Shane Thomas
Kokoro Martial Arts Dublin
1. How long have u been involved in MMA
I've been involved in martial arts since I was eight years old (I'm 35 now) and MMA since around 2000. I got started with MMA in Germany and we referred to the sport as "Free Fight" or "Mix Fight".
2. When was the first time you heard about MMA?
When I moved to Germany, I took up a form of all round fighting that combined Kickboxing, Full Contact Karate and Judo. At the time, I was a huge fan of K1 and was desperate to find a form of competition that allowed for both full contact striking and grappling - it seemed to fit the bill. Through my training I was more heavily exposed to the Japanese sporting scene so I discovered Pride FC and was a huge fan of both Wanderlei and Fedor.
Sure, like everybody else, I'd seen the odd UFC way back when, but it hadn't evolved into the martial arts competition that we now know and love - it didn't appeal to me at all and I don't really think of those shows as MMA. Pride was another matter altogether. Trained athletes, of varying skill sets, fighting for Pride. It was great stuff. I was hooked instantly and have been MMA obsessed ever since I laid eyes on it.
3. In hindsight how do you rate your ability when you were fighting??
I had a terrible career as an amateur. I fought anybody that was anybody and lost to them all! From British Cage Champions to European and World Kickboxing Champions - I was willing to fight anyone and ready for none of them! My amateur days were, to my mind, the only real "training" that I could get at the time. I'd enter the ring just to test myself and "get some training in". I was a naive idiot really and wasn't at all focused on "winning". I was just happy to be fighting and training in some form. Foolish when you think about it really.
Back then, most ridiculed me for coming back for more, over and over, and told me I'd get nowhere. They've since come to learn though that I don't really understand what quiting means. I just kept training, learning, fighting and improving.
We're so much further down the line now. My amateur days are a distant memory and have served their purpose - they were an educational experience and the lessons were well learned. These days, Kokoro MMA (our gym) has developed into one of Ireland's largest gyms and in many ways I now have the opportunity to take things a little more seriously. Since turning Pro, I'm happy enough with my performances. I don't train or fight anywhere near as often as I would like due to coaching commitments and managing the gym. I'm still around though - fighting away from time to time. It's been the best learning curve of my life and I'm enjoying the ride.
4. What's the furthest u have travelled to fight??
Hmm... Croatia (I think!). I've travelled and fought all over Europe. Geography isn't my strong suit though.
5. Who do u think are the main players in Irish MMA today
I think I'll always see Davy Patterson as my role model here in Ireland.
Truth be told, our national MMA is in a great place. When I arrived in 2005(?) there were a couple of big fishes in a very small pond - some less humble than others. Since then, so many gyms and promotions have thrown their hats into the cage - each enjoying their own levels of success - that no single gym stands out nor does any one promotion.
I really hope that any single discipline martial artists out there, that are thinking about MMA, will continue to get involved regardless of their experience level in Mixed Martial Arts. Sure, there's talk from from certain elitists that these guys have no right getting into the sport or that they're only in it for the money but I'd pay no attention.
Whatever the motive, it's fine by me! I don't care why they get involved. The more the merrier! If they don't make the change to sport specific training they'll be found out in the ring (as was I) and this may spur them to progress as martial artists (as did I). I well remember what it was to be the black sheep (pun intended) and we put in the effort to develop and become one of Ireland's core gyms. So, who's to say that "single disciplined traditionalists" have no right to get involved? Evolution is for everybody.
Maybe our own story will motivate a few to throw their hats into the cage. I arrived in Dublin with my Irish wife and we only only set up Kokoro as a means to continue the training I'd started in Germany. I guess I was hoping I could get a group of sparring partners together. That didn't really work out and I was teaching from day one. We had no equipment of any kind and couldn't do a great deal of ground work. A couple of us would grapple on the concrete but that's not for the faint of heart!
Due to lack of experience and no means to develop our grappling skills, I didn't perform well and our efforts were systematically derided by the majority of the "players" of the time. We got through it and came out the other side all the stronger for it. Fortunately for us, Davy Patterson kept an open mind, and allowed us to grow through his show. He never once picked me or my guys an easy fight and we learned so much from our wins and more so from our defeats. We benefited from the baptism of fire. That's what being a martial artist is all about.
Now is hands down the best time for people "outside" of the MMA community to get involved in the sport and I sincerely hope we see more and more people jumping on the bandwagon. It's a perfect time to get started.
The playing field has been levelled out and thankfully there are no real big fishes anymore. There are six or seven top quality shows and nine or ten quality gyms in the country and I'm proud that we stand to be counted as one of them. MMA in Ireland is now ultra competative and that can only be good for the development of our athletes.
6. What is your martial arts back ground!!
I've a few black belts in full contact striking and grappling arts. I suppose I'm thought of as a striker but only by those that haven't rolled with me.
7. How would you describe your club/teaching style
I'm a wierdo. There's no avoiding that! The gym is my life though. Everyone that visits us says there's something special about the atmosphere in our place. We're a family. All be it a bloody big one!
In terms of training practises? Over the years we've merged the skills, techniques and training methods from my own background, with the methods of those I've had the pleasure of spending time with (from grappling world champions to the ranks of the K1 elite), and a number of all new practises that are specific to the sport of MMA. We've spent the last five years or so developing both our technical syllabus and training methods.
All Kokoro MMA gyms, in Ireland and abroad, are now 100% sport specific and all of our training is geared towards MMA. If it's not useful in the ring or cage - we don't train it. We've spent years breaking down the components of Mixed Martial Arts combat and come up with a defined training method and development path that's proving insanely effective.
