Gym of the Month - Team Colosseum

With the temperature dropping faster than Thales Leites against Anderson Silva I thought the best way to beat the frost would be with some gym of the month.

After I judged at Ross Pointon's Night of the Gladiators it was clear that the fighters from Team Colosseum had come well prepared and showed some of the more dominant wrestling I've seen from a UK team. They'd impressed me back at XFC but the fighters they bought to GPUK seemed intensely focused and were ready for war.

I had a chat to one of the cornerstones of Team Colosseum, not to mention MC and thrash metal aficionado, Aaron Chatfield about the gym and a very successful 2010.

What was your first involvement with mixed martial arts?


I guess the first time I was exposed to MMA was back in 1993 when some friends and I cam across UFC 1 in HMV. It wasn’t called MMA back then; people forget that the sport was going before the term. Back then it was Vale Tudo. I was training in Muay Thai at the time and the idea of a no rules competition was very interesting. A remember a large group of us watching it at a mates house on VHS, all stunned at the concept. I watched the next 3-4 and then they stopped turning up in HMV so I forgot about it…. Until 5-6 years later.

I’d been Thai boxing for 8 years or so, fought, coached, judged, reffed and everything else I could in the sport and I was bored. I started to wonder if this Ultimate Fighting thing was still going or not. I started to search on the internet and found the SFUK forum. Happy to find MMA was till going… and growing, I found a local club, quit Muay Thai on a Monday and was training MMA on Tuesday at Defence Unlimited (This was under Phil Wright, but the Defence Unlimited gyms were Karl Tanswell’s brand before SBG)

Briefly explain the history of the gym.

Good question. To pick up from the question above, I trained at Defence Unlimited for 6 months and then the club closed, I was gutted. The coach did a good thing, which was advice people on the clubs to try out and he suggested I would like Colosseum. So I contacted Steven “Widge” Milward and arranged my first visit. That night I got my ass handed to me on a silver platter and I new I had found the right place. That was back in 1999 and I have been there ever since.

But looking back further the club was started back in 1994. One of the very first MMA clubs in the UK. It was started by Danny Rushton and Danny Wallace, who has been involved in Karate and Kickboxing for a number of years, had seen the UFC and were evolving their styles to an MMA style. Remember there were no MMA clubs back then, so the two Danny’s were learning from videos and books, taking new steps, developing the MMA style by hard work and trial and error. Danny Rushton evolved into on of the UK’s most respected fighters. He is a natural welterweight these days, but back then there wasn’t many fighters, so he had to fight much heavier guys, once guys, Dave Van Der Veen was a dutch powerlifting champion, 120k of solid muscle, Danny was less than 90k.

Danny achieved European Title Success and even faced Lee Murray. That fight was a no contest, but Danny should have had the DQ win… that’s another story though.

So the club was doing well when I joined 4-5 fighters, regular competitions on shows like Night of the Samurai, etc. That was a good 9-10 years ago and since then the team has evolved and got serious. We are now based at Powerbeck Gym in Leigh and running 3-4 classes a week, we have a coaching staff including Danny Rushon, Widge Milward, Steve Hazeldine, Danny Wallace and myself and a team of 11 fighters, with more guys coming though. We aren’t as well known as some other gyms, but 2010 saw us have 38 bouts and run at an 80% win rate, we have held 4 title belts this year. As far as I am concerned that’s a good record!

What is your vision for the gym?

Well, it’s not MY gym per se. Danny Rushton and Danny Wallace are the top dogs, but I play a big part in the coaching and the management of the fighters. I think Danny Rushton and I share the same vision though. We are a no bullshit gym. We don’t get carried away with the Hollywood of fighting; we train the guys hard and work on developing effective styles. It’s a tough gym, alongside the hard training, the mickey tacking can be rough. If people ask what they need to train at Team Colosseum, shorts, t-shirt, gum shield, groin guard, hard work ethic and a very thick skin!

We are on the cusp of the next evolution of Team Colosseum, the time has come that we need to become a full time gym. Don’t forget, we have got to the level we are as a part time gym, training 3-4 a week. Imagine what will happen when we are full time!!!

Who are the coaches and what are their backgrounds?

Well the coaches are Danny Rushton, Danny Wallace, Steve Hazeldine, Widge Milward and myself. We all bring something different, but with a shared vision and common goal

My background is the same old story. From 13 or so I trained for 6 months in many styles, Karate, Kung Fu, Judo, boxing, etc, never finding anything I liked. Wasn’t until I was 21 that I found Muay Thai. I stuck with that for a good 8 years, eventually becoming an instructor.

Danny Rushton and Danny Wallace have similar background, both coming from traditional Karate backgrounds. As mentioned, when they got into MMA… there was no MMA, they had to teach themselves

Like me Ste Hazeldine comes from a Muay Thai background, he takes control of our beginners sessions and has a wide knowledge and a great teaching style

Widge is a phenom! Seriously.. I know he doesn’t look it, but the guy was competing in Judo at an age when the rest of us where playing with our action men! Alongside Olympic wrestling, Widge’s background is grappling. He has a brother who was a national level Judoka, but I hate the guy, so I won’t even mention his name.

