Grand opening set for Chichester martial arts gym with full-size MMA cage

Boasting a full size UFC-style octagon, boxing bags, and a dedicated grappling area across a 6,500 square foot facility, the new gym – on Leigh Road– could be one of the biggest and best equipped in the UK.

When complete, it should also feature a lounge area, fully-plumbed showers, and a space to buy merchandise and training gear.

Members have been punching, kicking, wrestling and sparring on the new mats since the start of the month, but head coach Jack Magee said a grand opening is scheduled for April 1 – and should give punters a little taste of what Mad Hatters has to offer.

“We just want to work out everything’s up and running smoothly before we open,” he said. “It’s got to have that ‘wow’ factor when people walk through the door, but the members we’ve had come along to use the space while we’ve been working on it have been really excited.

"But on the day itself, we’ll have a few supplement companies coming down, there will be displays of different martial arts by our various coaches, and people will get the chance to step in the cage and actually train a little bit,” he said.

Teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), MMA, and Muay Thai through a team of experienced coaches, this latest move was a long time coming for the Mad Hatters team. ‘Mad’ Jack used to teach in a smaller two-storey venue in Shopwhyke and, before that, at the now-closed Grit-Gym on Station Approach. This new space, Mr Magee said, makes for the ideal martial arts training centre.

“It’s easily the biggest matted area in West Sussex,” the former cage fighter explained. “I’ve trained all over the world and, honestly, I don’t think I’ve seen such a big mat space anywhere.”

The gym also represents a victory for Mr Magee himself – working as a firefighter, he burned both of his hands while attending an incident, and worried he’d never grapple again.

"We were outgrowing the old gym, in a way. I was waiting around for the right time, but that whole experience made me re-evaluate my life choices. When I was in hospital they didn’t know what was going to happen with my hands – they weren’t sure if I’d be able to use them again So I was sat there, wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life if I can’t train. But I worked really hard to get them back to some sort of use.”

“It was a bit of a near death experience, and it just spurred me on, made me realise that you’ve only got one life and you need to do what makes you happy. We wanted to give people the training they deserve and create the kind of place we’d want to train in ourselves.”

To find out more, visit madhattersasylum.com

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