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Adrenaline powers London MMA boom

Another important aspect of grappling for MMA fighters is submissions — an array of chokes, holds and joint locks that frequently end fights in an instant.

The goal is to use leverage, position and technique to your advantage, so 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, there’s striking — which is all about the feet.

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.

In classes at Adrenaline there is no underlying sense of competition, no false sense of machismo. As Cunningham 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 new recruits, the goal is never to hurt your opponent, nor safeguard your own pride.

MMA cannot be learned or trained solo. All training is collaboration, and serious MMA competitors remove ego from the equation when they step into the gym, focusing instead on mutual improvement.

“It’s a pretty good glimpse of how badass these guys are,” Nick Pipitone, a first-year political science student, joked after a session at Adrenaline. “Even after just one five-minute grappling session, I was pretty gassed.”

Cunningham has been able to win over even the most unlikely of candidates through his classes at Adrenaline.

“I actually want to start coming here,” Michelle Poles, a third-year psychology student, said after her first session. “I found it was not intimidating at all, which is really important as a girl if you are doing martial arts.”

Adrenaline MMA — located at 1794 Dundas St., Unit 1 — is always looking for new students.

This is part three in a three-part series. Read part one and two.

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