Issue 208

August 2024

MMA is becoming more than just a workout—it’s life’s ultimate cross-trainer, packing a punch with fitness, mental grit, and self-defense skills that prepare you for whatever comes your way. Fighters Only’s Paul Browne investigates why it’s becoming one of the most popular ways to stay mentally and physically fit. 

The relatively young history of MMA as a sport is brimming with epic fables of battles against adversity. There are Lazarus-like comeback stories and rags-to-riches fairytales. Many fighters have changed their lives by pursuing glory inside the Octagon, inspiring the next generation of athletes to follow in their footsteps. But away from the lights of Madison Square Garden and the T-Mobile Arena, aside from the UFC superstars, it’s easy to forget there are millions whose lives have been bettered by walking into a martial arts gym. Sure, plenty of upstarts are grinding out buckets of sweat in these facilities with ambitions of seeing their name in lights. However, in MMA, the overwhelming majority of people stepping onto the mats week in, and week out are there for slightly different reasons. Exercise is one of the reasons people train, but research published in Psychology of Sport & Exercise found MMA can be extremely powerful for the mind. After looking at 72 studies on the topic, they discovered people who trained in self-defense improved their ability to focus, make quick decisions, and control their emotions. While more research is needed, it’s no wonder the sport’s popularity isn’t just because it’s one of the most exciting sports to watch. 

A NEW WAY TO TRAIN

Get good at CrossFit, running, or cycling, and, aside from being fit for the zombie apocalypse, there aren’t a lot of real-world takeaways from it. Well, unless you want to be better at running away from the reaper because you’ll be healthier and fitter. However, exercising while learning to defend yourself is utilitarian fitness at its purest.

“I train everyone from elite-level competitors to your everyday student,” says Tom DeBlass, the owner of Ocean County BJJ in Forked River, New Jersey. “I have some really high-level competitors, but I also have plenty of amazing people who just enjoy training, and they love jiu jitsu, and they train to have fun.”

DeBlass, a former UFC and Bellator fighter, is a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. His academy has over 700 students, and he is also the brains behind Buddies Over Bullies, a non-profit organization that uses martial arts training to empower children affected by violence.

Having spent most of his adult life training and competing in the fight game, 42-year-old DeBlass is now one of the most recognizable names in martial arts coaching. During an exclusive interview with Fighters Only, he gave an insight into how people at his facility (and across his 72 affiliates) are using MMA and jiu jitsu training for reasons other than pursuing a career inside the Octagon.

“My classes are filled with competitive athletes,” says DeBlass, “middle-aged men, middle-aged women, hobbyists, people just looking to have fun, people looking to lose weight, people that want to learn self-defense. I have a lot of law enforcement that train with me. We basically have people from all walks of life.”

In what is becoming an increasingly volatile society, DeBlass highlighted the benefits of being able to protect yourself without relying on weapons.

“I think it’s imperative to be able to defend yourself,” he says. “For me, even though I have weapons to defend myself, I don’t want to have to use a weapon because when you use a weapon, a lot of times it’s fatal, and I’m not looking to kill anybody. I’m simply looking to defend myself. The confidence you have when you know how to fight is a great feeling. You can go out in public knowing that you can defend yourself and your loved ones. We’re living in a crazy world. People out there are wild, and we never know what’s going to happen. When you know how to defend yourself, you walk with a different kind of confidence, and you’re able to be kinder too because you don’t have a chip on your shoulder because you know what you’re capable of doing.”

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

One person who understands the value of mixed martial arts training outside of the cage is Dolores Gallagher, an amateur MMA fighter from Northern Ireland. She was assaulted by her then-boyfriend (also an amateur fighter) in October of 2022 and had to rely on her grappling acumen to survive what she believes would have been a certain death.

“He had been involved in an amateur MMA fight earlier that evening and lost,” Gallagher told BelfastLive.co.uk. “And afterwards, a number of people came back to the house to have a drink. Then, in the early hours of the morning, once everyone had left, he suddenly turned on me and attacked me, knocking me unconscious and dragging me into another room. When I came round, he was standing there screaming at me, and I was terrified that something more serious was going to happen. He then went downstairs and started to sleep on the sofa, so I decided that I would try to sneak out of the house to safety.”

Her nightmare didn’t end there.

