Yes, you’ve heard right. Nathan ‘Carnage’ Corbett, ‘DDD’ Danny Derdowski and Grant ‘Bomber’ Millwood are now training out of the one gym- Urban Fight Gym.
I was able to grab some time with Richard Walsh to answer a few questions about the gym…
SM: When did the gym officially open?
URBAN: The gym opened in early Jan 2010. I was very lucky as word had travelled fast and the first day we trained I had about 15 people turn up! But with Nathan training, I knew was always going to be busy.
SM: Where did the name come from?
URBAN: I was struggling to find a name that suited and wasn't already being used. I really wanted to call it Respect Muay Thai after our trip to Jamaica, but a gym in Romania was already using it. Second option was Southern Cross Muay Thai, but the abbreviation was the same as Sunshine Coast Muay Thai. So I organised a dinner with Carnage and the girls to talk about different names for the gym. We had just sat down and started to discuss what we we’re trying to achieve that night and Nathan said, "So you want something that is sort of urban or street smart and local?" And there it was Urban! I loved it there and then, and we hadn't even ordered any garlic bread!
SM: Is it a fighters only gym?
URBAN: I train everyone that walks in the gym like a fighter, but it isn't just a fighters gym. I have fighters from 0 fights to Nath training from 4:30 till 6:30 and then I run a class from 6:30-7:30 for those who just wish to get fit and learn Muay Thai. As the gym grows I will offer more classes and personals.
SM: What styles of Martial Arts do you cover?
URBAN: I just teach Muay Thai. I can hold pads for boxers too, but I’m not a boxing teacher.
SM: What’s it like training Nathan, Danny and Grant at once?
URBAN: Training Nathan, Danny and Grant together is awesome! It's only been 4 weeks but already you can see the improvement in all 3 boys.
Nathan has trained by himself for a long time because he likes to train the way he fights (f*#king Hard!) and many people can't keep up with him and drop off.
Danny had been one of the heavier guys in his gym, so sparring wasn't always a challenge for him. Nathan had been going to Strikeforce on the odd occasion and the improvement in Danny was noticeable straight away.
Grant was at Boonchu but never felt he really fit in. Coming from Valhalla gym in Brisbane, the change didn't really suit his and Boonchu's style.
SM: Do they play nice together when sparring?
URBAN: All three boys have been sparring and training alongside one another regularly, and they help each other along. A lot of people would think that these guys would just be “cannon fodder” for Carnage, but let me tell you that these guys give as good as they get! The sparring has been fast and hard and on a whole different level to what I’ve seen here in Australia before, so I’m really excited to see these guys fight soon. My goal before this year is out is to have them all fighting on the same show, so they can all train for the 1 night.
SM: So what’s coming up for your fighters?
URBAN: I’m Still trying to secure matches for all the boys. Carnage is on April 3rd in Tokyo, still waiting on an opponent. DDD is on EVO April 24th against Chad Walker. Bomber doesn't have a match at the moment until May, so I’m calling as many promoters as possible. I also have a bunch of other guys training for Eruption and Next Generation shows in April.
SM: How can people find out more about the gym?
URBAN: To find out more about the gym just e-mail richard@urbanfightgym.com for now as I don't have the web site up and running as yet.