What range of classes does the gym offer?

Easy this one. We are an MMA gym, we teach MMA. Not BJJ, wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai mixed together, but MMA! Everything we do is centred around MMA as a style, using what works for MMA, that’s it. We currently run regular sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday. We need more, so plans are afoot to become a full time gym and then we will see 2-3 classes a day, everyday

As more and more MMA gyms open up over the coming months what do you feel is unique about the gym?

History. MMA is popular at present, everyman and his dog is starting MMA and thinking they know it all, but experience counts. There are clubs out there that have 12 months history under there belt and are telling everyone how good they are, but given a choice if you were on a plane to Brazil, would you prefer a pilot with 12 months experience… or 14 years?

The other thing that’s important is the real team ethic, it’s huge at Team Colosseum…we are a team and everyone has a role. It’s like a well written play, some people are the star actors, some supports and others are stage hands, but all put on the show and in the future, those roles change and the stage hand becomes the star

What else is important is the ethic of slowing fighters down. Most gyms appear to produce so called ‘pro fighters’ after only a couple of months training, its stupid and damaging to the sport. Brings the whole professional level down. For us, we want fighters to spend 10-20 fights in the amateur/semi pro ranks, learning their trade, so when they go pro, they ARE pro!

What is the most gruelling training session that the gym currently runs?

If you mean fitness wise, then Sunday mornings. That session starts with something special every time, sometimes is field sprints, others is step sprints and others it’s the famous dinosaur pushes. But it’s hard and I push guys hard to perform. As for the other sessions, it isn’t the fitness that’s hard, it’s the standard. There are no easy spars, everyone is challenging in their own way. It can be tough for a new guy to come to the gym, they have to be prepared to get tapped and dominated. Some egos can’t take it and we have lost a few guys over the years who had a desire to be a big fish in a small pond. At Team Colosseum, they were shark food.

How would you sum the gym up in a sentence?

Originators, no replicators!

What are the plans for the gym for the future?

As mentioned, we’ve got to where we are whilst being limited to a part time club. 80% win rate, 4 title belts in 12 months… on being part time! So the plan for the future is to become a full time club. We are looking into viable venues to open the Team Colosseum training facility with a plan to get something set up in Q1 2011. This will enable us to have a gym open all day, give the guys a place to train at all times and run lots more sessions. This will be the platform for the gym to grow and take our success to another level.

Anything Else?

I’d like to thank all of Team Colosseum, but especially the coaches, Danny Rushton, Danny Wallace, Widge Milward, Ste Hazeldine.

Also the fighters:

Saul Rogers - u70k - 9-0-1 Cage Conflict LW SP Champion, Burnley Brawl LW SP Champion, AMMA LW Champion

Sam Ferguson - u77k - 5-4-1

John Wells - u66k - 1-1-0 (1 NC)

Chris Mullany - u70k - 1-1-0

Danny Hardman - u61k - 2-0-0

Steve Hazeldine - u77k - 5-3-0

Anthony Davis - u77k - 1-1-0

Ste Lane - u70k - 2-0-0

Greg Grimshaw - u70k - 1-0-0

Mark Wheeler - u77k Debut

Chris Thompson - u70k - 4-5-0

And finally a few special people, Matt Thorpe (thanks for the great times in MMA!), Marc Goddard, Sledge, Ian Bultin, Dave Bultin, Andy Butlin, all our sponsors, especially Cage Steel, who keep us stocked up on gear for the fight team, cheers Jamie

I’ll stop now, cause I talk way to much!!

Oh… and thanks to Ben C for asking me to do this.

Gym of the Month - Elements MMA

On Sunday, a few friends and I made the drive to Elements MMA in Birmingham.

The gym was the location for a seminar on refereeing and judging in mixed martial arts and was written and presented by none other than UFC referee Marc Goddard.

As it currently stands, there is not a governing body in UK mixed martial arts and, as Marc was quick to remind, the responsibility is on the individual to ensure a high standard of professionalism at all times.

The course was interesting and is a huge step for both validity and safety for the sport in the UK, but I was also really impressed with the venue.

Elements MMA is a Mecca to all that is mixed martial arts and I was able to grab a few minutes to chat with Marc about the gym and his visions for the future.

What was your first involvement with mixed martial arts?

Wow! Now you're asking! I have been involved in the MMA scene here in the UK for the last ten years plus, and the martial arts a lot longer still [not giving my age away here…….] If I may be so bold or boring as to state, it is advertisement after all…


• 2 x Combat British Open Grappling Champion


• 2 x Submission League Heavyweight Champion [inc quickest submission]


• Submission League Absolute Runner-Up [losing to Jeff Monson in Final]


• SNGC National Champion


• Urban Gorillaz Absolute Champion


• 2 x Urban Gorillaz Heavyweight Runner up [losing to Jeff Monson in final]


• ADCC European Trials Runner Up


• FILA World Grappling Games UK Trials Champion


• FILA World Games UK Coach [Switzerland 2008]


• UK Storm Heavyweight Champion

• Grapple & Strike Super Heavyweight Champion

• First ever UK appointed Referee for the UFC

• First ever UK Referee to be licensed to officiate for UFC in the US [UFC 101 Philadelphia August 2009]

• First ever UK Referee to take charge of a UFC Main Event [UFC 105 Couture Vera November 2009 and again UFC 120 Bisping Akiyama October 2010]

Briefly explain the history of the gym.