As for my personal teaching style; I'm a bit of a schizophrenic! We've a number of training groups at the gym, each geared toward the level and goals of the participants. In some training sessions you'll find me on the mats enjoying the craic with a bunch of 50 or so lads 'n lasses. During others, I'm a Drill Sergeant that will have you wishing you were never born. Those session are usually a lot smaller though! One thing's for sure; I'm not the kind of guy that stands in the corner and points. I'm a permanent fixture on the mats and I love getting involved in our training - I wish I could train more.
I like to try to find the balance between fun, camaraderie and a serious focus on the task at hand. That's not an easy balance to strike but I hope we're getting it right. We seem to be growing exponentially in scale and technical ability, inside and outside of Ireland, so something must be working. The plan is to maintain a self critical view and keep on evolving.
8. How do you see Irish MMA evolving in the next few years
The lack of a governing body (or a voluntary association for the purpose of a unified rule set) has been done to death at this stage so there's little point my heading down that road. I'd like to see unified rules happen as a matter of urgency and as the smaller shows die out a unified rule set seems achievable.
In terms of progression on the international stage; we need more gyms to realise that the "old school" of BJJ + Muay Thai = MMA is no longer the evolved approach. Sure, people from those backgrounds still do well but it's the gyms that focus on MMA as a newly evolved sport that seem to be making an impact on the world stage. Even world champions of these disciplines realise that you've got to take a sports specific approach to MMA. They'll all agree privately and that's exactly how they train for MMA in their own gyms. Hopefully, more and more gyms here in Ireland and the UK will pick up on the sport specific approach. If they do; there no reason why we can't perform internationally.
I'm hugely impressed by the "fighting spirit" here in Ireland. When you consider the population, MMA is about as "massive" as we could wish it to be. I do think we'll see more of the serious gyms paying far less attention toward mediocre brawlers trying to appear as local heroes on poorly produced amateur shows. A good few gyms seems to be focusing their efforts on professional training plans that develop fighters toward a longer term goal - that's only going to be a good thing. If gyms stop throwing people into the rings and cages early, just to get their names out there, albeit under the thin veil of "getting some experience", it'll do wonders for the development of the sport.
We've all learned so much as promoters and gyms in the last decade that I can only hope we'll see more and more pro fighters on the scene. Sadly, most people don't have what it takes to get through the years of self development and effort that it takes to grow into a truly complete fighter. So, who knows? I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop on a national level.
If there's one thing I'd like to see; it's a true structure for Amateur MMA that doesn't throw people in at the deep end too soon (mismatched C-Class fights to large crowds) and also doesn't turn the rule set into a parody of MMA (D-Class for sure and in some respects C-Class). Maybe take the continental and american approach? Let's allow headshots at C-Class but with greater protection (gloves, guards) and take measures to hold these not as "spectator shows" rather as amateur events held for experience only (where the fighter pays to participate).
Only the cream of the amateurs or those that are about to make the move to Pro should be put into the carded spectator shows. US fighters that visit us stare in blank amazement when they find out that there's "MMA without headshots?". Can of worms anyone?
9. Your funniest memory in Irish MMA
I know it's been mentioned before but I really will never forget poor Peter coming out to "Do you really want to hurt me?". Alan's face was equally a picture. Davy P has a lot to answer for! There was another incident for which Davy is entirely responsible; I'd got myself nice and psyched to fight in Dublin. Davy P walked his fighter to the ring, who then handed me an inflatable sheep (yes, I'm Welsh) in the middle of the ring. I couldn't concentrate for love nor money after that. I was still laughing when we touched gloves. It got worse when I took it home and my daughter mistook it for a kids toy. She rode around the house on the thing then asked, "Daddy, what's the hole for in the back of the sheep?"
10. We ask everyone to leave us with one bit of scandal!!! What u got for us
Scandal? I'm going to do my best to steer well away!
This weeks pictures:
Jokes of the week:
A university student delivers a pizza to an old man's house.
"I suppose you want a tip?" says the old man.
"That would be great," says the student, "but the other guy who does deliveries told me not to expect too much – he said if I got 50p, I'd be lucky."
The old man looks hurt. "Well, to prove him wrong, here's £5. What are you studying?"
"Applied psychology," replies the student
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Three macho mice are sitting at a bar discussing just how tough they were. The first mouse slams a shot and says:
"I play with mouse traps for fun. I'll run into one on purpose and as it is closing on me, I grab the bar and bench press it 20 to 30 times." And, with that, he slams another shot.
The second mouse slams a shot and says: "That's nothing. I take those poison bait tablets, cut them up, and snort them, just for the fun of it." And, with that, he slams another shot.
The third mouse slams a shot, gets up, and turns to walk away.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" ask his friends.
The third mouse stops and replies: "It's time to be going home to shag that cat."
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An elderly man and his wife are taking a stroll through the country when they spy a fence where they used to conduct their courting.
Excited by this, they make love furiously, with their arms and legs waving about everywhere.
When they are finished, the woman says, surprised, "You never had sex with me like that 50 years ago",
to which the man replies
"Well, that fence wasn't electric 50 years ago."
Interesting Facts:
An airplane mechanic invented Slinky while he was playing with engine parts and realized the possible secondary use for the springs.
Before toilet paper was invented, French royalty wiped their bottoms with fine linen.
By partially filling saucers with vinegar and distributing the saucers around a room, you can eliminate odors.
