Ever wonder what it takes to make an MMA fighter?

Recently while shooting some footage at Adrenaline Training Center in London Ontario, the Canadianprofighter crew met some new young MMA fans.  One of them was Elton Hobson, passionate MMA fan, and he just happened to be a writer for UWO Gazette.  One thing led to another and now Canadianprofighter.com has a new Content writer, welcome Elton and read his well thought out articles for another angle on Canadian MMA.

Ever wonder what it takes to make an MMA fighter?

We did too. Luckily, we didn’t have to go far to find out. If serious MMA training is what you’re after, you can find it right here in London.

Along with a group of your everyday UWO students, I ventured out to Adrenaline MMA in London, one of Canada’s foremost MMA gyms, to find out what goes into the making of an Anderson Silva or a GSP.

If you’re like most people, you’re probably content to watch MMA from the safety and comfort of your living room, beer in hand. I don’t blame you.

Still, maybe you took a little Karate when you were 7 and learned a wicked crane stance. Maybe you’ve been following this series and started getting into wrestling, and BJJ. And maybe, with a few beers in you, you’ve watched the action and thought “Hey, I bet I could do that!”

How hard can it be? Well, having seen now how MMA athletes train first hand, I can safely answer: pretty hard, indeed.

Adrenaline MMA is located in east London, on Dundas just past Clarke road. Despite housing multiple world ranked UFC fighters within it’s walls, it is surprisingly subdued. Tucked neatly behind a strip mall, the large white warehouse that houses Adrenaline and it’s adjoining apparel vendor, Fight Planet, is neither flashy nor overly intrusive. You could miss it if you weren’t looking for it.

Inside, it’s a different story. Most of the floor is covered with wrestling mats, with wall to wall mirrors lining one side. A caged “Octagon”, similar to the official UFC version, dominates the gym. There is a boxing ring, and row on row of heavy bags, speed bags, treadmills and other cardio equipment. Music plays over a radio while fighters and coaches rigorously train the various disciplines of MMA. This is a fighter’s gym, a place where iron sharpens iron, day in and day out.

Still, don’t let that intimidate you. Even Chuck Liddell walked into a gym for the very first time once, and like Gretzky, Beethoven , or Hendrix - practice makes perfect.

“I think anybody can do Mixed Martial Arts. Just like anybody can golf, anybody can bowl. You may not fight, you may not compete, but you can still do it, learn it, acquire a skillset, make friends and get in shape. And have fun. That’s the most important thing.”

That’s Rowan Cunningham, the man who this afternoon will serve as the tour guide for our crash course in MMA. 15 years ago, he watched UFC for the first time and knew he was hooked. For over a decade, he has trained full time in arts such as Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing and Muay-Thai. With a 6-3 professional MMA record, Rowan’s career has seen him fighting all across Canada, from Halifax to Montreal to Vancouver. Oh, did I mention he has won multiple North American grappling titles and has competed in professional kickboxing bouts as well?

He is friendly, funny, and surprisingly laid back. He also has a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu arm tattoo, a cauliflower ear, and looks like he could kill a man with a well placed punch.

We start with Rowan’s forte - grappling. Despite it’s aggressive nature, this aspect of MMA is surprisingly defensive. As Rowan explains, good grappling in all about attaining a position that neutralizes your opponents ability to hurt you. Then he shows us some submissions, the downright cool array of chokes, holds and joint locks that frequently end fights in MMA.

Again, the focus is not on aggression, brute strength or power. The goal instead is to use leverage, position, and technique to your advantage, so that you can defeat or subdue an opponent with as little strength as possible. A skilled grappler always fights with a calm mind, preferring subtlety over savagery, finesse over force.

Then, it’s on to striking.

Of course, I’m ready to dive right into Jean Claude Van Damme style spinning kicks, but before you can run you gotta walk, and before you walk you gotta crawl. And striking, when it comes down to it, is really all about your feet.

First, there’s footwork. In MMA, balance is essential. Find yourself out of step for one moment, and you could be looking up at the lights the next. Fighters must know where they are every second of a fight, keep square to an opponent, and prevent being flanked or caught off guard.

As well, all the power in a punch starts in the balls of your feet. In what boxers call “sitting down” on a punch, a fighter builds energy through an explosive movement that starts in the feet, maximizing the kinetic energy they can deliver. We drill these basics while incorporating elements like jabs, blocking, and forward movement.

Finally, Rowan ends the class with a little competitive sparring - with none other then the master himself. Despite promising to go easy on us, I can’t quite help but notice him smile like the cat that eat the canary as he turns those willing into human pretzels. Pretty funny stuff, until it’s my turn to get put in knots.

Still, there’s no underlying sense of competition, no false sense of machismo. As Rowan explains, that sort of attitude has no place in a serious MMA gym. Whether it’s two seasoned athletes going at it or a teacher with some fresh newbies, the goal is never to hurt your opponent, nor safeguard your own pride. MMA cannot be learned nor trained solo. All training is collaboration, one that benefits both parties, and serious MMA competitors remove ego from the equation when they step into the gym, and focus instead on mutual improvement. As the saying goes, the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed come fight time.

So, what did our brave student volunteers think of their introduction to MMA?

“It’s a pretty good glimpse of how badass these guys are.” Nick Pipitone, a 1st year Political Science student, jokes after the session. “Even after just one five minute grappling session, I was pretty gassed.”

“It’s the best of both worlds. It’s a great workout and it’s the best martial art you can learn.”

In fact, the session was enough to win over at least one unlikely candidate for MMA training.

“I actually want to start coming here.” Michelle Poles, a 3rd year Bresica Psychology student who tips the scales at 5’1, and 110 lbs. “I found it was not intimidating at all, which is really important as a girl if you are doing martial arts.”

So, if you feel like MMA might be your thing - or you just want to get in shape, learn some self-defence and make some friends - check out Adrenaline MMA here in London, and train, spar and learn alongside the pros.