We've all seen the film I'm sure.
People always ask if these kind of clubs really exist. The clever answer is of course if they did, nobody talks about them (see first 2 rules). So anybody claiming to be part of one is lying.
The real answer is of course they do - if 2 or more people wanted to set one up then one would exist. It would be foolish to think nobody has ever done these.
STMA take the "Animal Day" approach to this kind of thing.
What "Fight Clubs" really are is closed door competitions. There are no trophies, no public, no results, just you and an opponent testing each other. Nobody talks about it after. What you get out of it is for you only. What you get from watching each other is for you only.
Say we wanted to have one at our dojo. All we do is put the mats in the middle of the room, close and lock the doors, and then members pair up for their one-to-ones.
In the film it takes place in the basement of the pub at closing time (when they're all drunk of course).
In reality they are done at dojos after the class is over and the general public leave. Seniors stay back to do pressure testing "Fight Clubs".
Yes, I've done them before. Yes we can do them again if members want.
You get boxing, KB and Thai version of these. Also MMA, and stickfighting. You tend not to get it with Judo and Wrestling as they are full on anyway.
The ultimate test is when you invite another club along and you are matched with a member from that club. Unlike public tournaments this kind of fight is much more intense and much more real. Because it's unofficial and "illegal" these things really are "anything goes".
NOTE: It is NOT in fact illegal to run a pressure testing sparring session of this kind. Despite the "Fight Club" tag, it is nothing more than a closed door sparring session.
What IS illegal is to sell tickets for members of the public to watch these events. Which would also contravene the point of what the session would be about.
