The Evolve MMA gym in Thomastown has become a haven for martial arts enthusiasts since it opened in September last year.
There are already more than 100 members on its books for mixed martial arts (MMA), Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), Muay Thai and judo, and its reputation is about to get much bigger. Head judo coach Ivo Dos Santos has been selected to represent Australia at the London Olympics in the 66kg division.
He knew he had sealed his selection after he won gold at the Oceania Judo Championships at Cairns in April, achieving what for Dos Santos had been a “lifetime ambition”.
“I was ecstatic, to be honest,” he says. “I was pretty happy I wasn’t waiting for a phone call or anything. I knew in that last event a top-five result would get me there, and I won gold.”
Olympic judo consists of the top 22 athletes in the world for each weight division, regardless of nationality. Dos Santos qualified 14th and says he is stoked to be heading to the Olympics, a dream since he was five years old.
“I was a kid when I started. I was following dad down at a local judo club,” he says. “And then I found this thing called the Olympics and it became a big infatuation that turned into an obsession.”
Dos Santos heads out of the country on June 20 for training camps in Europe before hitting London, but leaves behind a gym that is flourishing.
He was offered the role as coach when it opened – while balancing his own pursuits and a shift job as a baggage handler at Melbourne Airport – and says the sport is growing.
“We’ve had really good numbers since we opened,” he says. “The kids’ judo class is absolute chockers and going really well.
“With the BJJ, Muay Thai and MMA classes as well we’ve had a lot of interest and we’ve also had world-class fighters come and run workshops to great benefit.
“It was a bit daunting at first building up a club from scratch, but to see it grow, especially with kids and adults from all walks of life who have never really done any sport – let alone martial arts – has been amazing.
“It shows the work we’ve been putting in has really paid off.”
Dos Santos says his own training has been intense.
“I’ve been thrashing myself day in, day out,” he says.
“I train six days a week, with two or three sessions a day, doing judo, weights and conditioning.
“The training has been mental but I’m setting myself up.
“I don’t want to be just making up the numbers in London; I want to get a result. It’s head down, bum up.”
