I HAVE an aversion to being hit in the head. Always have, probably always will.

I am the same with people trying to choke me, slam me to the ground or kick me in whatever part of my body they see fit.

So it was with a degree of trepidation that I was led up the cold, stone steps of a former textile mill in Farnworth and into the mixed martial arts academy run, managed and owned by Saul Rogers.

'Tha Hangman' – I later learned his nickname comes from his penchant for applying chokeholds in his matches – was putting some of the academy's younger members through their paces, and it was clear they hung on his every word, kicking and punching accurately at their padded-up pals before taking a turn parrying and defending their opponents' strikes.

Then the older lads filed in, warming up with stretches and working the punchbags on an upper level.

For a novice like me, with absolutely no combat experience, these would have been enough of a handful. But I was here to take on Saul, a professional fighter who has 12 wins under his belt. He lost only his second match recently, and the effects of that encounter are not yet clear.

"I have dominated in just about every fight I’ve had but lost my first one in about four years recently," he said. "The universe had been telling me not to fight, I tore my MCL a few weeks before and I got messed about a bit by opponents, but a match came up and I’m a fighter and I had to go out there and fight, this is how I feed my family, so I took a fight against a bigger guy (Aurel Pirtea) and it didn’t pay off.

"I suffered a break literally in the first exchange. I went out, had my hands up and I blocked a shot that snapped my thumb fully back, then he caught me in an arm-bar and I heard a pop. I can’t extend it fully now.

"I’ve had worse, I’ve blown both my knees out before and my neck. I’ve got two bad knees, a bad neck, my hip is killing, I’ve got a fractured thumb and elbow too. But I’m still here and happy."

Happiness is clearly in the black eye of the beholder. While his enforced down-time is frustrating for someone used to action, he is finding the silver lining to his cloud.

"I’ve got a fracture in the bone that connects the thumb and the wrist, a fractured elbow and some bone chips floating around in there," he revealed, none of which is easing my concerns. "Next week I’ll know if I need surgery.

"It has been a blessing in disguise, I think I realised I’d been neglecting the gym a bit, it’s always kind of run itself but now I’m injured I’ve had no choice but to focus on the place. I’ve cleaned it up, I’ve got big plans for it – a new cage, conditioning area and renovations to make it nice and new.

"I’ll recover from my injury, whether it's weeks or months, and get back to fighting and when I do I’ll have a better standpoint because I’m not having to worry about the gym, it will be run the way it should be and the way I want it to be, so I can focus on family and fighting, which are what I love. I’ve got my family around the place, my mum works here, my kids are coming training, my little brother and sister are here every night training, I honestly think it’s just a good, friendly environment."

The academy, Bolton's only MMA gym with an octagon tucked away at the back of the room, is a success story in itself, although I discover the term 'cage fighter' is not a popular term in these parts, deemed off-putting to parents whose little ones have come home begging to be allowed to try it out.

There are a number of members who would probably admit they would more than likely be off the straight and narrow had it not been for this place. Saul himself, in his pre-Hangman days, was by his own admission, not a model citizen. But a suggestion from a prospective in-law set him on a different path, one that has seen him become a highly respected competitor on the world stage.

"I really don’t like the term cage fighter," said Saul. "It’s the stigma rather than the word itself, it is associated with negative aspects, I prefer to say mixed martial arts, which is what it is.

"I started training about nine years ago, the mum of a girl I was seeing at the time said I needed some direction in my life. She was right, I was a bit unruly so I went to a mixed martial arts club and channelled my energy.

"I took her advice, though I didn’t really know what it was at the time, went along and that’s how I started. Since then I've fought in Ireland, America, Japan, all over the world.

"When we’re young we all make mistakes but I don’t think there are bad kids, just kids that are lacking direction and focus. I was always getting in trouble, mainly because I was bored so that’s how you can be easily swayed from the right track and get in with the wrong crowd. This place is a family unit, somewhere safe for youngsters to go so they’re not out smoking and drinking on the streets. If they come to my gym they are respectful, disciplined and healthy.

"When you’re training your body won’t sustain it anyway, my professional fighters can’t do that, I can’t do that – it would put too much stress on the body so they get their thrills here instead."

And then came time for me to get my thrill. With Saul out of commission, I was entrusted to Jack Cartwright, an up-and-coming fighter who recently won his debut competitive match.

First came chokeholds. Jack's hands were but a blur and within seconds I had been felled and rolled over and with the weight of both of us applying pressure I was tapping out straight away. It took but a moment, it was technical and effective. With the roles reversed I had a chance to get a measure of revenge, and there is a certain pleasure to be had from getting all your own limbs in the right place to get your opponent on the mat and restrained, having avoided his counter-moves.

We progressed to a three-punch combination, followed by a slamming takedown. Seconds after squaring up to Jack I was back on the deck where, after a blur of arms, I was back in a different hold and tapping out once again.

I like to think the watching partisan crowd played their part in Jack beating me in a variety of ways but the truth it is just takes top tuition and, without going all Roy Castle on you, dedication to be the best.

Visit mmabolton.com or contact the Cawdor Street club at info@mmabolton.com or 01204 862311.