Payam has been studying Martial Arts from a very early age, starting out in free-style karate. In his late teens he studied and moved through different martial arts until he found kickboxing, where he has been for just over a decade. He progressed through the grading system and participated in several kickboxing competitions where he attained a high level of success, including PKA champion in his weight category. At Black belt level he joined the Instructor Developmenet program and he's been coaching ever since. Payam also hold multiple qualifications in coaching and has studied Sports and Exercise Science at LSBU where he was awarded membership into the Elite Sports Development Program.