Caged Steel Open Mat – Saturday 9th February

gym manager Neil Hall and owner Jamie Thwaites decided to hold another Open Mat to cope with the numbers and they were not to be disappointed.

It seems you can’t keep a good thing to yourself these days; in what should have been a relatively subdued affair, taking a few car loads of my students to visit the newly opened Caged Steel Gym in Dewsbury, good news travels fast across the internet and after making a few calls to invite others to come along, gym manager Neil Hall and owner Jamie Thwaites decided to hold another Open Mat to cope with the numbers and they were not to be disappointed.

Over 60 people attended the session which ran from 1230pm until 4pm and attracted guys as far afield as South Shields, with guys from Knuckle Draggers fight squad, who train in Byker at the Sor Thank Ul Thai gym, making the long trip down to train.

Students from Combat Base Bolton, Ozzy Haluk’s Manchester Ground n Pound, Mark ‘Spenna’ Spencer’s Team Fulinkazan, Combat Base Doncaster and Team Warriors hit the mats and enjoyed an afternoon of free training and networking.

The gym makes you feel like you have just walked onto the set of The Ultimate Fighter, boasting a full size boxing ring, heavy bags, a cage and a matted area, plus a neat little chill out area and changing rooms, to help you unwind and relax after a training session.

It was great to see a number of good friends in the shape of Jamie, Neil, Ozzy and Spenna and more new friends were made on the day; Jonny Ho and Aaron Wilkinson from Manchester Ground n Pound were on the mats busy getting ready for their upcoming cage fights in Cage Gladiator VI, in Liverpool on Sunday March 2nd – good luck guys!!

All too soon 4pm crept up and rounded off a great day for all involved and I’m sure everyone will be eagerly awaiting the date for the next Open Mat. The gym is open through the day, where you can pay on the door and train away the day doing whatever you like at your own pace. General classes start in the evening and once a month, every first Tuesday, Darren Currie from Combat Base UK, pays the club a visit to take a jiu jitsu session, based around MMA competition.

Check out http://www.caged-steel.com for more details and pay them a visit. You’ll not be disappointed!