GYM FOCUS: BLOOD FITNESS

Starting in 2015 Blood Fitness is, in their own words, ‘Jersey’s Premier Martial Arts Academy and Fitness Centre’. Started by Michael Blood, hence the name, Blood Fitness has grown in size both in terms of the gym, now three floors, and number of members. Dan sat down with Michael to learn more about the man behind the gym, and what makes Blood Fitness so special.

What is your background?

I started when I was around 14 years old. I didn’t know much about Thai Boxing as boxing is what I was doing. I remember a friend wanted to start Thai Boxing and he wanted me to come along to the first class. In the end, I got hooked on it but he never came back. That was my first experience of Muay Thai. It is seen as a brutal sport, but it is a sport no different to football or rugby, it just so happens to include fighting. You are not competing to be aggressive or hurt the other person, it is a sport that we have both trained hard to win. It is beautiful to watch too.

British Champion – how proud were you of that achievement?

It was a big achievement for me personally. I never really thought I would have got anywhere near that level. My coach said it would be a waste if I never competed and if I wasn’t to push myself. That was important, to have the right coach. The only fights I regret are the ones I never had. I was lucky as I fought in Thailand and all over the UK. I never dreamed of all of that really but with obsession and passion things just happened. For me my biggest achievement was fighting guys at the very top in the UK such as Tim Thomas. Fighting for World and Commonwealth titles were also special moments.

When did the idea of Blood Fitness come about?

My whole career led to creating Blood Fitness. Firstly, the name confuses people! Blood is my surname, so it is linking to that rather than literal blood which can put people off! It is something I wanted so badly, and I knew through people I had coached previously and the supporters of my fights that it would work. The first six months were a shock as I thought it would have been a lot easier! I am doing what I love though, and people are coming to the gym. My day flies by because I am doing something I am so passionate about.

How would you describe Blood Fitness?

Martial Arts Academy is the way it has been, but we do offer more. We have our large weights gym area downstairs where we have many users who only use the gym. We run memberships that include fitness-based classes such as circuits, boxfit and HITT. Then there is a membership where you have the MMA, Muay Thai and the boxing where you learn the technical elements whilst keeping fit. A lot of people don’t realise we offer all of that. We have a lot of good coaches and trainers who put on great classes. We all have our strong points and bounce off each other in ways that make us a fantastic team. We are in a great location now, and I hope we can keep on building.

How proud are you of the fight nights you have put on?

It is a lot of hard work but the buzz you get when the fighters get into that ring, knowing the hard work they have put into it in the weeks and months before, is fantastic. There are so many people who make those nights go smoothly and I can’t thank them enough. The adrenaline is next level, even as an organiser and coach.

How big is the future of Blood Fitness?

The Muay Thai side is really growing. I think we are building towards hosting some of the biggest events in the UK. The guys who have come over from the UK for our previous shows believe they are the best events they have been to, so Jersey needs to pick up on that and support our local guys a bit more. They have come to Blood Fitness for an escape from their day-to-day life to train hard and they have found a passion where they put in a lot of hours, morning and night, to be at the level they have reached. They are all really going places. They deserve recognition and a spotlight. On the last event a lot of the guys secured sponsors which is great, we just need to build on that. Elsewhere, all other departments and areas of Blood Fitness are growing too. I think it works so well because I personally don’t run everything on my own. The team have their individual roles and areas that they are looking to grow. I trust them as the areas they are in is what they know inside out. We have a big enough facility to keep welcoming new faces with open arms. Once people realise, we are not just a Martial Arts Club, I hope they will come down and try us out because everyone is welcome.

How proud are you of Blood Fitness?

I am incredibly proud. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because it doesn’t feel real sometimes. I wake up every day and can’t wait to come in, and then when I close up at night, I always have a moment of pride that I have built not just the gym, but a really strong community.