"I learned quickly that behind the scenes is a lot more demanding," Garcia said of running a successful club. "It just takes a lot of planning and a lot of preparation."

Behind this preparation is a philosophy of discipline that Garcia tries to establish at every practice, and one that’s been foundational for MSU MMA Club since day one. Upon arrival, members are expected to be dressed properly and be ready to follow instructions from the student coaches; a process not unlike the ones many MSU sports teams employ.

As long as these general requirements are met, Garcia makes it clear that all are welcome to join the club. "Anybody can come, no matter if you've had any experience whatsoever on the mat," Garcia said. "I feel like that's what keeps bringing people back to us."

Practice usually begins with 10-20 minutes of warmups, which helps to prevent injury and overexertion later on. From there, coaches will transition to grappling; a form of close-quarters combat emphasizing clinch fighting, ground fighting and submission holds. They start by demonstrating the first move in a sequence, breaking it down, then having members pair up and practice it themselves.

After a few minutes of practicing, coaches then demonstrate the next move in the sequence, repeating the process until members have every piece of the puzzle.

Members are then given a couple of minutes to free grapple with their partners, allowing them to demonstrate the moves they’ve been taught in a semi-realistic fight.

The striking lesson doesn’t deviate much from this format. Following a quick shadow boxing warmup, members are once again shown a set of moves that they’ll have the opportunity to replicate with a partner. Only now, they'll get to break out their boxing gloves and shin guards.

While there’s always a chance someone at MSU MMA Club is putting on those leather fists for the first time, that’s certainly not the case for Henry Grimsby, who’s been doing so since he was little.

"My dad would always drill me in martial arts." Grimsby, an electrical engineering senior, said. "You know, some dads play catch with you as a kid, some dads practice kicking."

Grimsby developed an interest in MSU MMA Club through his experience at Thai Club, where he met friends with a shared interest in Muay Thai; a martial art originating in Thailand. In need of a place to practice, MSU MMA Club served as a convenient outlet for Grimsby and his friends. But aside from the physical benefits of a great workout, martial arts has provided Grimsby with perhaps a less visible, but equally salient reward: catharsis.

"When I come here, it helps me clear my mind. I have a lot to think about between school, graduating. I have to apply for jobs after these projects and exams. When I come here, it's like a break in some of my long days," Grimsby said. "It’s good. It helps me breathe."

Grimsby isn’t the only one who happened upon martial arts at an early age. Exploratory business freshman Kiley Peirce has roots in Krav Maga that, like Grimsby, extend all the way back to her father. "He kind of created a tradition that every one in my family had to do at least two years of martial arts," Peirce said. "After doing that, I realized I really enjoyed it."

When Peirce first set foot on MSU’s campus, she made it a priority to find an environment where she could keep honing her skills in Krav Maga. But while there’s no official club at MSU that teaches that style of fighting, MMA Club was the next best thing. Since joining, Peirce says she’s grown to view herself in a newer light.

"I've learned to be more confident in myself," Peirce said. "Everybody's here because they want to get better. And so I don't have to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm scared to hurt you.’ Everyone had to sign a waiver that they're here to work out and actually practice."

Peirce has carried that confidence with her into real-life situations as well. "As a girl, it's kind of scary to be walking out alone at night sometimes. So coming here has kind of made me feel better about myself. I feel empowered and stronger and more confident."

What’s convinced Peirce to stay, though, isn’t necessarily the thrill of learning how to take down a would-be assailant, but the unique sense of camaraderie and competition that emerges from MMA Club’s collective pursuit of that goal. For her, being able to train with other people is what makes the experience so gratifying.

"I really like the dynamic between the community because a lot of people show up every Wednesday and Sunday, and so you kind of start to recognize faces," Peirce said. "Everyone's so friendly and welcoming and everyone just helps you get better."

This is the kind of atmosphere Garcia and the rest of the executive board strive to nurture at MMA Club. 

Their hope is that they can create a safe, inclusive environment where people can train, whether they’re learning simple self-defense techniques or establishing an intense training regimen in preparation for future competitions. And while there is an element of violence which accompanies that, Garcia continues to stress the club’s commitment to safety above all else.

"We keep a very tight cap on the amount of power we want to see," Garcia said. "It's a recurring statement that we say in every practice: Focus on your technique here. Focus on what we teach you. Don't focus on hitting hard. That's never the goal here."

In addition to bi-weekly practices, MMA Club hosts a variety of social events to give members a way to connect outside of training. Most recently, the e-board put on a watch party for UFC 307: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., and often sets up collaboration events with other clubs, such as Japan Club. These events are also intended to attract new members by introducing them to martial arts in fun, interactive ways.

For more advanced members, including those on the e-board, MMA Club actively seeks out competitions to send them to. In 2020, former MMA Club president Zeid Ramzi won his bout at an event held by NUCA MMA; the first intercollegiate mixed martial arts organization in the United States. However, since MSU doesn’t sponsor MMA Club, the funds required to participate in these events have to be provided by the e-board themselves. This has led to some difficulty in getting club representatives to competitions on a consistent basis.

As long as members are interested, however, that won’t stop the coaches from working with them to get them competition-ready.

"In terms of who we know to send, it’s a combination of those who ask and we the coaches train with them closely to see if they are ready for competition," MSU MMA Club treasurer and human biology senior Saketh Bathula said.

While going toe-to-toe with the best college MMA athletes in the country may sound like an exciting challenge for some, it’s by no means required in order to succeed at MSU MMA Club. If there’s one thing Garcia wants members to take away from the club, it’s that there’s always something to improve on.

"You can never stop learning. Even with the instructors that we have, as good as they are, there's still so much room to improve," Garcia said. "That’s what I want the club goers who attend on a regular basis to really take out of it; that there is an evolution to this, and that evolution is never ending."