A fight in a nightclub? The worse thing ever…
Some DJs in a fight club? Let’s talk…
Welcome to Force Submission, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA Academy in Baldock, UK. Run by a renowned and respected coach and promoter Darren Jones, within a year of opening the gym has already seen some pro fighters elevate through its ranks… And it’s about to be home to some very interesting fusion.
To mark the establishment’s first year anniversary, on Tuesday July 19 Force Submission will welcome a selection of DJs for a night of drum & bass and freestyle fighting. Rebel Music founder OB1, LNO and Bruises will be rolling it out while the fighters roll on the mat. James Draize, owner of Lost Recordings and one half of Bruises is the man behind the concept.
“I’ve been training for the last eight months and become obsessed with it,” he explains. “It’s the same with how I used to approach radio. It’s religious. That’s the same effect martial arts and training has had on me. I have a little ritual before I go training and I listen to a playlist of drum & bass to get me in the mindset. They’re literally war tunes and my head switches to training mode who I do this. So it got me thinking…”
Inspired by the tightness of the gym’s community, the niche nature of the sport and fire it stirs in the souls of those who partake, James realised martial arts and raving aren’t as far apart as one might assume. “I’ve experienced rave culture which is underground and has its own traditions and behaviours. Now I’m experiencing another one where we meet up in a similarly unknown industrial estate and feel great about it afterwards. Except this time we’re kicking the shit out of each other!”
“What I find appealing is that it forces me to leave my ego at the door,” he continues. “I’ve come into this at the age of 30 and there’s a lot of younger fighters there and I’m humbled. I feel welcomed, at home and part of the furniture. Same as I do in certain clubs.”
James continues to draw parallels between the two worlds when he compares the profiles of rising pro fighters and rising producers. Like many of the acts on his record label Lost, fighters at the gym – such as Jamie Richardson (pictured), Ollie Sarwa, Jack Sear and Sam Quinn – are all on the precipice of exciting professional careers but are dealing with the same social media frustrations.
“They experience really similar situations and I want to be able to help them,” explains James who will be filming the night to make a video that celebrates both cultures. “I want to highlight the similarities between the two worlds and see how we can help each other. It should be interesting. We’ll be playing music while they tear chunks out of each other. I’ll probably have a go myself, too.”
Tearing up the tunes, tearing up the mat, tearing up the rules. James is onto something different and exciting here. Visit Force Submission for more information and James’ Instagram socials for more details on his video once it’s complete. We’ll report on the video after the event, too. Stay tuned for more jungle rumbles.
