UK HQ of the world's original and leading quality kettlebell school since 2001.
Welcome to RKC UK
Providing gold standard kettlebell education to everybody.
Since DragonDoor launched the modern kettlebell movement in 2001, this amazing "gym-in-the-palm-of-your-hand" has redefined the fitness landscape on a global level, liberating hundreds of thousands from the limitations and frustrations of machine-based workouts.
The RKC system remains the leader when it comes to delivering the most efficient and thorough education in how to become a skilled kettlebell user and trainer and has founded an alternative, elite community of individuals determined to leave the fitness world a better place than they found it.
There's only one kettlebell certification in the world that delivers the depth and breadth of core competencies critical to successful kettlebell instruction - and that is RKC.
RKC UK has a Midlands location and a team that can travel nationally to deliver workshops and provide online coaching on request.
RKC 2.0 - The Curriculum
The RKC Curriculum is fully updated and improved for today's fitness landscape and needs. It follows a modular, progressive system that is connected to real training and business.
The previous system of HKC, RKC1 and RKC2 has been absorbed into four instructor levels RKC-D, RKC-C, RKC-B and RKC-A - with 100+ page manuals and zero overlaps.
This system provides the most comprehensive hardstyle kettlebell education for instructors, from beginners to seasoned professionals. In addition to technique, it covers teaching methods for the spectrum of client populations along with providing access to an international platform for certified instructors to grow their business.
The certifications are supported by regular Kettlebell Fundamentals workshops. These "user workshops" teach the foundations of technique for both fitness professionals and enthusiasts, determined to do things properly.
RKC UK prides itself on creating a strong, welcoming and skilled kettlebell community.
Choose your starting point from the options below.
Workshops and Courses
RKC UK
KETTLEBELL BEGINNER WORKSHOPS
Start here: These weekend workshops are ideal for kettlebell enthusiasts to safeguard themselves against pointless and unsafe technique, and get the most out of kettlebells from the original training school. The best place to get a thorough grounding in what RKC UK has to offer.
MEET THE RKC UK TEAM LEADERS
Craig and Shell Gilkes* are RKC Master Instructors leading RKC UK.
We have a small, but growing, team of RKCs and are excited to be able to promote RKCs to Team Leaders, Senior and Master levels as the RKC UK Instructor base grows.
*you say it like Jilkes.
Shell Gilkes
Master RKC
Craig Gilkes
Master RKC
Shell Gilkes is a kettlebell, strength and movement coach with extensive experience in hardstyle kettlebell training and education. A Master RKC, she works with both coaches and athletes to develop strength, skill and a deeper understanding of effective movement.
Her approach to kettlebell training is rooted in technical precision, intelligent progression and the practical application of strength principles. Rather than treating technique as a fixed set of rules, Shell is interested in helping people understand the principles behind effective movement—giving coaches the tools to observe, problem-solve and adapt their approach to the individual in front of them.
Through Juno Fitness, she works with women to develop strength, confidence and physical capability, applying the same emphasis on skilled movement and intelligent training that underpins her wider coaching and educational work.
Alongside her coaching, Shell is actively involved in the development of the UK hardstyle kettlebell community, contributing to coach education, events and competition. Her work combines a respect for the foundations of the RKC system with curiosity, critical thinking and a commitment to continually refining how strength and movement are taught.
Known for making complex ideas accessible without oversimplifying them, Shell brings a practical, thoughtful approach to education. Her aim is not simply to teach people how to perform kettlebell exercises, but to help coaches become more skilled at understanding movement, making informed decisions and ultimately becoming better teachers themselves.
Craig Gilkes is a Master RKC and one of the most experienced figures in the UK hardstyle kettlebell community. He earned his RKC certification in 2008, progressed to RKC Level II in 2012, and is now one of only two Master RKCs in the UK.
Craig is the founder and Head Trainer of Sparta Fitness, which he established in Coventry in 2012. As the home of RKC UK, Sparta has become a centre for hardstyle kettlebell training and education, providing a base for the continued development of the RKC community in the UK.
With nearly two decades of experience within the RKC system, Craig brings a depth of knowledge built through years of training, coaching and teaching. His approach is grounded in the principles that underpin the RKC: technical excellence, purposeful practice and the intelligent development of strength. He is particularly focused on helping coaches and athletes build strong foundations, understand the details that make technique effective and apply those principles in practice.
Alongside his work within the RKC, Craig has extensive experience in strength and conditioning, using kettlebells, bodyweight training and conditioning methods to develop strong, capable and resilient individuals. His coaching is practical and direct, with an emphasis on effective training rather than unnecessary complexity.
Through both his role as a Master RKC and his work at Sparta Fitness, Craig has played an important part in the growth of hardstyle kettlebell training in the UK. His focus remains on maintaining the high standards of the RKC system, developing knowledgeable and capable instructors, and passing on the skills and principles that have shaped his own approach to strength and coaching.