Franco Sambataro’s shoulders slumped with fatigue, yet he pressed forward.
He swung a vicious right knee, then absorbed a shot to the ribs. He responded with his left knee, only to take another shot to the abdomen. Finally, mercifully, a buzzer sounded to end the punishment.
With his wide mohawk and a tattoo on his right arm that stretches from elbow to shoulder, Sambataro may look the part of a mixed martial arts fighter, but he’s not the next UFC champion — nor is he trying to be. The DePaul University administrative office worker just trains like one.
“This is the best workout I’ve ever had,” the 28-year-old Rogers Park resident said after pounding the pads in an aggressive two-hour workout at Chicago Fitness Center. “It just kills me mentally and physically.”
As the popularity of mixed martial arts, also known as ultimate fighting, explodes across the country, Chicagoans of all shapes and sizes are seeking out combat training at local health clubs and martial arts schools.
Though the professional sport — in which competitors use dozens of forms of combat fighting including kickboxing, wrestling, karate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo — has been criticized for being too violent, those who spoke to RedEye said training in MMA techniques boosts their fitness and confidence levels, as well as their self-defense skills. Fans of the sport say the workouts also give them insight into the TV bouts they watch.
Traditional gyms such as Chicago Athletic Clubs are incorporating combat workouts into their programs, while more targeted MMA training facilities are adding classes and equipment to keep up with the rising demand.
Chicago Fitness Center, a 50,000-square-foot complex in Lakeview East, is installing a cage, which members can use for sparring, that should be ready for action by the end of the month. Across town in the West Loop, POW! Mixed Martial Arts has almost doubled the number of classes it offers.
Susan Shen, a graphic artist from Bucktown, was ahead of the curve when she started MMA-style training several years ago at POW!
An exercise fanatic and part-time yoga instructor, Shen said she is bored by traditional gym offerings. “Being on a treadmill is what I call a ‘no-brainer’ workout, where you zone out, you go on auto-pilot,” said Shen, 33, who casually follows pro MMA bouts. “This involves more thinking, more technique, so it involves the mind and the body.”
Matt Gagerman, 33, already was a longtime member of a suburban gym when he started taking classes in Krav Maga, a self-defense technique used by the Israeli military, at POW!
Not long after starting heavybag elbow drills and defense exercises, the Deerfield resident realized he also had signed up for a workout regimen.
“I notice a huge difference in my fitness and stamina,” said Gagerman, who also takes an occasional jiujitsu class. “It’s a different type of working out. It’s exercise using every muscle in your body.”
Most of the faux fighters who spoke to RedEye said the workouts also boost their self-confidence.
“It’s kind of liberating,” Michelle Miller, 27, said before jumping into the kickboxing ring at POW! to throw some punches at a sparring partner. “Especially as a woman, you feel like you could defend yourself.”
Miller, a real estate appraiser who lives in the south suburb of Midlothian, praised her MMA workouts not only for building “tons of muscle,” but also for making her feel more refreshed in the morning.
“It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “You get to be so aggressive with the punching and kicking. All the stresses of your daily life you get out, and then you can go home and relax. It just lets everything out.”
Despite the violent nature of the exercises, none of the MMA workout fans who spoke with RedEye had sustained an injury worse than a bump or scratch during a workout.
Eddie Yoshimura, owner of Chicago Fitness Center, said that’s because instruction is tailored to individual fitness and skill level.
“It’s not like what you see on TV,” he said, adding that a quarter of his clients are women. “You don’t just ground and pound.”
Only a handful of the people working out in Chicago’s MMA schools go on to compete in the techniques they learn, Yoshimura and other gym owners told RedEye. Still, the experience puts MMA fans closer to the sport — without suffering the consequences of, say, a punch to the face or a hyperextended elbow.
“The fan becomes a better fan,” Dante Venturelli, 38, director of marketing for California-based LA Boxing told Columbia News Service. “When they’re watching now, they’re saying, ‘Wow, he’s going for a rear naked choke,’ or, ‘Wow, he’s going for a kimora.’ “
Sambataro told RedEye he has gained a better appreciation for the athletes he regularly watches on TV since he started training six months ago.
“This is a completely different game,” said Sambataro, who works out mainly at Valko Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in River North. “I enjoy the diversity of the sport, learning new things.”
Just don’t expect him to show up on pay-per-view any time soon.
“I would probably get my butt handed to me,” he said.
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Where to train
There are about a half-dozen gyms and schools in Chicago that offer specialized training in mixed martial arts. The cost can range from $50 to $125 for a one-hour private lesson and from $50 to $130 a month for a full membership, depending on the gym. Here are some of the most popular fighting styles offered in Chicago, and the schools that teach them. [ m.h. ]
Krav Maga
Official self-defense system of the Israeli military, this technique is geared toward street-fighting scenarios. “All the celebrities in L.A. are doing it right now,” POW! Mixed Martial Arts owner Katalin Rodriguez-Ogren told RedEye.
Where POW! (powkickboxing.com, 950 W. Washington Blvd., 773-545-6686) is the only official training center in Chicago and offers a variety of classes.
Brazilian jiujitsu
It is a ground-fighting martial art that emphasizes leverage and technique to achieve choke holds or joint locks that force an opponent into submission.
Where Popular spots include Gracie Barra Academy (gbchicago.com, 4900 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-334-5189), Carlson Gracie Federation (carlsongraciefederation.com, 1235 N. LaSalle Drive, 312-640-1235) and Valko Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy (valkobjj.com, 401 W. Ontario St., Suite 400, 312-944-4961).
Muay Thai kickboxing
This is a popular stand-up fighting style in which combatants deliver blows with their fists, feet, knees and elbows.
Where Degerberg Academy of Martial Arts & Fitness (chicagomartialartsclasses.com, locations in Lincoln Square and Old Irving Park, 773-728-5300 and 773-545-3423) offers training in dozens of fight styles, including Muay Thai.
Shidokan
Also known as the “triathlon of martial arts,” it alternately employs techniques of karate, kickboxing and grappling.
Where Chicago Fitness Center (chicagofitnesscenter.com, 3131 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-549-8181) is the home of the sport’s U.S. headquarters.
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MEET THE PROS
Here are four fighters who put the boom in the current fight boom.
[ L.A. Daily News ]Chuck Liddell
Nickname: The Iceman
Fighting background: Division I wrestler at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Purple belt in Brazilian jiujitsu. Competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Signature move: Overhand looping right punch to the head
Notable foray into pop culture: Fell asleep midinterview last year on “Good Morning Texas.”
Rickson Gracie
Nickname: None. But his name is pronounced “Hickson.”
Fighting background: Jiujitsu legend. Runs Rickson Gracie International Jiu-Jitsu Center in West L.A.
Signature move: Chokehold
Notable foray into pop culture: Featured in 1999 doc “Choke,” where he can be seen diving into a freezing mountain river to prepare for a fight.
Quinton Jackson
Nickname: Rampage
Fighting background: High school and junior college wrestler
Signature move: The current Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion, the boisterous Jackson lives up to his nickname with his slamma-jamma style.
Notable foray into pop culture: Dude has his own energy drink — not that he seems to need it.
Kimbo Slice
Nickname: Kimbo — surprise — isn’t his given name. He was born Kevin Ferguson.
Fighting background: Played high school football in Miami.
Signature move: Guillotine choke
Notable foray into pop culture: Bearded brawler will headline CBS’ first prime-time MMA fight card later this spring.