The gym was a realization of a dream for me; I have long been associated with other peoples gyms and done things that way. I longed for a place to call my own where I could develop the gym as I wanted, the fighters as I wanted and the classes as I wanted.


It was a long time coming for me but well worth the wait, now I have the place to call my own and the rest, as they say, will be history! My very early traditional JJ instructor Paul Harrison played a big part in who I am and the ethos that I go by. It then moved onto Steve Brindle form the infamous Stevie B’s Gym right at the start when Braulio Estima first came over to the UK as a brown belt, both of whom I owe huge gratitude and remember always with fondness and love.


Boxing coaches Spencer McCracken and Paul Gough also played a big part in who and how I have become as a mixed martial artist today. From these people and life’s experiences I learnt so much and it has definitely helped shape me for what I have become and how my MMA game is transferred to others.

What is your vision for the gym?

My vision for the gym is to take my time, our time and establish the name of Elements MMA. A lot of people in the UK will know my name and some of the fighters associated with me, now it’s time to attach the Elements MMA name to it! We already have Champions past and present associated with us. It is not a race for me, not a sprint. I want the most solid, built on reputation earned with time, blood sweat and tears. The old school way – the best way.

Who are the coaches and what are their backgrounds?

Well you have myself who people will know, we have Mick Broster who I have known for many years. Mick was a former competitor who brings a wealth of experience to the gym, he and I differ so much in our approach, styles and game and that is what makes it work so well. I would take Mick over a hundred “names” in today’s game as he knows what it takes and is as reliable as they come.


We have Chris Cooper teaching the stand up [striking for MMA] side of the game, Chris has fought in MMA, Thai and K1 and his striking really is up there on a level with the best, anyone who saw his fight with the veteran Alex Gould on the K1 road to Japan show will testify to that. We also have the new bloods in Dave Hill and Tom Breese. Dave Hill is the current OMMAC British featherweight champion and was the AMMA British lightweight champion also. Dave recently lost a decision to the highly ranked and super talented Tom Niinimake in Finland, this was Dave’s first loss in 10 professional contests, and at 9-1 as a pro and still only 23 years old he has it all to go in front of him.


I am so proud of him and his work ethic and discipline is second to none. Tom Breese is an un-defeated 9-0 amateur who recently made his pro debut on the BAMMA Reid v Watson card. Tom is a very talented young lad and at 18 years of age remains a frightening prospect. Mick Broster has done a fantastic job with Tom in the last few years and will continue together with me to unleash him on the UK welter weight scene.


We also are about to unleash some new blood on the next AMMA, one to watch will be the newly crowned Combat Sports UK Champion James Dixon. We have some awesome talent at the gym right now, pure British Champions.

What range of classes does the gym offer?

The gym is open to all levels and offers classes for fighters, mid levels and complete beginners. We cater for MMA and everything is with that slant and bias on it with a directly experienced past. We have drilling / sparring classes, open mats, Striking for MMA, Dirty Boxing, Submission Wrestling, Wrestling for MMA and Conditioning classes amongst others.

As more and more MMA gyms open up over the coming months what do you feel is unique about the gym?

Elements MMA gym is unique because even though the gym is new the people associated with it have the history, the tangible and credible actual history – not some made up glitz and glamour but real trace-able history with bona fide achievements and credentials. Elements MMA is a family first and foremost and anybody out there representing the name will have my blessing and I can tell you this, that will not come without its price!

What is the most gruelling training session that the gym currently runs?

I am pretty sure that the guys would testify to the Saturday MMA conditioning class!

How would you sum the gym up in a sentence?

No nonsense, true, proven and complete Mixed Martial Arts taught from the heart.

What are the plans for the gym for the future?

As I touched on before, building on the reputation of the people, fighters, students and myself associated with the gym. Its not about me now, I had my time and enjoyed it immensely, it is now the time of all the others ready to come through and if me and the guys at my gym can help those guys achieve those dreams then I can rest a happy man.


Thank you very much for having me!

It's great to have a recognisable figurehead like Marc in the UK as his experience and willingness to share it can only be a bonus for the sport in this country. Elements MMA is not only a well equipped gym but, with Goddard at the helm and his staff of diligent coaches, it will surely grow into one of the most talent rich environments in the country.

Gym of the Month - Falcons Martial Arts

It's all go here on Super North Star MMA at the minute, I've been judging, writing or commentating every Saturday for the past four Saturdays and I hope that this is just the start. 

I've had chance to work at Shoot N Sprawl, Night of the Gladiators, Cage Control and even Ultimate Challenge and I thank everyone who has helped with all of these opportunities; back to the matter in hand, it's the start of the month and that means gym of the month.

