A former prisoner has described how Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) classes have improved his mental and physical health.
Caerwyn Davies, 57, told CJS News he was in and out of prison for most of his adult life and now lives in supported accommodation.
He has joined classes run by Cardiff charity Fighting Homelessness CIC, and said they have given him help beyond just physical exercise.
“It’s great to learn new techniques and have an exercise routine, but it’s so much more than just a lesson”, Caerwyn added.
“You can meet people with different backgrounds and put things into perspective. It’s one of the few times I get to be social too”.
The charity also runs an initiative called Fighting Chance, helping at-risk children to avoid anti-social behaviour and homelessness. The youngest member of the class, 11-year-old Kayden from Ely, joined through this programme.
He told CJS News that trying MMA has helped him control his anger issues and boosted his confidence. “People in the gym say I’ve got lots of potential. It’s an activity I want to keep doing,” Kayden told CJS News.
The benefit of these classes is that there’s so much hidden support for them.”
The founder of Fighting for Homelessness, Robert Green, said his business has already seen people’s lives change after attending:
“The benefit of these MMA classes is that there’s so much hidden support for them. People who come to our sessions have overcome PTSD, domestic violence and other serious situations because of what we offer.”
“We’ve had people move away from a life of crime and drugs, we’ve had members join gyms and even compete in competitions.”
These classes are now being rolled out in Cardiff schools, with Cardiff West High School being the first to host one. The charity hopes they’ll give pupils the same benefits as people like Caerwyn and Kayden.
Robert has big plans for the future. He wants to run more classes, including ones specifically for women, and hopes the charity can build its own supported accommodation for people experiencing homelessness.
“We’ve had lots of early success and I think we’re only going to get better and better with more projects and ideas behind us.”