Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports. The MMA Spirit in Frankfurt has been doing pioneering work for years and has developed into a pillar. A special training philosophy prevails in the gym around the most popular German cage fighters.
The MMA Spirit in Frankfurt welcomes you in an unexpectedly beastly way. A Boa Constrictor, around two meters long, awaits visitors right at the entrance to the gym. The impressive constrictor is not only an eye-catcher for young and old, but also a symbol for one of the disciplines that can be learned in the Frankfurt martial arts school. Because if you take courses in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you will learn to wriggle around your opponent and force him to surrender with certain moves.
Away from the line, MMA Spirit conveys the image of a high-end martial arts gym. A separate foyer area with merchandising, bar, trophy cabinet and comfortable seating area welcomes amateur athletes and professional fighters. Being professional in all areas extends to high hygiene standards. The premises are cleaned several times a day by a cleaning company. From the training areas, the sandbags and similar equipment to the sauna area, everything is “top notch”, as the Americans would say. For many years, the USA was the preferred destination of many European fighters to carry out their fight preparation. The MMA Spirit can definitely keep up.
“It’s important to keep everything up to date,” explains manager Niels Schlaegel. “We have a great location in Frankfurt and the right fighters who can help generate the hype surrounding the sport.” However, the hype about fighters like Christian Eckerlin, Max Coga or Stephan Pütz is not only based on their sporting class. For the people of Frankfurt, being professional also means being present in the media and being able to deal with the media. The house’s own productions are shown on the large screens in the gym. Lighting effects and changes in sharpness are used, the quality goes well beyond the run-of-the-mill YouTube video. “It’s no longer possible to build an MMA career without your own brand,” says Schlaegel. “No athlete can actually afford to concentrate exclusively on sport these days.”
The fighters of the gym present themselves with the same quality on their own channels via YouTube, Instagram and Co. A catalyst that is good for the sport, emphasizes Schlaegel. “Theoretically, Coga, Eckerlin and Pütz would no longer have to fight. Youtube throws off enough. In order to put the lesser-known fighters and our team in the limelight, we produce four video blogs (vlogs) a month. At the same time, everyone learns, everyone gets involved in media work used.”
The presentation of the gym stands out in Germany, but so does the work on the mat. BJJ, wrestling, Thai/kickboxing and boxing are available for beginners, intermediate and professional levels. Anyone who looks at the training sessions will notice: The intensity is high, but respect is the top priority. At the beginning of the BJJ session, they line up the athletes and greet the coach. Mehdi Meziri directs the exercises. The Frenchman coaches in English, appears deeply relaxed and stress-free – qualities that are in demand in ground combat. Meziri is more or less a native of the gym, having obtained his martial arts qualification under Bellator fighter Daniel Weichel in Frankfurt. Now the black belt is passing on the philosophy that he has already conveyed as a coach in Barcelona, ??New York and Hong Kong.
The return to Frankfurt was an easy decision, explains Meziri. “Because I already knew some fighters and their approach to training, I thought my philosophy would work here – and I think it has worked so far.” Meziri appreciates the requirements in the MMA spirit. “The infrastructure is top-notch, you can see that. The inner circle of athletes is also deeply sane. The leading fighters try to guide the young athletes, the young respect the older ones. Everyone is eager to get better. That’s what gets the job done It’s easier for the coach and it’s an extra incentive. Otherwise you get to points where you stagnate and get bored.”
The training is correspondingly varied, with MMA elements mixed into the Jiu-Jitsu unit again and again. In the subsequent conversation, it becomes psychological, almost philosophical. An aspect that fits the Main metropolis with its Frankfurt School, which is often wrongly presented as rough MMA sport, probably nobody would associate it with.”MMA fighters are a special type of athlete. They can be very clever and still be irrational. Emotional outbursts are part of it .” Showing limits in order to emotionalize and achieve a learning effect – “that’s part of the job,” says the Frenchman. “I’m not a psychologist, but there are certain psychological patterns that you have to show the fighter. Channeling energy and emotions is an important part of the sport.”
The MMA striking session that follows on the day is almost a contrast to the BJJ unit. Mohamed Ouali motivates and directs the young fighters and the established professionals for 90 minutes. It gets much louder when punches and kicks hit claws and protective equipment. Detail work is also in the foreground here. Ouali regularly interrupts individual fighters during exercises. Balance, coverage, foot position – the former Thai boxing professional seems to have everything in view and always has suggestions for improvement.
Max Coga describes the coaching team as “world class”. “Everyone here has the best source when it comes to MMA.” The flagship gym in Frankfurt is necessary to take MMA to the next level. It’s now a sport for people from all walks of life, says the 33-year-old. “You can’t assume that most people who want to fight are blockheads. Many have a crazy core, but that doesn’t mean that they are more primitive,” the former NFC featherweight champion admits with a prejudice.
This prejudice actually vanishes as soon as you arrive at the gym. Already in the seating area, everyone is greeted with a handshake, even if you don’t know each other. In conversations with the fighters, staff and visitors, the same term is used again and again: family. “Familial, that stands for certain characteristics: trust, closeness and having a common goal. These are crucial points for our team and I think you’re more successful that way,” explains manager Schlaegel.
And even if the circle of top athletes seems very small, the door is always open for newcomers. “It’s all a question of commitment and patience,” says Max Coga. “The coaches in the beginners’ courses are in contact with the professional team and management. If you have people who stand out, develop well and bring the team spirit, then the competition units come. If you prove them there, you can become part of the competition team.”
MMA has certainly become more popular in recent years, but the really big breakthrough is still a long way off. “There is already a lot of interest. The people who practice MMA are extremely interesting,” says Coga, who also runs a nightclub in Frankfurt. “There are blatant stories behind it.” Sport must be positioned socially and in the media in such a way that “Germany can be proud of its athletes. Frankfurt in particular has these athletes.” It needs local heroes and characters that are binding. “If the audience feels sympathy, then it will also cheer.”
Probably the most famous fighter of the gym is Christian Eckerlin. At the MMA event Oktagon 36 (Saturday, October 15), the 35-year-old will climb into the cage in front of 10,000 spectators in the Frankfurt Festhalle. The former soccer player is one of these local heroes in the Main metropolis, which he believes is a good place for sport. “We Frankfurters are special,” says Eckerlin. “Especially good,” he adds with a laugh. He explains that for him, fighting is more about the big picture. The US organizer UFC is therefore not the non-plus-ultra. “If the general conditions are right, then of course I’ll fight where I feel comfortable. And what could be better than in my city in front of 10,000 people?!”.
In the case of Oktagon 36, a Czech organizer advertises the sport in Germany. According to Schlaegel, it is worth looking at other organizers outside of the UFC. “Many believe that an organization has to have a certain name in order to be able to live on the fees. I know that many would be extremely surprised at how much money can be made elsewhere. But I leave room for speculation because many don’t want to hear what other options there are.”
The Oktagon event in Frankfurt is sold out for the second time. Great fights and a gripping atmosphere had already transported the event last time. According to Schlaegel, events of this magnitude could mean the next step for MMA in Germany. “You can’t do more than sell out. It will be difficult to surpass the atmosphere from last time. But a standard has been created that shows where we can get to in Germany with events like this.”
Schlaegel and his team want to continue working on this in the future and form one of the centers for the German MMA landscape. Of course, the MMA Spirit should maintain the high standard, the philosophy in training, public image and community spirit. And the Boa Constrictor will also be welcoming newcomers to the gym for a few years to come. After all, their life expectancy is up to twenty years.
