I left the Royal Marines in 2018 after 10 years of service. It was by far the best time of my life and made me who I am today! When I joined in 2008, a tour of duty in an active warzone was almost a given. We were put through 32 weeks of arduous and continuous training with no concept of rest. Throughout the months, a lot of men failed certain areas of training and a lot of men quit. Being young and keen, I managed to push through and passed out of training with only a handful of men that I had started with.
When I received the coveted Green Beret, it was then that I knew I was part of something extraordinary. Without going into detail about the full 10 years, it was basically a rollercoaster of amazing, dangerous and daunting experiences which moulded me into who I am today.
Bringing the foundation of unity and community that always has your back and instilling a Marine mindset
One of the main foundations that has stuck with me, which I desperately wanted to recreate in civvy street was the idea of unity. I wanted a strong bond with a community of like-minded people who have each other’s backs no matter what the situation.
My chosen career path after the Marines was to open my own Self Defence/Combat club, mixing various arts to cover all bases such as Krav Maga, Boxing, Jiujitsu, Thai Boxing, Grappling etc. Royal Marine Commando’s support each other until death, so I knew that in order to create such a strong bond amongst our members, training needed to push everyone to their limits so that it would instil them with the confidence that nothing can stop them, and together as a club they could push through any obstacle.
As with any martial art physical ability is important, but at MKM we argue that mental ability is even more vital! Having the confidence to execute what is needed to be done in tough times comes before being able to do it in a safe environment such as on the mats. Once this mindset was fully integrated into the clubs and they knew what was expected in each class, the teamwork started to fall into place. Before long we had 3 different groups over Yorkshire who trained hard and had each other’s back. The aim of creating a club with similar ethos to what you would find within a Royal Marines Unit was starting to build, all that was needed now was a Venue of our own.
Bringing the community together and growing the unity with our own gym
My 5-year goal was to have our own place to train in where we could build a real sense of community. Within 2 years of leaving the Marines, the 5-year goal had been met! We had our very own place. The task ahead was massive, we had to turn a shell of a place into a club that members would want to spend time in and socialise, as well as train. The instructors and I worked all hours to get the place into shape and on 2nd February 2020, we opened our club. Sadly, the month after we were shut down due to Covid Lockdowns.
I knew that we already had a few separate communities loyal to each other from the Bradford, Halifax and Wakefield classes. The move and amalgamation of all the clubs was risking the ‘close nit’ network that they each had, and I didn’t want to lose that ethos of unity. My aim was to now create a bigger and stronger community. When we were shut down almost immediately, it then came to light the strength, loyalty and mental robustness that had been created throughout the members. Most members supported the club throughout the pandemic and we all kept in touch via the WhatsApp group regularly to check in. We started online fitness classes which a lot of members took part in and some even watched with a burger just for the laughs!
Being part of the MKM community
Eventually, we were allowed to reopen, the members returned and we began to settle into the new club. The worry about the three group’s clubs coming together was unfounded. Anyone with an MKM t-shirt on is a brother/sister and that is how all three groups treated each other. Our core foundation of unity and community began to spread and we got new members through the door with the same mindset. Anyone that walked in with ego or attitude were quickly ejected. Two and a half years later from opening the club, we have improved the facilities tenfold, including a fully functioning gym for our members, a seating area with good coffee and the largest matted area in West Yorkshire. To this day we continue to improve by pushing to be better. The members push hard daily and work for each other as much as themselves. In return, we give back by the investment of time, effort and knowledge and put our revenue back into the club.
I can proudly say that we run a member-led club with a friendly atmosphere and no bullshit and no ego. Our members train harder every session and the club is always pulsing with a great atmosphere. We have members that are or were pro fighters and members that have never done anything before coming to us. Each is equally valued and has qualities to offer the club and other members.
Looking back on my transition into civvy street, I guess I’ve cheated a little. I have not had to adapt as much as some of my other brothers from the Corps as I have created my own ‘Marines Unit’ by taking the mindset you would expect from a Commando and instilling it into MKM and its members.
Come check us out for yourself and join a community like no other!
Book a free trial via the website
Sam Graham
MKM Head Instructor
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