Whilst I was judging at Cage Control I saw a familiar face step into the cage as Ritchie Jones took on Jay Reynolds. I was impressed by what Ritchie showed in that fight as he used some first class grappling skills to get the win. I caught up with him after the show for a bit of a chat about Falcons Martial Arts Academy and their plans for the future.

What was your first involvement with mixed martial arts?

I personally got into martial arts due to being bullied in school at a young age, my father made me take traditional Wado Ryu karate lessons and I never looked back from there, I achieved my black belt by age 14 and 2nd Dan at 16, I continued to teach but wanted to test myself more in a real fight situation, being a fan of mixed martial arts it was the next logical step for me to take up MMA. Once I gained my driving licence the world was my oyster and I discovered Falcons martial arts and haven't looked back. Since training with Heath, the team and I have competed in grappling, jujutsu, kickboxing and MMA competitions; there is something at the club for everyone.

Briefly explain the history of the gym.

The Falcons martial arts gym has been running since 1990, teaching all aspects of martial arts. It is funded by sensei Heath Gait who himself was taught by sensei Ross Iannoccaro, the club was among the first to put on mixed martial arts shows in South Wales dating back nearly 10 years ago now with "Grapple and Strike.” On those shows some of the most famous names in UK mixed martial arts fought, names such as Marc Goddard, Ronnie Mann, Alex Owen, Tim Newman and Joseph Duffy.

The gym now concentrates its efforts on the Welsh Grapple and Strike Amateur League bringing in fighters from all over the UK to fight for the end of year Grapple and Strike amateur title. We have a stable of fighters at the gym ranging from those who train to keep fit and have fun all the way up to those in the professional ranks.

 What is your vision for the gym?

To continue moving forward and teaching in a friendly motivated environment where like minded individuals can come together to achieve their goals whatever they may be. Things can only get better and if continue to progress as we have done the last 20 years who knows where we will be in another 20!

Who are the coaches and what are their backgrounds?



Sensei Heath Gait

 

Head coach is sensei Heath Gait, he has over 30 years experience in martial arts. He is a 5th Dan black belt in kickboxing, a 5th degree black belt in taekwondo and a 2nd Dan black belt in tai jutsu kai jujutsu.

He has fought for Wales 27 times, held various titles in jujutsu, grappling and kickboxing and won the combat sports MMA national championship.

Our assistant coach is professional mma fighter Joseph Duffy, aged only 22 yet with a gleaming mixed martial arts record of 6-0-0 with plenty of experience in the amateur and semi pro levels, many will have seen Joe on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter filmed in the USA and he recently came back from the world martial arts games in Las Vegas with 4 gold medals in jujutsu and Kumite.

He is the European freestyle kickboxing champion, Grapple and Strike Welsh and National Champion along with all other grappling and stand up credentials.

What range of classes does the gym offer?

The classes have something for everyone, we have stand up and grappling classes which make part of the MMA training along with sport jujutsu and conditioning classes, plus professional fight training is available during the day for those who compete.

There are also separate classes during the evening breaking down individual aspects of the fight game. We also run children’s programs teaching kickboxing and self defence; alongside all this Heath regularly gives time up to help local schools with anti bullying schemes and keep fit programs.

As more and more MMA gyms open up over the coming months what do you feel is unique about the gym?

I don't see Falcons Martial Arts as a gym I see it as a family, there is a real bond between the members and everyone is made to feel welcome. Our extensive track record sets us apart from other gyms, the quality of fighters being produced and fighting at different levels is a credit to the club.



TUF12 Fighter Joe Duffy

 What is the most gruelling training session that the gym currently runs?

Saturday sessions are a killer, it’s hard to see what’s fun about pushing a car around the industrial estate along with sprints, rope climbs, weights, rope whips all finished off with some pressure sparring. That said, we come back every time so it’s got to be good for you! (No one has to do that in case I just scared you from coming on a Saturday!)

How would you sum the gym up in a sentence?

My second family, focused, motivated and loyal.

What are the plans for the gym for the future?

To continue as we are and I’d keep your eyes out for our strong amateur team coming through the ranks along with several semi pro fighters looking to make waves in the next 12 months. Remember the name Joseph Duffy as he will be on a tear next year!

Is there anyone that you'd like to thank or give a shout out to?

Heath Gait and Joseph Duffy for their guidance and everyone training at Falcons Martial Arts, especially guys who make it to every session and make the gym what it is. You all know who you are.

Gym of the Month - Leicester Shootfighters

It amazes me each month how much response I get from Gym of the Month, it seems there's so many great gyms out there and I love giving them all a chance to tell everyone what they have to offer. If you want to get involved then please drop me a line, my details are on my UKMMA page. This month it was my pleasure to chat with Nathan Leverton at Leicester Shootfighters about the club and his visions for the future.

What was your first involvement with mixed martial arts?

My first exposure was reading about UFC 1 not long after it happened and hunting out a tape of it, which is what got me interested in the sport that was then known as NHB. Not long after that I met and trained with Geoff Thompson from Coventry who at the time was mixing different styles together and training some of the first UK NHB fighters for events run by Lee Hasdell. Following my interest online I met other s with the same passion for this burgeoning sport and become a part of Submission Fighting UK (SFUK) when it launched, Europe’s first major MMA website and resource which was a driving force behind the UK scene for many years.

