My Passion With Nathan Lane

If I tell people that I train in boxing or jujitsu I usually get a raised eyebrow, but if I say mixed martial arts (MMA) I am often accused of mid-life crisis or advised to get help, despite mixed martial arts being one of the world’s fastest growing sports.

My journey into MMA started over lunch with an old colleague that I hadn’t seen for a few years. It was fair to say that middle-age spread had set in for both of us and I decided that I needed to take up a sport and get fit before I got too old to tackle the problem.

It was a happy coincidence that our office is only 100 yards from Leeds Cage, one of the largest martial arts gyms in the city. Leeds Cage is run by John Higo, a former champion and trainer of champions, who brings an infectious enthusiasm to his gym. I started with a fitness programme but it didn’t take long to take up the various martial arts training on offer with excellent coaching in both striking and grappling.

As a sport, MMA requires dedication to constantly learn and improve. An effective fighter will learn a host of different martial arts from muay thai and kick boxing, to Brazilian jujitsu and catch wrestling. The challenge comes in learning styles to a good standard and blending them effectively.

I was also lucky to train with Michelle Sutcliffe at Tigers Gym in Meanwood.

A former world boxing champion and ranked third in the world for Thai boxing, Michelle proved a very patient teacher and runs one of the friendliest gyms in Leeds.

A year of training around eight hours a week resulted in 14 kilos of weight loss, a vast improvement in overall fitness levels and better flexibility.

I eventually put my training to the test when I agreed to an amateur fight in October to raise money for Shelterbox. The fight raised £1,000 for a great charity but I lost my bout by submission to a more experienced fighter. The whole experience was one I won’t forget and I wouldn’t rule out another, before I get too old.

To add another string to my bow I have started training in catch wrestling and travel to Wigan once a month to train with legendary coach, Roy Wood.

Lancashire is the home of many great wrestlers and has exported a submission style, catch wrestling, across the world. Perhaps testament to the quality of the training is that people travel from Cardiff and Glasgow to attend each afternoon seminar.

It is not a sport for everyone, grappling can often be claustrophobic and you can’t train without picking up a few bruises.

A basic level of fitness will help but I can think of few sports that will get you fitter. In all the gyms I have trained I have met a great bunch of people, of all ages, united by a love of the sport and a desire to get better.