A Round about way to learn MMA

For others, it’s a dubious notion – a blood sport where caged nutcases engage in fights plagued by danger and violence.

But whether you love it, or whether you loathe it, few sports can divide public opinion like the concept of mixed martial arts (MMA).

And sure enough, there was no shortage of personal trepidation when I travelled to the Tillery Combat MMA base in Cardiff last Wednesday to see what it was all about.

Fittingly, the building is hidden well away on a small industrial estate in Rumney. In other words, it's not the sort of place you travel to train at, unless you mean serious business.

Meeting me was a familiar face at least in pro fighter David ‘one more’ Round – a former Milford man who recently moved to Neath for family and training purposes.

To local fans, Round needs no introduction. After starting out with Graham Brockway, he acquired a black belt in kickboxing before moving onto MMA.

Indeed, he still holds a Welsh Cruiserweight kickboxing title, and possessed the SSC Lightweight MMA title before the belt was retired.

One of his finest hours came in Valhalla, Denmark, in 2013 – where he defied multiple injuries to reach the final of a prestigious international tournament.

“MMA is like a pyramid of different skills,” he explained.

“At the bottom of the pyramid is wrestling, and at the top is striking – with so much more inbetween .

“For example, you need ju jitsu to combat take downs and counter holds.

"You can’t just be a good striker, and unless you've tried MMA you don't realise that.”

And nor do you realise the gruelling schedules these fighters undergo, especially in the build up to a contest.

Round is currently training 3-4 times a day as he builds towards a four man World title tournament in Essex next month - just three weeks before he main events FFC 12 in Bolton.

“I’ll usually start my programme 10-12 weeks before a fight,” Round told me.

“That consists of sparring sessions, wrestling, ju jitsu, and fitness training – which includes weights, cardio and sprint work.”

Round currently weighs 83 kilograms, but will cut down to 77 for his forthcoming welterweight contests.

However, he is no stranger to altering his nutritional plans to fight at different weights – and his afore mentioned display at Valhalla came as a heavyweight.

“Dieting can be difficult,” he admitted.

“I’ve fought at lightweight (70 kilograms) and found myself weighing chicken before cutting a gram off it.

“It can be easier at heavyweight because you eat and train as much as you want – although for me it meant getting up at 4am to drink 3000 calorie shakes.”

But it wasn’t so much his intense fitness and diet programmes that intrigued me. After all, such dedication is now part and parcel of professional sport.

What I wondered, was how an MMA fighter coped mentally? How was someone like Round, with a baby girl, twin boys, and partner at home, able to switch off from family life, and switch on for a sport that requires so much focus and aggression?

“The mental aspect is so important and you need the ability to get in the zone,” he said.

“If my head isn’t right or my thoughts are elsewhere it will negatively affect me."

By his own admission, Round is no stranger to self promotion, often taking to social media to goad rivals and publicise fights. Extravagant ring entrances are also a trademark – but for those who perceive this as arrogance, the 28-year-old offers a plausible explanation.

“An MMA event is a show and people pay good money to see it,” said Round.

“So you have to interact with the fans. You want people to be talking about you and it helps create a legacy.”

Personally, when the time came for my two hour session – the only legacy I wanted to create was that of a 70 kilogram debutant who walked out unscathed.

Round’s training partners include Tim Newman, Wayne Arandjelovic, Radoslaw Klepczarek and the man in charge of this particular session, Jack Marshman - a man tipped to soon join the World’s leading MMA organisation, the UFC. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t do things by halves.

The opening stages appeared simple on paper, with three minute rounds of kicking and boxing combinations.

In reality, it was anything but.

Early on, despite my technical flaws, I enjoyed trying to attack the pads with intensity. But by the end of each three minute period, I was slugging away in what felt like nigh on slow motion.

What people underestimate is the difficulty in keeping your guard whilst attacking – and sure enough, whenever my hands slipped, Round gave me a friendly jab from behind the pad to remind me.

Needless to say, when it was time to swap over, the force with which he attacked left me grateful I had a pad to hide behind.

Round also inadvertently put my abdominal strength into perspective, as we alternated in planting a foot in each others torso during three minutes of ‘front kicks’. I soon realised that planks and sit ups in the gym was one thing - being kicked in the stomach by an MMA fighter was another entirely.

On the punch bags, Marshman ordered 16 minutes of continuous torture – with pairs alternating on punching every 30 seconds.

Adrenaline got me through my own striking, but when it came to holding the bag for Round, I found myself practically hugging it whilst longing for time to expire.

The opening hour then culminated in six rounds of boxing sparring with different partners. With each opponent, I tried manfully to keep my hands up and ultimately, keep my distance - and thankfully when I did shed blood, it came courtesy of a burst blister on my foot as opposed to being busted open.

“You are only coming at me with body shots,” advised Marshman.

“Try and get your jabs in and push me back.”

Problem was, in the time it took me to throw a jab, Marshman was so quick he’d got a blow in by the time my own had landed.

When the hour was up, barely was there time to sip water before a 60 minute wrestling tutorial.

This side of it was more technical – as Marshman had us executing take downs, and emphasised ways to combat offence.

But during sparring, it was the concentration aspect that challenged me most. Going for take downs and remembering the sequences, while at the same time guarding against attacks – was every bit as tough mentally as it was physically.

But not half as tough, it would seem, as my finale – some MMA combat in the cage with Round himself.

It intrigued me to learn that the cage, often portrayed as a symbol of destruction by those outside the sport, is actually in place for safety reasons to prevent fighters from falling out of the eight sided ring.

On the contrary, as a debutant, it would have been heartening to have known there was an escape route.

My brief debut in the octagon ended when Round locked me in a ‘triangle’ submission hold, a move with which he has won MMA contests in the past. Had he not sportingly broken his grip, I’d still be in Cardiff now.

But beaten, if not completely broken, I realised the two hours had opened my eyes to the complexity, skill, and intensity that goes into MMA.

It is a sport that people are all too ready to label unsightly and inappropriate - and yes, there is no shortage of danger involved in the physical exchanges.

But few appreciate it requires incredible focus, strength, and speed, and a mental toughness that few other concepts can match.

And what’s more, I realised the fighters are not just animals signified by frenzied aggression. They are everyday human beings who, like most of us, have family, friends, and enjoy hobbies. And yet they have incredible capacity to switch on mentally when they train or fight in their chosen profession.

And that is why I drove away from Cardiff last Wednesday night, albeit with sore legs and aching arms, with the utmost respect for what they do.

On Saturday, March 7, Round will participate in a four man welterweight tournament at ‘Gods of the Arena 2’ at Blackshots Civil Hall, Essex. He will compete against Wendle Lewis, Tommy Gunn, and Adam Boussi, with all four fighters vying for a GOA World title. Just three weeks later, on Saturday, March 28, he will main event FCC 12 against Matt Inman in Bolton, again at welterweight level. Round is currently sponsored by LPA Impact, JY Nutrition, Granicol Ltd and L Greggain and co.