Jimi Manuwa, former UFC light heavyweight said:
“I’m very proud that we have used our platforms and positions to be able to give back to our communities across the UK. Violent crimes, especially knife crimes, are very apparent in the cities we all grew up in and we want to help to give these kids other options in life that we didn’t have when we were growing up.”
The sport of mixed martial arts is proven to help young people develop a wide range of key skills to support their physical and mental health, including improved cognitive function and muscle strength, better balance and coordination, enhanced flexibility, and better self-awareness. The program aims to help young people develop these skills with focus on self-discipline and self-defense, while giving them access to inspirational expert coaches and instructors from UFC, in a safe and supportive way within a familiar environment.
Kathryn Morley, Chief Executive of OnSide said:
“Giving young people positive opportunities to have fun, get fit, and connect with their peers will be even more important as we emerge from the pandemic. This partnership is a great opportunity to introduce young people across the network to an incredibly popular sport, and we are delighted to be working with UFC to launch this mentoring programme and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on young people across the OnSide network of Youth Zones.”
Young people aged 12-16 will be eligible to join the program, which will comprise weekly classes over a 6-8 week period. Participants will be selected through a combination of pre-existing membership of their local Youth Zone and from the local community. Each class will be conducted in small groups.
Classes will teach various levels of martial arts disciplines that are the foundation of mixed martial arts (Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Judo and Jiu-Jitsu). In conjunction with training, this program will also periodically host youth engagement activities with law enforcement from the South Area Command Unit of the Metropolitan Police, providing opportunities for police officers to continually build relationships and trust in the community.
