MMA

Fight anyone, anywhere, any way you choose

If you’ve never watched a UFC fight, you might have an idea of what MMA is: a brutal, unrelenting cage fight where people get beaten down to the ground. However, it’s actually a surprisingly complex art that blends striking, grappling, freestyle wrestling and more into a fighting style that covers every element of combat. MMA fighters learn how to punch, kick, elbow, knee, take people down, clinch with them, submit them and more.

You might also think it’s brutish, violent and full of toxic masculinity. And, well, you wouldn’t be wrong in a lot of cases. However, at BENT Collective we want to make combat sports accessible for the LGBTQIA+ community. That means our classes are fun, easy-going explorations of the different techniques of MMA, where nobody is going to think you aren’t tough enough and nobody is going to punch you unless you want them to.

WHEN:

Thursdays, 8-9:30pm

MMA classes cover basically all areas of martial arts. We try to teach combos that combine multiple disciplines, so you can get a feel for blending striking with grappling.

  • Striking: Punches, kicks, knees and elbows are all legal in MMA, so we teach combos that blend them all in an effective and easy-to-learn way.

  • Takedowns: Getting your opponent to the ground gives you a huge advantage in an MMA fight, so we teach ways to get your opponent down without getting hit in the process.

  • Submissions: Whether you prefer to choke your opponent or bend their limbs until they have to submit, we’ll teach you how to safely apply submission holds that will finish a fight.

  • Ground and pound: Yes it’s a silly name, but learning how to strike while on the ground is one of the things that makes MMA unique. It’s also surprisingly complex, with lots of cool MMA-specific techniques to learn!

What you’ll learn

Our coach

Zoë started training MMA way back in 2011, as a way to deal with her gender issues by becoming extremely manly. When that failed, she transitioned instead, but kept up fighting as a hobby. She currently teaches MMA at both BENT Collective and Onward Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Leeds.

Her aim has always been to create a combat sports environment free from the toxic masculinity and right-wing attitudes that permeate a lot of the culture. At BENT, her focus is very much on fun and creating a great LGBTQIA+ community. That community knowing how to fight really well is a welcome bonus.