Enthusiastic members of Lochaber Fight Team recently welcomed head coach of Inverness-based Highland Top Team Aiden Mackenzie to their club.
Aiden heads up the first, and currently the only, black belt run Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) club in the Highlands. Three other Highland Top Team students also made the trip to support their coach.
Having spent the last couple of years building his own successful club in Inverness, this year Aiden has extended his reach by offering a fortnightly class in Lairg and now he has set his sights on Fort William.
The connection was made with his purple belt student Eddie Lopez, who also doubles up as joint head coach at Fort BJJ and is resident Jiu-Jitsu coach for Lochaber Fight Team.
Lochaber Fight Team was set up by long-term protagonists of the sport Dean Cameron and Stewart Mcmaster to bring Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to Fort William. It is still early days, but the pair already run a four day per week timetable which covers BJJ, Muay Thai and an open mat session, with plans to expand.
After a well received first session, Aiden agreed to visit once a month to teach BJJ to the growing list of members of Lochaber Fight team and Fort BJJ. The classes include one hour of technical instruction, 30 minuets of rolling (sparring), and a Q&A session to finish.
BJJ Coach Eddie Lopez said: “This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to get involved in MMA in Lochaber. It’s great to see such positive collaboration between members of the Mixed Martial Arts community. Dean and Stewart have done a great job in setting up the club here, coaching and bringing in talent to Lochaber.”
Lochaber Fight Team is based in what has become the ‘Triangle of fitness’ with the boxing club next door and the Wolf House Gym across the car park. It’s no wonder warriors in their respective arts go missing there for hours at a time.
If you are interested in MMA, BJJ or Muay Thai, contact Lochaber Fight Team through its Facebook page. Alternatively, check the timetable on the same page and turn up. All levels are welcome.