From games to gloves, our second Botle weekend experiment

Last Saturday we tried something new. Got a bunch of strangers together and ran a few outdoor games. No pressure, no skill required, just show up and play. It worked. People had fun, met new people, left wanting more.

So this Saturday we took it up a notch.

The plan was to pair up with one of the few elite combat sports centers in the city, Ora Combat, and build something around it. Not just a class booking. An actual experience.

Here's what we did. Instead of everyone showing up to Ora Combat directly, we started a 3k run from the Cunningham Road entrance of Cubbon Park, and the finish line was Ora Combat itself. No loop back to the start. You ran there, and that was it, you'd arrived.

Most people hadn't tried MMA before. That actually helped. Nobody was trying to prove anything, everyone was in the same boat.

By the time the group reached Ora Combat, people were tired, sweaty, and straight onto the mats. No cooldown, no waiting around. MMA 101 started right there. Basic stance, movement, how to actually throw a strike properly, a bit of grappling so people understand what controlling someone's weight feels like. Nothing advanced, just enough for a total beginner to follow and walk out having learned something real.

The thing that made it click wasn't just the class. It was that everyone had already run together for 3k before stepping on the mats. Nobody walked in as a stranger. That's usually the hardest part of trying a new sport, feeling like the only one who doesn't belong. The run took care of that before class even started.

Games last week, an elite MMA center this week. The whole idea is to give people something new to try every single weekend. Different format, different energy, but always something worth showing up for.

MMA at Ora Combat is beginner friendly. No experience, no gear, nothing needed except showing up ready to run.

Book one time. No commitment. Find MMA and other sessions on Botle.

Savar

Content Lead

Botle