No egos, just train: New fight academy opens

A NEW combat sports academy is aiming to put Newton Abbot on the map for martial arts after opening its doors in the town centre.

SJC Fight Academy, at 34 Market Walk, has been launched by professional MMA fighter Taylor Sullivan and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor Les Joint, pictured.

The academy offers training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, grappling, mixed martial arts (MMA) and striking, with sessions designed for everyone from complete beginners to experienced athletes.

Sullivan, who competes on the Cage Warriors circuit, said the new academy was driven by a desire to share the benefits of combat sports with the wider community.

‘Opening SJC Fight Academy is something that means far more to me than simply opening a gym’, he said.

‘I wanted to take everything I’ve learned through competing and training and create a place where other people could experience everything that combat sports can offer’.

The academy’s ethos is summed up by its motto: ‘No egos, just train’.

While SJC has ambitions to develop competitive fighters and get its athletes involved in fight shows, competitions and other events, Sullivan stressed that competing would not be expected of members.

‘Competing isn’t for everyone, and that’s equally important to us’, he said.

‘Some of the most valuable people in any martial arts gym are the people who never compete. They are the training partners who turn up every week, give everything they have, push the people around them and genuinely love being part of the team’.

A major part of the new academy’s plans is its junior programme, which will allow children and young people to experience several different areas of martial arts.

Les said youngsters would be able to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, grappling, MMA and striking, helping them discover what they enjoy while developing at their own pace.

‘Our juniors can train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, grappling, MMA and striking, allowing them to find the areas they enjoy and develop at their own pace,’, he said.

The programme will focus not only on martial arts skills but also on confidence and personal development.

Joint said young members would be supported if they eventually wanted to compete for SJC, but there would be no pressure to do so.

‘A child doesn’t need to win medals to get something out of martial arts’, he said.

‘If they come through the doors, work hard, learn something new and leave feeling more confident than when they arrived, then that’s a success’.

For the founders, that sense of development is central to what they want SJC to achieve.

Whether a member eventually competes in the cage, masters a new technique, becomes fitter or simply grows in confidence, the aim is to provide a supportive environment where people can progress.

Sullivan said the academy was intended to cater for a wide range of goals, from aspiring fighters preparing for competition to people simply looking for a new way to exercise and meet others.

‘Whether someone wants to become a competitive fighter, learn self-defence, improve their fitness, build confidence, or simply find a community they enjoy being part of, there is a place for them at SJC’, he said.

‘We want SJC to become more than just a gym. We want it to become a team’.