in 2024 after an intense daily training regime that included hammering his shins, and proudly added another victory to his limb-duelling CV.
On May 30 2025, Mike entered the competition for a third time, fresh from training by kicking a tree, and was determined to complete an undefeated hat-trick.
He succeeded, finding his inner “terminator” even while facing rule-breaking opponents wearing walking boots, and his name was once again engraved on the Cotswold Olimpick trophy, displayed year-round in Chipping Campden.
Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson congratulated him in the House of Commons via an Early Day Motion on June 2, and newfound celebrity Mike has decided to retire from the sport – but hopes to return next year as the competition’s referee.
“Part of the reason I’m retiring is because of the mental toll – I had a lot more to lose this year,” Mike told PA Real Life.
“I reminded myself that everybody else that was competing probably was more scared of me than I was of them.”
Having regularly practised martial arts, including judo and taekwondo, Mike leapt at the chance to enter the shin-kicking competition at the 2023 Cotswold Olimpick Games, an annual celebration of English folk sports.
Two contestants face each other and a referee, known as the stickler, places a stick between them and signals the start of the match by lifting it.
The opponents then kick each other in the shins, with the aim of making their rival fall or give up.
Kicking too high can lead to disqualification, and each match is decided in a best-of-three format.
Mike won the 2023 competition, when during the intense final his competitor ripped Mike’s shirt off, while Mike hobbled back to the car with two broken toes.
He claimed victory again the following year, training almost every day, toughening his shins by hitting them with a hammer.
By this stage he had invented a move he called the “shin wheel”, where he kicked his opponent’s shin and then tripped them over his legs.
Just weeks after the 2024 competition, Mike was already back in training, determined to complete a hat-trick.
“It doesn’t make sense to do it once, do it twice and stop – the hat-trick was necessary now, and to retire undefeated for three years in a row,” said Mike.
“I used a rolling pin to just roll down my shins too and kill all of the nerves… and hitting my shins isn’t painful any more, I’ve just got used to it.
“I kicked a tree full strength and I couldn’t feel it so it has definitely worked.”
Leading up to the event, Mike admitted he felt “more pressure” than ever, as he was determined to secure the hat-trick.
This time he “had a lot more fans” in the audience, with about 15 friends waving banners that read “Shindiana Jones” and “Go Mike”.
Mike wore soft plimsolls, with straw stuffed down his trouser legs for protection.
He won his first two matches “convincingly” but he said he deliberately dragged the rest of the matches out to avoid previous criticism for being too fast.
“The problem was two competitors were wearing boots, which is actually against the rules, but the organisers didn’t notice,” he explained.
“So I was longing it out, but they were kicking me with walking boots on.
“I took a lot of damage. A lot of damage.”
The final was against a strong opponent and Mike was not sure “which way it was going to go”.
Mike said: “It was very long – it was a good 10 minutes.
“The crowd was chanting, ‘kick him, kick him’.
“And I didn’t know if they were chanting for me or for him so I just decided that it was for me.
“My competitor was talking to me while we were fighting, saying ‘you got me’ and things, but I decided that I was going to be like the Terminator and not say anything, not show any emotion, I’m not tired, not say ‘ow’, take the hits, just keep going.
“And it did work – afterwards he said that I was like a mountain.”
When he won, Mike said the feeling was “brilliant,” and the crowd erupted.
He didn’t break any toes this time, but he was still “hobbling around,” black and blue.
“Because I’m retiring, it feels like a weight off my shoulders – I feel like I’ve got nothing left to prove,” Mike explained.
“I don’t have to do it again and that was quite a good feeling.
“The reaction from my friends, family and colleagues was massive – when I went to work, everyone stood up and applauded me… I even put my win on my CV.”
On June 2, Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson put forward an Early Day Motion congratulating Mike on his third consecutive shin-kicking title.
Backed by five other MPs, the motion praised his dedication, highlighted the sport’s unique Britishness, and thanked the Cotswold Olimpick Games for preserving the tradition.
Mike found this “very exciting”, having previously met Mr Wilkinson while helping with his campaign – he even showed him how to shin-kick for a social media video.
Mike said: “My parents joke that I’m a celebrity.
“I was recognised once on a dog walk last year in Cheltenham by someone who just asked ‘Are you the shin-kicking guy?’”
Looking ahead, Mike hopes to take on the role of stickler at next year’s competition and encourages others to give the sport a try.
“It’s a laugh, it’s supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to be a family event, so don’t be too aggressive in your mindset,” he said.
“But also, you need to take it seriously – you can do serious damage to yourself, and you need to respect the other competitors.”
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