Briefly explain the history of the gym.

The gym was originally founded by students at De Montfort University (Matt Whetton and Giuseppe Iannucci with Jimmy Cairney and Dom Bufton) who broke away from a more traditional martial arts club to set up their own sessions. Following a chance meeting with one of them I dropped by to watch some classes but ended up sharing some of what I’d picked up from training in Coventry and my involvement with SFUK. I gradually took over more of the sessions and when the founder members moved away from Leicester or became busy with other things I took over the club. I continued to train small groups over numerous locations for many years until we finally settled in to our own academy at the end of 2009. We have trained over 100 competitors in Submission Grappling and MMA, from amateur up to UFC level.

Nathan Leverton prepares for classes

What is your vision for the gym?

The goal of the gym is to provide a safe, professional and healthy environment where students can explore the arts we teach and be helped to achieve their goals; whether that be getting in better shape, learning a few techniques, competing, coaching, or anything in between. We aim to continue our strong traditions in these areas and continually strive to provide a better service.

Who are the coaches and what are their backgrounds?

The gym is owned by myself and Robert Hannis. We both teach Submission Wrestling and MMA classes and are purple belts in BJJ (but primarily train without the gi). Top ten European ranked MMA fighter Jim Wallhead teaches MMA classes at the gym and many of our top students such as Andre Winner, JD Hylton, Ranjeet Baria, Liam Corrigan and Paul Barton take occasional classes in their specialist areas. Caz Tweedy is a competitive grappler trained by us who runs the popular women’s programme at the gym.

What range of classes does the gym offer?

We currently have classes 6 days a week. There are MMA and MMA Striking sessions to introduce students to the fundamentals of the sport and an MMA Advanced class which essentially serves as squad training right now for people to spar and drill in preparation for competition. We have a similar format for Submission Wrestling, with classes for those wishing to learn the art or refine their technique as well as advanced classes for sparring and competition preparation. We also have the MMA Fitness class once a week to whip everyone in to shape and Sundays are reserved for special events like the women only sessions, seminars and club competitions.

As more and more MMA gyms open up over the coming months what do you feel is unique about the gym?

Our relaxed and friendly gym atmosphere and our commitment to developing no-gi grappling and its application to MMA; I also would say our history of success in open competition and our goal of providing the best training possible for recreational students alongside competitive athletes.

Also, our series of seminars at the gym this year has been amazing. We’ve had  Andre Winner, Ross Pearson, Paul Daley, James Wilks, Pablo Popovitch, Marcelo Brigadeiro, Rosi Sexton, Wanderlei Silva to name a few.

What is the most gruelling training session that the gym currently runs?

The MMA Fitness class is pretty tough; strength and conditioning circuits, bag circuits, ab routines, neck work, partner stretching and more.

How would you sum the gym up in a sentence?

If you train MMA or grappling in Leicestershire and it’s not with us then you are at the wrong gym.

What are the plans for the gym for the future?

We’ve just expanded the women’s program and that’s going great.  We’ve done some trial kids classes and hope to bring those in next year too. We are planning our strength and conditioning area for the new year and will also be rolling out our grading system for no-gi grappling; more seminars, events, classes and people enjoying MMA and Submission Wrestling and a few more medals as well.

Is there anyone that you'd like to thank or give a shout out to?

Where to start! Everyone who gave up time to help get the new facility ready, Caged Steel for providing us with training gear for the gym, the coaches, the team, all the people in the scene who’ve been a friend and supported us and my girlfriend Gen!

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about the gym.

Gym of the Month - Pure MMA

It's gym of the month time once again and following on from last month's Sukata-thon,I took the time to chat with Dan Korbely from Paul Taylor's Pure MMA.

Once again it was Cage Control, back in June, where I first saw this gym in action as Pure MMA's Seamus O'Flaherty was victorious with a first round TKO.

Pure MMA's story is a very interesting one and you want to get in contact with any enquiries then follow the link below.

Pure MMA

What was your first involvement with mixed martial arts?

My first involvement  was while I was at school I used to watch UFC, and decided it was something I wanted to take up, so I ended up joining a gym and training. After a while I started competing and had 10 Semi-Pro fights and 1 Pro, along with competing in grappling competitions. Its been a while since I have competed though. For a while my time has been took up with coaching and making sure everyone is training hard for upcoming fights.

 

Briefly explain the history of the gym.

We started out as 'Team Supreme', but unfortunately a few things led to others which resulted in us all having to move from our old gym; from this Pure MMA was born, the gym is run by Paul Taylor and myself.However, despite being a team for a long time the gym has not been open very long. Since the name change and venue change the team has gone 8-1 in their last 9 fights over the past couple of months, with the one loss being a close decision. I think this shows that everyone of the lads have put their heart and soul into training and being able to build up a record like that despite lots of things going on and having limited facilities to train in for a majority of those fights shows our spirit. Now we are settled into our new place so things will most certainly improve now with a better training timetable, and being able to do sessions whenever we want.

 

What is your vision for the gym?

