A response to bullying led to a love of mixed martial arts and this new Wichita business

RJ Navarette’s interest in mixed martial arts started when he was young, and it was for a very particular reason.

“I have always been a small guy,” he said. “I used to get bullied a lot. . . . That’s just the nitty-gritty truth of it.”

Now, he’s opening his own MMA gym, Immortal Mixed Martial Arts, to help others. It will open this month at the Parklane Shopping Center at Lincoln and Oliver.

“We’ll be offering a little bit of everything,” Navarette said. “Everything that happens in a stand-up fighting situation.”

There will be boxing, taekwondo, judo and a special focus on Muay Thai.

Navarette said Muay Thai incorporates a blend of punches and grappling.

“It’s an all-encompassing martial arts.”

He said it’s easier to base other types of fighting on the principles of Muay Thai.

Navarette also said there will be a heavy emphasis on Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

There will be an app to help participants check their progress. The gym also will have an anti-bullying campaign.

Navarette said he dreamed of opening his own MMA gym more than a decade ago but joined the Air Force instead. He’s now transitioning out of the military.

He’s working on a website. It should be ready within a week or so, and he’ll post a link to it on Immortal’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

The site will have information about a variety of classes for all ages.

In addition to people who already know MMA, Navarette said he wants to attract people who haven’t trained previously or don’t typically feel comfortable in a gym.

“We’re really trying to make this available to everybody.”

This story was originally published July 5, 2023 at 5:23 AM.