Mixed martial arts is emerging as a popular sport across the country, and Tufts is no exception to this trend as members of the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) club are working to increase recognition of the sport on campus.
Tufts' MMA club is far from a gritty underground "fight club," as safety precautions and rules are of the utmost importance, according to its members. The students who participate in this club vary in background, but they all share a love of martial arts and releasing pent−up aggression.
MMA is a full−contact combat sport that features an assortment of fighting skills in competitions. The rules allow the use of striking and grappling techniques, either while competitors are standing or sitting on the ground. The four staples of MMA are boxing, wrestling, muay thai (a martial art from Thailand focusing on kickboxing) and jujitsu (a Japanese martial art focusing on grappling techniques).
Although mixed martial arts competitions date back to the early 20th century, modern era MMA competitions — like the ones practiced by the club at Tufts — emerged in 1993 with the advent of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC).
"The idea was, ‘We'll try and bring together all these different fighters and we'll try to make a really open system of rules so that we can kind of see once and for all which style can prevail over them all,'" sophomore and former MMA club member Jeff Prevost said.
Later, competitors started mixing aspects of various styles, realizing that rigidly sticking to one style like karate or judo was ineffective during a bout.
The original matches had minimal safety regulations. Senator John McCain once called the UFC "human cockfighting." However, as the UFC has increased in popularity in recent years, so have regulations.
Members of the MMA club come together three times a week to practice. For a typical session, students go to either Gantcher Center or Sophia Gordon Hall. In the beginning of the session, students warm up by stretching and doing calisthenics. After warming up, they learn new moves and practice old ones depending on which type of martial art is being taught. One session might be devoted to muay thai and the next focused solely on jujitsu. For the remainder of the session, members spar with one another.
At the beginning of the school year, freshman Dave Ariel−Joel joined the MMA club and has been an active participant ever since. "I discovered the club at the activities fair. They said that it would be fun and I should try it out just to see what it was like," he said. "By joining this club, I have learned a great deal about different fighting techniques. When I'm standing up, I know what to do; when the fight goes to the ground, I also know what to do."
The group first came to Tufts when senior Sajeev Popat decided to start an unofficial club to practice MMA during his freshman year. Popat wanted to bring the sport to a wider audience in a controlled environment.
"In the beginning, I was teaching some classes in the basement of South Hall," he said. "Although most people associate MMA with skinheads and thugs, many of the UFC fighters are actually college−educated. I really wanted to introduce and educate students to this growing sport in a safe environment."
To broaden the reach of the club, Popat decided that he wanted Tufts to formally recognize the organization.
"As a sophomore, I decided that this club should be properly acknowledged and went to the Tufts Community Union Judiciary [(TCUJ)] to register as a club. The TCUJ thought the club was too violent and wanted us to prove that the club was not dangerous," Popat said. "Afterwards, I went to the insurance lawyer on campus and the school, which, after researching, later recognized the club."
Despite the formal acknowledgement, the MMA club makes do without any TCU−appropriated funds, Popat said.
"The school does not give us funding which they give to other clubs," Ariel−Joel said. "We have had issues about where we can train; it's a bit of give−and−take."
According to TCU Treasurer Aaron Bartel, a sophomore, this is because the MMA club is registered as a club sport. "Athletics is now in charge of taking care of the finances for club sports; MMA is a club sport," Bartel said. "We figured we should probably have professionals in charge of funding and dealing with these groups when they want to punch and kick each other in the face. It's just not something you want students in charge of funding."
Recently the club has undergone some turmoil due to changing venues. "For the past two years, the club had been using the Hill Hall lounge. There were no problems, and everything was going well," Popat said. However, the group has had to find new venues due to regulations on the use of the lounge.
The club now uses the multipurpose room in Sophia Gordon Hall, which has been working well, Popat said.
Ariel−Joel feels that the confidence that the managers of the club exude makes up for the changing venues. "The way that the club is managed is done in a professional manner," he said.
He added that it is important to have a core group of people who are dedicated to mixed martial arts. "I want the future of the club to continue as it is," he said. "To maintain this club, it is needed for students who want to get involved to show an interest in learning self−defense. It is also good exercise and builds confidence. In addition, it is also important that the club continues to provide good instructions, or else you could get hurt more easily. Safety comes first." Carter Rogers contributed reporting to this article.
