FightClub founder and trainer Emmanuel Manolakakis is set to host Movement & Breath Foundations workshop at Michael Garron Hospital on Sunday, Aug. 16. Photo: submitted.

By MATTHEW STEPHENS

With its depiction of gratuitous violence and sworn secrecy, the widely popular 1999 film Fight Club cemented in our brains that “the first rule of fight club is to never talk about fight club.”

But Emmanuel Manolakakis, founder of FightClub Toronto at 401 Donlands Ave., runs an operation that’s a far cry from the secretive basement brawls of the ’90s film starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.

In fact, his school takes a more tranquil approach to the intricacies of martial arts, focusing instead on the mind and body over power and brute force. And on Sunday, Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., he’s bringing that tranquility to Michael Garron Hospital for a fundraising workshop focused on the core pillars of any physical activity: movement and breath.

“With my style of training, I introduce people to the way I see athletics,” said Manolakakis in an interview with Beach Metro Community News. “You don’t have to make it complicated; it can be very simple. There’s beautiful complexity in simplicity.”

With an emphasis on breathing patterns and hyper-focused, thoughtful movements, Manolakakis helps students tap into “something fundamental that is essential to taking care of your body.”

“I see it as something like brushing your teeth; you need to take care of them the same way you fundamentally take care of your body,” he explained.

Flyer for FightClub Toronto’s Movement and Breath Foundations workshop slated for Sunday, Aug. 16 at Michael Garron Hospital. Photo submitted.

Manolakakis’ training regimen is heavily influenced by systema martial arts, a Russian martial art focused on close-combat, breathing, and relaxation. For Sunday’s workshop, he will be focusing on body scanning, breathing cycles, and tension-releasing mobility flows.

“It’s much more than just martial arts,” said Manolakakis. “For many people that have been doing it for a while, it’s completely meditative, but you first have to come to terms with yourself before understanding its intended purpose.”

When it comes to the training process of FightClub, Manolakakis said the most challenging opponent one can face off against is themselves.

“That’s always the premise of martial arts. First, you have to learn how to fight yourself, and then you can learn how to fight other people,” said Manolakakis.

“When I say fight yourself, I mean our laziness, our complacency, our procrastination. We as humans have this tendency to take the easiest route, which can be right or wrong depending on the situation.”

As an East Toronto resident for over 30 years, Manolakakis said hosting the fundraiser at Michael Garron Hospital is his way of showing his appreciation for the years of service provided to him and his family.

“When you look at Michael Garron Hospital, it’s really small, but the community it serves is so big,” Manolakakis explained. “I’ve been there so many times over the years with my kids and it’s an amazing hospital, so this is a good way to give back to it.”

For more information about FightClub Toronto, head to https://www.fight-club.ca/.