The vision for the gym is to build on our already strong fight team, and offer the best training possible.

 

Who are the coaches and what are their backgrounds?

We have a fair few people coaching lessons at the gym including: Paul Taylor, Dan Korbely, Stuart Barrs and Eugene Fadiora all from MMA backgrounds. All have their own strengths to bring to the table to help all the members at the gym. As well as these guys we have a strength and conditioning coach as well as a boxing and a wrestling coach.

What range of classes does the gym offer?

  

The gym offers a wide range of classes, to compensate for beginners and fighters alike our classes include: Advanced MMA, Beginners MMA Thai Boxing, Boxing, NoGi, Wrestling and Strength and conditioning. We train Monday - Saturday, so our timetable is quite full on.

 

As more and more MMA gyms open up over the coming months what do you feel is unique about the gym?

I think one of the things about our gym is the team spirit and that everyone is friends in the gym. I wouldn't say its unique because a lot of successful gyms have this, but it's a big reason the team does so well. Everyone looks forward to coming down the gym and most of the lads train every day. Its like a bunch of mates all reaching towards one goal. The training is also very good both of these factors will make us stand out as more and more gyms open up.

What is the most gruelling training session that the gym currently runs?

That has got to be the IHP (Strength and Conditioning) circuit that runs, especially on a Tuesday, we do 3 classes a night and the dreaded circuit is the first class so if you can last through that and manage the other classes after it then you're doing well.

 

How would you sum the gym up in a sentence?

A great atmosphere and a place that's easy to get addicted to.

 

What are the plans for the gym for the future?

Like I said it's early days at the moment, but for the immediate future we plan  to build on our already strong fight team.

Is there anyone that you'd like to thank or give a shout out to?

All the members for sticking with me and Paul through some rough times, and now we promise good times ahead. Thanks Guys.

Gym of the Month - Sukata MMA

One of the most awesome things about commentating shows is seeing fighters from hundreds of different gyms. It's so inspiring to see the rate that the sport is developing in this country and the facilities that are available to more and more people.

After commentating Cage Control 1 recently there was one name that was in my mind for days. This was partially because of how everyone was chanting it after each fighter emerged from the back, but mostly because I was impressed by just how committed all of these fighters were.

As the chants of "SU-KA-TA, SU-KA-TA", rang out that night I knew straight away this had Gym of the Month written all over it. I had a chance to chat with Gary Savage, the head coach of Sukata MMA Blackpool, about the gym and his aspirations for the future.

What was your first involvement with mixed martial arts?

That would have to be very early on in my life. My dad was an ex unarmed combat instructor in the British Army. He taught me from an early age that you had to be adept in striking and grappling and in the importance of mixing the arts to suit the situation, he used to say that ‘karate is no good if you are in a phone box and can’t kick or punch’ sounds strange now as karate was the first formal martial art I got graded in, and as all I cared about was becoming the next Bruce Lee and loved to kick, my answer was to avoid phone boxes. I was lucky in that I had my dad to keep me grounded (literally), he encouraged my karate and was proud of my early achievements but he always challenged my thinking. Our regular ‘play fights’ always seemed to end the same way, me, on the deck, the old fella having taken me to the floor and the imprint of his carpet slipper across my throat, happy days.

I later studied Japanese Jujitsu and it was around the time I was a purple belt that I saw the first UFC where Royce Gracie turned the martial arts world on its head, I had at this time been training in martial arts for twenty plus years, but that image of this slight Brazilian beating all of his larger and more ferocious looking opponents with relative ease really caught my imagination. I was lucky in that my sensei at the time Trevor Cunningham had a passion for the Ne waza (ground fighting) aspect of our art and we rolled loads in class, even before we knew any formal BJJ.

I continued in my training and competed in kumite jujitsu events, these were probably the forerunner to MMA comps in this country, you could punch, kick, grapple, go for Subs and throw and they could be blood baths, the only difference was they were on Mats and there were point systems in place, but I excelled in competition and ended up winning The North of England Open Championships. I still wanted to learn real BJJ though and had grown tired of the ‘unrealistic’ aspects of the Japanese jujitsu; all I wanted to do was fight. I started my own gym and focused on learning BJJ. In those days a real Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black belt was as rare as rocking horse shit in the UK, so I read any books and any courses that were going I attended.

Carley Gracie, Renzo Gracie and later Royce all visited the UK and I was there eager to learn at the feet of the masters. I went back to my gym and trained three to four times a day and then entered my first BJJ comp in London, I feel both blessed and cursed in that my first opponent was the legendary Rick Young. Rick nearly took my arm home in a bag as a trophy that day but it didn’t matter, the seed was there, I loved it. The next year I won my first Brazilian Jiu-jitsu European gold medal. I continued to fight in any MMA type comps and submission wrestling and did well in those also.

After a few years of trying to go it alone and feeling a distinct lack of progress I started training under my instructor, the world renowned Mario Sukata and have never looked back.
These days I concentrate on competing in BJJ and have most recently won the European championships held in Switzerland in 2009, sorry if the answer was brief Ben, what was the question?

Briefly explain the history of the gym.

