RYAN Thomas wants to get youngsters off the streets and into the gym by using mixed martial arts to help them.

The Barrow MMA club are aiming to offer free sessions to youths in the area to get them involved in the sport.

And Thomas wants others to have the opportunity he did not have when he was young.

“There’s not a reason why this couldn’t keep growing and growing, especially getting youngsters off the street and kids involved,” said Thomas.

“What we’re doing, probably after Christmas, is a free youth class one or two hours a week, just to get them off the streets. It’s to try to get them involved in the sport and then they can come to our other classes, but this will be free and open to them because you see a lot of youth around this area just wandering the streets.

“I never had this when I was younger and I wish I had got into it at a younger age, so the aim is to try to build it, and get more kids and younger adults involved.”

The club are open to new members of all ages, with classes every week night including separate ones for juniors and women.

As someone who has converted to MMA, Thomas is in no doubt of its benefits and virtues.

“It’s not what it was portrayed as years ago like human cock-fighting or cage fighting,” said Thomas. “It’s mixed martial arts; the people at the top are some of the hardest-working athletes in the world.

“The way science behind it now, the sport is just getting bigger and bigger. If you look at the UFC now, it’s proper athletes coming from martial arts backgrounds, not meatheads at a show throwing punches.

“So come down, have a look, see what you think and, hopefully, get involved.”