Hernando Today
MMA At The Movies … And In Brooksville
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Published: May 7, 2008
BROOKSVILLE - Boxing has the prolific "Rocky" series and the Martin Scorsese black-and-white classic "Raging Bull." Hockey has the rough-and-tough "Slap Shot" starring the venerable Paul Newman and the much-goofier "The Mighty Ducks."
Movies about baseball, football, auto racing and karate? Too many to even count.
It wasn't until recently, however, that Hollywood gave notice to the nation's fastest-growing professional sport, mixed martial arts (MMA).
MMA combines traditional boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, karate, jiu jitsu and other forms of combat into a fast-paced, no-holds-barred competition between a pair of athletes. MMA's cable TV audience is burgeoning, while schools that instruct the sport are popping up across the country as men and women take classes for athletic conditioning and self-defense.
Two movies with MMA in their storyline have hit the big screen in 2008 — the limited-release "Redbelt," which lists Tim Allen among its cast, and "Never Back Down." The latter was filmed in Orlando and released March 14.
Spring Hill resident Joe Cortez had a credited role in "Never Back Down," fighting the movie's star, Sean Faris. Faris has had parts in TV shows such as "Smallville" and "One Tree Hill."
In "Never Back Down," Faris plays a rebellious teen named Jake Tyler, who through a backyard fight is lured into an underground fighting club where he finds a mentor in an MMA veteran.
Cortez had never acted before. The fast-and-fit 21-year-old learned about auditions for the film from a friend's e-mail.
Cortez guessed he got the part out of about 40 to 50 fighters that tried out, but isn't sure why he was picked.
"They just called me and let me know they were interested in me," he said.
Describing what it was like to portray a fighter on film, Cortez said "It was a whole new experience for me. I'm used to doing fights and really doing it."
Now, Cortez is teaching others how to "really do it" at his MMA studio in Brooksville.
Called Elite Vale Tudo, it opened one week after the release of "Never Back Down." The school is attracting both fighters training for competition and "average Joes" who want the classes for conditioning and self-defense. It is located at 945 Candlelight Blvd., in the same complex as Candlelite Fitness Center.
Cortez said he is fairly new to MMA, having trained in the sport for about a year. For the past six years, however, he has studied capoeira, which is a Brazilian martial art that combines sparring with dance, music and singing. Cortez teaches capoeira at his studio.
The other coaches/instructors at Elite are Justin Terrel, Brandon Watts and Ross Hagerman. Tall, tattooed and muscular, Hagerman pushes the experienced fighters to the max while being patient with the newbies. A former Georgia resident, Hagerman coached at the HardCore Gym in Athens, which is one of the nation's top-flight MMA schools.
Cortez points out that MMA is not just for adult men.
Ten-year-old John Budrevic attends MMA with his father, John, who jokingly calls himself "The Lithuanian Hitman."
"I've had a couple parents call about wanting something to keep their kids' attention," Cortez said. "And they want the movement and self-defense."
Cortez said he plans to offer a kids' kickboxing class and, with Hagerman as the teacher, a women's self-defense class.
MMA is great way for anybody to increase flexibility, strength and cardio, Cortez said.
"If you are able to walk, you are able to train," he said.
Classes are scheduled at Elite Vale Tudo on Monday and Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. Open gym is Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m.
For more information, call Cortez at 352-232-0475.
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