The Gym opened in November 2008 as Sukata MMA, prior to this I had run an MMA gym with my long time friend and training partner Paul Rice, we wanted things to move in slightly different directions and I decided to go it alone and Sukata MMA was born. I then set about bringing in other coaches to make the gym complete and to cover all areas.

What is your vision for the gym?

My vision has always been to develop the talents of the team by offering the best coaching available, I didn’t want any of the lads having to go through my own experience of trying to teach myself, I knew that you could only go so far that way, now we have an array of top quality coaches available but it doesn’t get any better than Mario Sukata, the man is a legend, but I am happy with all of the Sukata Coaches, everyone contributes so much.

I wanted, in simple terms, a place where people can learn MMA, BJJ, or Thai or Western Boxing without the need for unhealthy egos, where you can make some of the best friends and train for your own reasons, we have more occupations than the Freemasons at my gym, people from diverse backgrounds, but the one thing we really are proud of is that all are treated equally regardless, and rightly so.

Who are the coaches and what are their backgrounds?

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu coach Mario Sukata is the figure head. Mario is well known in the UK as the head coach of the world famous Wolfslair MMA Academy in Widnes, He is a Black belt under the legendary Carlson Gracie, and is a Brazilian, international and European Jiu-jitsu champion. Mario became famous after the opponent of Dan the Beast Severn pulled out of a bare knuckle Vale Tudo match in Brazil. Not wanting to look silly the organisers asked if anyone was willing to take the fight, there and then.

Mario was very young; I think 17 at the time and stepped up. The fight lasted for over an hour and no one could win, but because Mario showed such heart against a heavier and at the time vastly more experienced fighter the crowd really got behind him. In the end Severn won by judges’ decision, but Mario became famous in his country as a result. Mario has also fought in The UFC and was grappling coach on the Ultimate Fighter UK v USA. Mario tries to get to the Gym as many Saturdays as his schedule allows teaching BJJ and submission wrestling. I am a Brown Belt in BJJ and teach BJJ Gi and no gi and MMA through the week, you have already had my life story ha.

Tom Hanlon holds a purple belt in BJJ and is my right hand man, he teaches at Sukata Preston as well as assisting me at the main academy. Tom started in karate but took to BJJ like a duck to water and has done brilliantly on the BJJ and Sub grappling circuit, he just won his first semi pro MMA fight at Cage Control 1 by way of arm bar, brilliant prospect and a top bloke. In addition to Tom, for BJJ and grappling there is Neil Pimlott and Mark Porter, both have recently been awarded their Purple belts from Mario. Both fantastic ground fighters and teachers and both very loyal to the Sukata name.

We also have the Polish sensation, Daniel Kwapitz. Dan is an excellent blue belt and assists me with some classes and seminars. Leeroy Barnes started off as a student at Sukata and then got a professional contract with the Wolfslair, Leeroy heads up the MMA fight training and is also a great asset to the team, he teaches once a week at the academy.

Now to the striking coaches, We have always been seen as more of a BJJ gym that had MMA, I wanted to change that so I brought in two fantastic coaches, the first to arrive was Andy Brownbridge, Andy is a very forward thinking coach who knows Muay Thai and kickboxing inside out, he has transformed our Thai boxing as anyone who saw the brutal Muay Thai kicks dished out by Big Dazza Williamson at Cage Control will testify, especially his opponent. Andy and I were the Team UK ISKA MMA coaches and trained the winning team in Rome; we have known each other for years and work well together.

The newest addition to the coaching staff has been a revelation; I had heard the name Alan Levene from several of my friends in the boxing community but had never met him. Alan is the most gifted boxing coach I have seen, he is able to break down specific elements of his art into the minutest detail and convey it with passion and enthusiasm that is contagious to all, always the sign of a great coach. The Boxing at Sukata will have to be watched in the future as Alan brings his skills to the team. All in all we seem to have all areas covered Ben.

What range of classes does the gym offer?

We teach BJJ, MMA, Wrestling for MMA, Thai Boxing, and Boxing. The only area I feel is missing is some English martial influence, maybe if there is a Morris dancing coach out there you could drop us a line, or maybe a bell is more in keeping.

As more and more MMA gyms open up over the coming months what do you feel is unique about the gym?

We are all very handsome people. We have the nicest cauliflower ears. Seriously, some of the other gyms coaches try to do everything themselves, I am the first to say I am not the Academy’s best boxer so why would I teach my students to box, stick to what you do and give your team and members the best options available. Some coaches are motivated by money, and some are motivated by ego, both of these motivations are pretty unhealthy in my view.

What is the most gruelling training session that the gym currently runs?

That’s a good question; I think that is down to the individual to answer, some find the grappling classes hard. I, being a grappler, find the stand up classes hardest on my old body, especially Mr Levene’s ton up at the end of the boxing session.

How would you sum the gym up in a sentence?

Blackpool’s MMA Rock: A great place to get acquainted.

What are the plans for the gym for the future?

Jamie Edmonds the MMA coach at Sukata/first dojo Lytham is opening a brand new state of the art facility at the start of September that promises to be a fantastic place to train, and in addition I am upgrading my own gym with a half cage in the near future. With all this going on we are planning to take the MMA and BJJ world by storm, we have some great up and coming fighters to watch out for who have stepped up recently, so watch this space.

