When Tommy Shaw was 14, he and his siblings were taken into care after their mother had a stroke. “Going into care was tough and it sent me into a bad phase in life and I lost a bit of direction,” he said. Years later, Shaw, from Norton in Staffordshire, decided to raise money for the Stroke Association to help other families going through what his own went through. He trained in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and stepped into the cage as part of a charity event in Stoke-on-Trent. “My mate Josh suggested signing up for Ultra MMA, as he’d seen people at his local gym doing MMA training and thought I would love it,” Shaw said. “I desperately wanted to turn things around, and having boxed in the past, I knew the positive impact this type of sport can have on both your physical and mental health, so I went for it.” For the 20-year-old, MMA has been a way to release anger and stress in a positive way. “I’m a bit cheeky, I say I can fight now without getting into trouble,” he said. “I love every minute of it.” MMA differs from boxing insofar as it takes place in a cage or octagon, and participants are also allowed to use their legs and do holds on opponents. It mixes elements from different martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, and boxing. “The training was pretty tough, but I loved every minute of it,” the 20-year-old said. “Every week you’re learning something new, and you pick up skills you’ll need for the rest of your life.”