“As I was doing that, he woke up and then dragged me up the stairs into the bedroom, where I begged for him to leave me alone and to not hurt me. He then attacked me again, hitting me over and over across my head, ribs, and back before putting me into a rear naked choke. As he was choking me, I started to see dots all over my vision and was certain that this was going to be the moment that I died, as he was whispering in my ear that he was going to kill me.”

It was at this point that Gallagher’s training kicked into gear. 

“Thankfully, I also train MMA, so was able to get myself out of the chokehold and get away from him before collapsing at my neighbor’s front door, who then rang the police. While I was lucky to not suffer any broken bones as a result of the attack, I am still suffering with the impact of the injuries that I received to this day.”

Gallagher’s former partner received a prison sentence earlier this year for the attack, and she spoke to Fighters Only to express her belief that her training in mixed martial arts was what saved her life.

“It’s not that I was more skilled than him, I wasn’t,” she was quick to point out. “He had been training for a decade more than me. But if I hadn’t had at least some basic knowledge of how to defend a rear naked choke, I definitely wouldn’t be alive today. He caught me in the choke, and I was able to give myself the smallest amount of breathing space to relieve the pressure before he was able to choke me unconscious. I was then able to punch behind me with the intention of blinding his vision. That bought me a little time and luckily caused him to release the choke, and I was able to run for my life. I feel it’s very important for everybody to have some form of martial arts training. Your training can potentially save your life or protect you or a family member in a very dangerous or vulnerable position.”

HOW EFFECTIVE IS MMA IN A STREET FIGHT?

The debate about the effectiveness of mixed martial arts in a street fight setting has undoubtedly ratcheted up, in no small part due to the actions of social media influencer Bradley Martyn. Martyn, a YouTube star and well-known bodybuilder, ruffled plenty of feathers within the combat sports community last year when he began challenging a variety of MMA fighters, such as Nate Diaz, Demetrious Johnson, and Sean O’Malley to street fights, believing his 260-pound frame would prove too much for even the best fighters in the world to handle. Martyn’s argument centered around his belief that proficiency in either MMA or grappling is fine in a sports setting but that those skills wouldn’t translate to the more volatile surroundings of a street fight. Tom DeBlass disagrees with that theory.

“I think the benefit in a street fight of knowing MMA or jiu jitsu is that a lot of fights end up on the ground,” he says. “So, if you only know boxing (which is more than most people know…most people don’t know anything!), if it goes to the ground, then you’re a fish out of water. But if you’re trained in MMA or jiu jitsu and it goes to the ground, then you’re going to be ok, you’re comfortable there. For me, I’m super-comfortable on the ground. Granted, I don’t really WANT to be on the ground in a street fight situation. I don’t really want to be in a street fight at all. I’m ideally trying to end it before it goes to the ground, but if we do end up there, I know I’m going to be ok, and I’m comfortable.”

DeBlass also stated his belief that martial arts training should be a non-negotiable for law enforcement officers.

“If you’re a cop and you’re not trained in some form of martial arts, you shouldn’t be in your job,” he says. “How do you know how to apprehend or arrest somebody if you’ve never trained? Especially if you’re trying to arrest somebody who’s resisting and who HAS trained or is training. The irony of cops training is that when they train, then nine times out of ten, they won’t even have to use their training because it positively affects their disposition and their confidence. They’ll have a better idea of how to de-escalate a situation. They’ll know how to talk a person down because they have the confidence to do so. People who are scared become aggressive much faster.”

DEFENDING YOU AGAINST YOURSELF

Aside from its standing as one of the most exciting sports in the world, MMA also has a place in many people’s lives as a vessel for emotional growth, personal development, and health improvement. The discipline sharpens your focus, resilience, and teaches you to remain calm under pressure. This mental fortitude often extends into other aspects of life, helping to manage stress and make better decisions. The cherry on top? Proficiency in self-defense can be the difference between life and death. Unlike traditional martial arts, MMA focuses on practical and effective techniques that can be adapted to life's unpredictable situations. The diverse skill set developed equips you with the tools to defend against attackers in both standing and ground positions. 

Additionally, the conditioning involved training enhances physical fitness, reflexes, and mental toughness, that’s crucial for self-defense. This blend of skills boosts confidence and provides a realistic, well-rounded preparation for facing potential threats. So, when life throws punches, you'll be dodging and weaving with a smile—thanks to all those hours in the gym. MMA is more than just a workout; it's the ultimate cross-trainer for life.