Is there anyone that you'd like to thank or give a shout out to?

First off a shout to all of our Sukata Brothers and Sisters, Sukata Preston, Lytham, Kojaks BJJ in Warrington, Sukata BJJ Shropshire/team Spartans, all of the guys and gals of Sukata Blackpool, Mario and Freddy Sukata, all the coaches at team Sukata. I’d like to thank Daz Dickinson for sponsorship and you, Ben, for listening. I’d also like to give a shout to the Oxygym and last but not least my partner Mary for putting up with my obsession.

Gym of the Month - Spartan MMA

I thought it was about time I gave some space to the gyms up and down the country so you people can see just how much quality there is at the minute and how the sport is making these gyms evolve every single day. This month I'll be profiling Spartan MMA, http://www.spartanmma.co.uk/, who have their first mma show this Saturday (19th June) in Shrewsbury as they bring us Cage Control 1 - The Beginning: http://www.cagecontrol.co.uk/. I caught up with Gym co-founder Andy Molyneux for a chat about Spartan MMA.

What was your first involvement in mixed martial arts?

I first got involved with MMA about 9 years ago when I was helping to teach traditional Ju Jitsu at a club in Surrey. I had a small group of friends within the class who didn’t really want to learn the ‘deadly techniques’ that the Sensei said can’t really be tested but would definitely work???

We decided to hire a sports hall at the local leisure centre and it went from there, it was pretty crude and we didn’t know what we were doing, we would watch UFC videos and try and copy the techniques. We would also stand in the centre circle of the basketball court with 16oz gloves on and beat the shit our of each other for 5 minutes!

How did Spartan MMA start?

Spartan MMA started after Dougie Wildman and myself got selected to fight for the ISKA National MMA Team in the European Championships in Rome. We were both training a lot but we needed to do more sparring. We decided to hire a sports hall for a couple of hours 3 times a week. Our plan was to teach for the first hour to pay the hall hire and then pick some of the better ones to spar with for the second hour. We handed out some flyers to try and get people through the doors and were blown away by the response. When we turned up at the sports hall for our first session there were 40 + blokes waiting!

What is your vision for Spartan MMA?

To be a recognised camp that turns out high quality fighters at all levels. We have a huge amateur team with about 20 fighters and a good semi-pro team of about 10 fighters. We have some real prospects and are looking forward to the future!

Who are the coaches and what are their respective backgrounds?

We have 3 coaches at Spartan MMA. Dougie Wildman has a striking background with a black belt in Kickboxing and years of experience in thai boxing. I look after stuff when it goes to the ground, I have a black belt in ju jitsu (traditional) and nine years of competitive submission grappling. Both Doug and I are ISKA Team England fighters and students under Mario Sukata from Wolfslair for BJJ and. We also have Lee Youens who heads up our Junior MMA Program, Lee is a judo brown belt and the ISKA Amateur European Featherweight Champion.

What range of classes do you currently run?

The classes we currently run are: Preliminary Martial Arts Training, this if for 7yrs and under. Junior MMA for 8 – 14yrs, Ladies Only Box-Fit, Cardio Sessions, MMA, striking for mma fundamentals, grappling in mma fundamentals and sparring sessions. We are open 4 days a week to the public and 6 days a week for the fight team leading up to a fight. We also offer our fight team early morning sessions free of charge in preparation for a fight. These sessions are horrible; 5:30am – 7:00am These are just as much about mental strength as physical.

As more and more gyms open up what do you think is unique about the Spartan experience?

Most of the gyms that seem to be popping up here there and everywhere are an existing martial arts school that is jumping on the MMA band wagon. Our club is purely mma, every technique or drill we introduce is evaluated to see if it would be effective in an mma situation. Very soon we will also be one of the most kitted out gyms in the country too. Our New Sponsor BeaverFit is supplying us with a cross fit rig and all the gooidies that go along with it such as ropes, tyres & hoops. They are putting in cage walls that will run the length of our 2000sq ft gym, and a full cage to sit next to our existing boxing ring. We can’t wait!

What is the most gruelling session that you currently run?

We do a session called ‘The Beast’ we normally run it on a Friday evening once a month straight after the cardio session. Our warm up is a deck of cards; hearts = press ups, spades = sit ups, clubs = burpees, diamonds = 4 punches & sprawl. Basically we shuffle the pack, turn the top card over and whatever number is on the card that’s how many we do of that exercise – we do the whole pack! We then have 35 stations of 1 minute excrcises including tyre flips, clap press ups, defending takedowns against the wall & resistance band shoots.

How would you sum up Spartan MMA in one sentence?

A grassroots gym who are starting to make waves in Mixed Martial Arts in the UK.

What are your plans to develop the gym in the future?

To keep our fight team healthy, develop the junior mma programs and to promote mma in the local area.

Is there anyone that you'd like to thank or give a shout out to?

I'd like to give a quick thank you to Beaver fit @ www.beaverfit.com & Fight easy @ www.fighteasy.co.uk