Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is slowly gaining popularity in Brunei, thanks to high profile UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fighters such as Conor McGreggor and Ronda Rousey.

Local co-owner and head coach of ADN Mixed Martial Arts Academy, Haji Ismadey bin Haji Hussin, 37, has high hopes that this form of combat sports will be accepted and embraced by the young people of Brunei, not to promote violence but as a form of physical activity that can keep them away from social ills.

Haji Ismadey, is no stranger in the martial arts circle in Brunei.

Having been just recently certified as International Sport Kickboxing Association (ISKA) Ring (kickboxing, Muay Thai and boxing) and MMA referee, he had just experienced being a head judge / referee for STAND kickboxing competition which was held at Kota Kinabalu from April 22 to April 24. He controlled about 172 bouts as head referee and head judge.

Before that, he also attended the 2016 ISKA K1 & MMA Borneo Amateur Challenge in Labuan earlier this year as a referee.

Haji Ismadey started out training karate with Shotokan Karate-Do at 2nd Kyu level and later moved on training Taekwando since 1996 where he found his true passion and joined up with the Taekwando National team until 2002.

During his karate and taekwando years, he had experienced participating in national and International taekwando tournaments such as SEA Games (Kuala Lumpur and Brunei Darussalam), Asian Games, Southeast Asian Taekwando Championship, Junior World Championship, National Karate Competitions and several others where he managed to bag a number of medals that he actually lost count of.

In Taekwando as well, Haji Ismadey also holds the local highest rank black belt Dan in Brunei (5th Dan) and he is also the only certified Kukkiwon (Korea) International instructor in Brunei Darussalam and a Black Belt Vovinam (Vietnam Martial Arts). Above all, ISKA also granted him to be a certified Kickboxing and Muay Thai instructor.

With all his achievements, Haji Ismadey started his own club, Adey Taekwando club at Pusat Belia 2005 and later expanded to ADN Mixed Martial Arts Academy in 2013 based originally in Citis Square.

As more and more students enrolled to the academy, he moved to Berakas adding more martial arts clases such as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Kickboxing, Ladies Kickboxing, Taekwando, Kids Taekwando, Aikido and Boxing.

With ADN Mixed Martial Arts Academy, Haji Ismadey started to focus on coaching, and successfully sent his fighters to become three times Taekwando Poomse Champion Brunei. Besides that, the club is also known for actively doing self-defence seminar for women.

In 2012, ADN Mixed Martial Arts Academy was officially affiliated with One Fighting Championship, the biggest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organisation in Asia. Upon this affiliation, ADN Mixed Martial Arts Academy was offered to send fighters for the championship by giving the academy contract for their fight events.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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