More News

Multimedia:

Click here to see the video

The idea of two men stepping inside an octagonal cage to pummel each other with fists and feet would probably make most people cringe.

But for mixed martial arts gyms and academies in Maryland, it is a recipe for success, fueled by the recent surge in worldwide popularity of mixed martial arts through organizations such as Ultimate Fighting Championship, more commonly referred to as UFC.

That popularity was on display locally in October when the first such event in Maryland was held at First Mariner Arena in Baltimore. The event, dubbed "Shogun Fights," drew more than 5,000 fans, according to promoter John J. Rallo III, who is head instructor at martial arts academy Ground Control Baltimore.

Gate receipts and sponsorships totaled about $400,000, with the event's overall economic impact estimated in the "millions," Rallo said.

The event was made possible through the efforts of several people, including Rallo, Del. Kirill Reznik (D-Dist. 39) of Germantown and state Sen. Joan Carter Conway (D-Dist. 43) of Baltimore.

Reznik said he introduced a bill during the 2008 legislative session to give the Maryland State Athletic Commission the right to sanction and regulate mixed martial arts events in the state. Conway sponsored the proposal in the Senate.

Rallo spoke to the legislature on the bill, which passed easily.

"I thought it was ridiculous that guys had to go out-of-state to fight," Rallo said.

Another mixed martial arts event was held in November in Glen Burnie, with a second Shogun Fights scheduled at First Mariner Arena next month, according to Patrick S. Pannella, executive director of the Maryland State Athletic Commission.

‘Fitness with an attitude'

Many gyms incorporate mixed martial arts fitness training for children and adults alike, going beyond training only aspiring fighters who want to become the next Anderson Silva or Georges St. Pierre, professional fighters considered by many to be among the world's best.

Michael Moses, owner of the Evolve Academy of Martial Arts in Gaithersburg, offers a mixed martial arts fitness course called Primal Skills, which he described as "fitness with an attitude."

Moses said he discovered mixed martial arts by chance during a stint in the Marine Corps, which ended in 1996. Moses has participated in martial arts since childhood but an eye injury curtailed his career as a mixed martial arts fighter and eventually led him to become an instructor.

Moses started Evolve Academy about seven years ago, and in addition to the Primal Skills class, his school — which has about 400 members — also teaches grappling, which includes Gracie jujitsu, No-Gi submission, Brazilian jujitsu, judo and wrestling classes.

Similar styles are taught at Ground Control Baltimore, according to owner Robert Mulqueen. The gym, which also has locations in Columbia and Owings Mills, teaches Muay Thai and boxing in addition to the previously mentioned styles.

More people come to Mulqueen's gym to get in shape because they are "totally bored" with going to regular gyms, he said.

"How long can you sit on a treadmill?" Mulqueen asked.

Jeff Gordon, owner of Jeff Gordon's Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Gaithersburg, agrees, adding that martial arts "is the best gift you can give yourself or anyone else" and "can do more in one year than any psychiatrist or any medicine."

"People are looking for alternative exercises," Gordon said. "They don't want to go to a gym."

Krav Maga, a form of self-defense used by law enforcement agencies worldwide, is very popular at Gordon's gym, he said, because it is a "huge workout."

Although most of Gordon's 450 members are adults, he also offers programs for children, as does Moses.

Moses' gym offers children's Gracie jujitsu and other classes, he said, as well as a personal defense system class.

"[Parents] do want their kids to be able to defend themselves," Moses said. Some children come from as far away as West Virginia.

"But with the character-building skills that we have, they don't have to defend themselves — they know how to defuse situations," Moses said.

‘It just needed a push'

Maryland has been developing mixed martial arts talent long before it was legalized in the state, says Luke Thomas.

"It has been a fertile ground ... it just needed a push," said Thomas, editor-in-chief of the MMA Web site BloodyElbow.com of Washington, D.C., and host of "MMA Nation," which is broadcast on local radio.

Thomas singled out three Maryland gyms — Ground Control Baltimore, Jeff Gordon's Mixed Martial Arts Academy and Team Lloyd Irvin in Camp Springs.

"They were the first local guys to make it to national shows," Thomas said of fighters at Team Lloyd Irvin. He also noted that Jeff Gordon's studio has hosted fighters who compete nationally, including UFC's Aaron Riley.

Ground Control is the "most popular" gym in Baltimore, Thomas said.

All told, there about 20 gyms in Maryland that offer mixed martial arts training for the general public and fighters, Thomas said. About five focus on training only amateur and professional fighters.

Pannella believes the state is in a "very good position" to provide a "spawning ground" for fighters.

"It is good for business to have fighters fight in their own state," he said. "People can enjoy watching them in their own backyard."

Word of mouth works

While Mulqueen attributes his gym's success to the popularity of UFC, other owners cite simple word-of-mouth.

"If a person is happy, they tell one person; if they're unhappy, they tell 10," Gordon said.

Moses said his gym experienced annual growth of up to 15 percent since its inception before it flattened over the last year and a half and experienced a "definite dip" in memberships.

However, Moses sees Evolve Academy taking a "huge step" this year, continuing with the "tremendous" growth his gym is experiencing through word-of-mouth. He said up to 98 percent of the gym's members come through referrals, but the gym has also used local television and the Internet to market itself.

John Shaddock uses extensive Internet marketing with his Eldersburg gym. Shaddock, owner of Shaddock Mixed Martial Arts Academy, uses Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Craigslist and, most recently, YouTube.

Shaddock also had one of his students run the gym's Web site.

"The student took over the site and boosted traffic," he said.

‘We want everyone to be good'

The sport's growing popularity helped gyms weather the recent recession.

UFC's increased presence on cable television, with fight nights shown on networks such as Spike, has increased membership at Ground Control Baltimore, according to Mulqueen.

"When ‘The Ultimate Fighter' reality show started, we went from 20 members to 100," he said.

Ground Control Baltimore charges members $125 a month, which Mulqueen called "all-inclusive."

"We want everyone here to be good," he said, adding that the gym offers discounts to help its members cope with tough financial times.

"Some students said they lost their jobs," Mulqueen said. "We are losing some members, but we always brought in more people than we lost. But it's a revolving door."

The TV image of mixed martial arts may dissuade some people from trying it, Moses said.

"I think it's really intimidating for people when they first think of MMA," he said. "They think of it just for being tough guys all tatted up, but they don't realize that ... my academy is built for the normal guy that just wants a great workout."

Mixed martial arts in Maryland

Maryland residents bought 8.6 percent of tickets at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Philadelphia in October, traveling an average of 99 miles to attend it.

Ultimate Fighting Championship events averaged gate revenues of $2.8 million in 2007.

Total pay-per-view revenues for Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2007 was estimated at $200 million.

Source: Ultimate Fighting Championship