The Insider got a beatdown

By Ben Conant - Dec 13, 2011 | 0 comments

Broider showed me the proper punching angle

Broider then showed me how to maximize the force of my strikes.

“If you see skin, punch it, and if you see a joint, bend it the other way,” Broider instructed.

He had me verbally submit or tap out when I felt 15 percent uncomfortable in a hold. Pretty sure I tapped out here before he actually applied the move.

Broider taught me the difference between an “air choke,” which cuts off oxygen intake, and a “blood choke,” which hinders blood flow to the brain.

Then it was time for me to get in the cage with Real Deal team member Rick “The Boss” Garland. I got out to an early advantage . . .

. . . that was quickly reversed.

This picture pretty much speaks for itself (which is good since I couldn’t really talk or breathe while it was taken).

Then Rick punched me in the stomach as I hung from a pull-up bar for a while (and by “for a while,” I mean “until this picture was snapped”). A fitting cap to a session of getting beat down.

Rick Broider of Real Deal MMA.

The Insider met Rick Broider a few weeks back when we profiled his wife Melody's new skate shop, Spank Alley, at 8 N. Main St. While we were there, he showed us what he was working on in the suite next door. To our surprise, he was building a mixed martial arts gym, complete with a cage to simulate the real ultimate fighting experience. I knew it would be perfect for a story.

Usually, I would send our intrepid reporter Keith to get smacked around, but he conveniently had a back problem, and I was forced to take the beating myself (with Keith taking pictures and chuckling to himself).

I was in good hands with Broider, fortunately. Granted, those hands could have ripped me apart in seconds without breaking a sweat, but I never felt like I was in danger, even when I was signing a waiver absolving him of responsibility in case I died at his hands.

The same could be said of the Real Deal team members who showed up to give us a demo; Rick “The Boss” Garland, Ken “The Wreckage” Kersch and Paul Dillon were all smiles and encouragements during the session, even if they were congratulating me on how easy I was to apply a chokehold to.

Real Deal is a source for all things MMA; Broider trains a stable of fighters who compete all over New England, but he said that he also trains fans who might just want to learn more about the sport as well as people who just want to work out in the intense style of an MMA fighter.

That workout is no joke. While I didn't end up using any of the puke buckets pointed out to me before our session, I was definitely on the verge – and they were taking it easy on me! I didn't come away with any bumps or bruises, and I can at least say I rolled with some professional cage fighters and lived to tell about it.