Issue No. 51 June 2014

CWM: Ezzedin, please tell us how
Fight and Fitness Factory came
about?
EZ: My partners and I saw a need
for a high-level professional MMA
facility to meet the growing demand
in Egypt, with an as yet relatively
untapped fan base. MMA has existed
at a semi-underground level for some
time, but we have set out to elevate
it to its deserved status. We actually
opened on the 4th of April, 2014.
What is MMA and where did it
originate?
DT: MMA is comprised of four
separate disciplines; boxing, Muay
Thai, wrestling and Jiu-jitsu or ground
grappling, all combined at a level
where they seamlessly intertwine,
with the contestant’s physical, mental,
anticipatory and reactive abilities
honed to an optimum state. The
sport was actually a key component
in the Olympics as of 248 BC, and was
known as ‘pancreation’.
Going further back though, murals
showing a great number of wrestling
scenes have been found in tombs
here in Egypt in Bani Hassan. They
date from the time of the Middle
Kingdom, meaning that the sport
was active here and pre-dated the
Olympics by a couple of thousand
years. From that point on MMA then
built up in local forms in communities
around the world, being useful as a
discipline to train soldiers in hand to
hand battle skills.
What makes it different from other
martial arts?
DT: There are multiple techniques,
you need to know what to use, and
when. It is virtually a kinetic chess
match.
Is it a high risk activity?
DT: No more so than any other active
sport, the important thing is to learn
under the guidance of a trainer. There
are different levels for varying stages
of fitness.
What makes MMA so appealing to
its participants?
DT: MMA develops coordination,
mental and physical alertness,
qualities that were an integral part of
our forebears’ personas. By tapping
into this we can reclaim our ‘inner
warrior’. It can be a great form of
stress relief for people with highpressure
lifestyles and demanding
careers, where they cannot readily let
off steam. It is a revival of a lost skill for
many, a reassertion of manhood for
males, and for our ladies, a throwback
to the times when whole armies were
composed of battalions of women
warriors. It can really turn your life
around, I have seen people really pick
themselves up from a low point and
get back on track.
Aren’t there concerns that it
encourages young guys and girls
to become more aggressive, rather
than using social skills to handle
situations?
DT: Not at all, training creates selfdiscipline
and a better ability for
handling life’s situations. It teaches
both respect and self-respect, in
practise you are constantly being
humbled. It actually encourages
camaraderie and helps generate
ability to bond, going back to days
when we were in packs and tribes.
By understanding and having
confidence in their strength and skills
people are much less likely to get into
aggressive/ defensive scenarios.
Does participating in MMA tend
to open people up to supplement
and hormone abuse?
DT: It’s true that some professionals
at the highest levels of competing
do use testosterone. One wonders
why there has been total acceptance
of HRT for women, yet TRT for men
still has a stigma attached to it. When
used judiciously and where there is a
legitimate need, it is beneficial. Apart
from that, I have not personally seen
a lot of supplement abuse.
Because of the demands MMA
makes on the body does Fight and
Fitness Factory have requirements
for medical clearance for
members?
EZ: We have a recommendation clause
that members get medical clearance,
although it is not obligatory. We
do, however, require them to sign a
disclaimer form, as would be the case
in any strenuous sport or activity.
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