Paul Gaffney is the head trainer at the recently opened Title Boxing Club in the Capitol Shopping Plaza, and also just so happens to moonlight as a mixed martial arts fighter. So last week, we sat down with Gaffney (where no ring was in walking distance in case he had the inclinations to show off some moves) to ask him a few questions about his role as a trainer and the life of a MMA fighter.
What made you want to become an MMA fighter? How long have you been doing it?
I’m going on roughly about four and half years. So I’ve got kind of a story behind becoming an MMA fighter. Partly it’s because I used to get into a lot of fights, got into some trouble and wanted to get out of it. Probably my natural instinct is just to fight all the time. We’re people, we fight for everything. And long story short, I started getting into MMA and then I had two beautiful, wonderful children who have a rare disease called Canavan Disease and they fight every single day for their life. So I felt like me getting into the ring and taking it to the next step is fighting for them.
How does boxing help with MMA?
Well MMA is basically mixed martial arts, so it’s boxing, it’s kickboxing, it’s jiu-jitsu, it’s judo, it’s multiple, multiple skills that you can bring to the table. My background, my forte is boxing and jiu-jitsu, so I like to stand up and I like to fight
What is your training regimen like?
To get into the ring, it’s super high intense. It’s not for everybody. You have to have a special mind set and a skill that you develop over long periods of time. I feel like anybody could do it, as long as you apply yourself. And you’ve got to love it. You’ve got to love it, you’ve got to want to do it because the training is seven days a week. You train for three, four hours a day and it’s constant cardio.
What is your philosophy/approach as a trainer?
For Title Boxing, it’s get fit, not hit. So you’re going to get the workout, you’re going to get the experience of getting ready for a real fight, but you’re not going to fight, you’re not going to get hit. So I’m going to train you like a real boxer to get ready for a fight. I’m going to push you as far as I can, to your limit. Some have higher limit than others, but no matter what I’m going to push you to your limit and make sure you get the best workout you possibly can.
Where can people in N.H. go to compete in MMA?
There are all kinds of gyms. I always recommend Team Link out of Hooksett.
What is it like walking around during one of your classes and having that interaction with somebody one on one?
For me, I feel like I really, really connect well with people. I kind of do a stare down all the time with them, but all of my clients will tell you that they’ll win it because they’ll stare me down ‘til they know that I’ve got to look away because they’re going to kill me. They’ve got that passion, they’ve got that fire in them. Every single one knows how far I can push them and I know when I need to take a step back. I give them all the tools they need and they put it all in their little goody bag so when they need it they’ve got it.
Favorite Rocky nemesis: Clubber Lang or Ivan Drago? And why?
Do I have to pick from those two? (Insiders: No, you can pick anybody.) Gosh, I love Apollo Creed. When Rocky first started he was the guy. He wanted to go at Apollo Creed. The way the whole thing started, he was like ‘I’m better than you, I’m faster, I’m stronger,’ and the way Rocky starts is real rocky, he gets beat up, but toward the end he’s always going to win. He’s got that fight in him and that’s what I try to instill all of my classes. No matter how hard you hit the ground, you’re going to get up, you’re going to keep pushing and make them believe that they’re machines. I’m their coach and they’re not going to stop till I tell them otherwise.
What are some of the benefits to this kind of workout?
My personal opinion, and I’m very passionate about this, is that this is a full body cardio, plus strength atmosphere. The type of classes that I run you’re going to work on everything. You’re going to work on legs, you’re going to work on your arms, your core. There is nothing better for a real workout than using your natural body mechanics to move as hard as you can push yourself. And you also have a trainer like me that’s going to push you to the complete limit. Plus you’ve got these 100 pound heavy bags to hit.
What is your go to move? How fast do you think you could get one of us to tap out?
Well, jiu-jitsu wise my go to move and if you want to, you can Google this, it’s called the Piglet Slam. I get you in a guillotine, I lift you up, I turn you around, I put you on the ground and I hit you once, you’re done. (Insider note: That would probably take only a couple seconds unless we somehow find a way to out run Gaffney for a little bit.)
If you weren’t in the boxing/martial arts field, what would you be doing?
I would probably just be focused more on my beautiful kids. Like I said, they have a rare disease and any chance I get to talk about them I will. (Insiders: How old are they?) My son is seven and my daughter’s five, and as I said before they were diagnosed with Canavan Disease. It’s a fatal disease. And life expectancy is only a decade. They are the best, most phenomenal thing you’d see or meet in your life. The doctors told us they wouldn’t live until two and my son’s seven and my daughter’s five. It’s such a blessing.
Hidden talent?
I’m kind of a jack of all trades. I played hockey when I was younger, I played football, I boxed for a while. I’ve done a lot of things that I wanted to go big place with, but I found my calling in fighting. But to answer your question, I come across as a really rugged guy, tons of tattoos, but I’m like the nicest, cuddliest bear in the world. I’ll talk to anybody, I’ll hug anybody. I’m very affectionate. I love people, I love talking, I love shaking hands, fist bump whatever. I’ll high five random people on the streets.
Guilty pleasure?
I love country music. Sometimes if I don’t change my radio and my boys will get in the car and all of a sudden they’ll be like ‘Dude, what are you doing?’
