EAST LANSING, Mich.\u2013 Michigan State University\u2019s Mixed Martial Arts Club meets twice a week at IM Circle. In the building\u2019s basement training room, students gather to practice, learn and support one another.<\/p>\n
Each Wednesday and Sunday, the club runs through structured sessions with full intensity, all focused on one goal: physical and mental improvement.<\/p>\n
The group consists of a diverse culture, with co-ed students from all college backgrounds and genders coming together for self-improvement.<\/p>\n
The club has grown over the years, and is cost-effective most, as each student brings their own equipment, with many members of the club sharing what they have.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
MSU MMA club outside Michigan State\u2019s Sparticipation event in September.<\/p>\n
Henry Levin, a senior majoring in kinesiology and head grappling Jiu-Jitsu coach, said the sessions are as much mental as physical.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartial arts demands your full attention,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re sparring, all your energy goes into learning, into your opponent. MMA lets you push aside school stress. It\u2019s 100 percent focus, 100 percent presence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Levin also treasures the social connection just as much as the physical workout.<\/p>\n
\u201cI get to teach, practice, and just train with people who love the same thing,\u201d he said.\u201d It\u2019s a great way to decompress, especially on Sundays heading into the week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chinmay Chouthai, a junior majoring in genetics and the club\u2019s medical officer, said practice is a break from academic pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like the day before Christmas,\u201d he said. \u201cAfter a long day of classes and labs, stepping into MMA lifts everything. Wednesday gets me through the first half of the week. Sunday gets me through the rest. I\u2019ve never left practice feeling worse. Only stronger, clearer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The club\u2019s approach balances intensity with safety. Coaches demonstrate each move, break down sequences, and let members practice at their own pace. Some sessions may be intense to those who are new to the club but just like any other hobby, sport, or skill, everything that can be mastered has to come with practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about learning, not rushing,\u201d Levin said. \u201cEveryone here grows at their own pace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many who are a part of the club come from diverse backgrounds with different interests. Regardless of previous experience in certain sports and physical activities, the club offers skills that are different from most sports many have played growing up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wrestled in high school and, like, I did gymnastics,\u201d Chouthai said. \u201cEspecially with sports, if you can find a sport that you really like that you have fun doing, and you have fun being around the people who are doing it, it’s not really hard work, and it’s still good for you at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peem Puvacharoen, a senior majoring in supply chain management and club secretary, described the experience as almost therapeutic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis community gives you a place to grow, physically and mentally. MMA has boosted my self-esteem. I know I can handle myself. I feel capable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peem\u2019s Wednesdays are packed: classes end at 2 p.m., a part-time job until 6 p.m., a quick snack, then straight to the gym to help clean the mats before practice. Exhaustion follows, but so does satisfaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter practice, I go home, eat, and finally sleep, completely spent, completely satisfied,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The bond among members is immediate and enduring. Students from all backgrounds, international and local, come together, drawn by the same dedication to martial arts. Chouthai said the club teaches more than technique.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinding something you love, where it\u2019s not work, is rare. Martial arts is that. The exercise comes naturally. The camaraderie is what stays with you. And having this focus in MMA helps me stay focused in my classes too. With majors like genetics or kinesiology, you can\u2019t afford to lose concentration. This discipline carries over.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Grappling session being held as students observe skills from each other, and learn from those with more experience.<\/p>\n
Levin emphasized that respect and mentorship shape the club. \u201cThe people in charge set the tone. If we focus on learning from each other and staying respectful, that\u2019s how the community grows.\u201d<\/p>\n
For many students, MSU\u2019s MMA Club is more than a club. It\u2019s a home. A place to release stress, build confidence, and push limits alongside peers who understand the pressures of student life.<\/p>\n
At IM Circle, amid the mats and warmups, members find focus, resilience, and a shared commitment to growth. They leave practice not just stronger physically, but mentally ready to tackle the challenges of college life. Here, the lessons of college extend beyond the classroom. They live on the mat, together, every Wednesday and Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have never gone to an MMA practice and felt worse after,\u201d Chouthai said. \u201cI always feel better after. So I think it’s about finding a group of people that you like to do it with and finding something that’s fun but also active.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EAST LANSING, Mich.\u2013 Michigan State University\u2019s Mixed Martial Arts Club meets twice a week at IM Circle. In…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":293169,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,638,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-293168","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mma","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-fighting","11":"tag-mma","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293168\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}