Coach Connor Evans of Absolute MMA St Kilda has over 15 years of freestyle wrestling experience. During his time on the mats he has been a member of the Scottish, British and Australian national teams and was selected to represent Australian in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Connor is not just a highly decorated competitive wrestler, but also has a passion for music, having played guitar for over 14 years. We are very lucky to have him handling the Wrestling classes! Read on to find out more about Connor!
What made you start Martial Arts?
I started wrestling when I was 7 because I thought it was the same as pro wrestling on TV.
How did you first get involved with Absolute MMA? (What industry were you in prior to Martial Arts? What made you change?)
I had trained wrestling with one of the other coaches and he asked if I would be interested in doing some coaching. Prior to coaching I was an electrician, I left the electrical trade to focus on training/coaching full time.
Favorite workout/walkout song?
Retilla, the strokes
Tell us about your life growing up, what is your favorite memory from when you were younger?
I moved to Melbourne with my family from Scotland when I was 16. My favorite memory growing up was my last camping trip with friends before moving to Australia.
Who is an inspiration to you, and why?
My parents, because they have given me, my brother and sister every opportunity to get to where we are right now. They showed me how much hard work can pay off.
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pizza!
What do you like to do to relax besides training?
Playing my guitar or just hanging out with friends.
If you were going to be an animal, what would you be and why?
Probably a dog, can’t really say why other than they’re my favorite animal.
What is your favorite travel destination? Why?
Gold Coast. Good place to relax when I’m not training or competing.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I’ve competed on 3 different national teams for wrestling. Scotland, UK and Australia.
Can you tell us about where you’re from and any interesting stories growing up? If you’re not originally from Melbourne, how’d you end up living in Melbourne, Australia?
Moved to Melbourne with family when I was 16. My parents wanted a different lifestyle for me, my brother and sister and we loved Melbourne from the moment we got here.
What were some funny/interesting/weird hobbies you had when you were a teenager?
I used to be a skater and had hoped to go pro when I was younger but this never really worked out.
Who are the kind of people that you look up to and why?
Hard working people that are driven and won’t stop trying to reach their goals no matter how hard they are to achieve.
Have you ever worked a job outside of the fitness/martial arts industry? What were the highlights and lessons you learned?
I was an aviation maintenance engineer and an electrician before working in martial arts.
What’s your favorite place to eat in Melbourne and your #1 dish recommendation?
Squires loft in Essendon. Favorite dish would be the 750g rib eye medium/rare with chips and gravy.
What movie have you seen over 5 times?
The Lion King.
If you could go back in time to your first martial art class, what would be the advice you give to your past self?
Have fun with it.
“Connor puts up with a lot of our immature sh*t. And yet, he somehow manages to effectively impart his wrestling knowledge to us; adding a valuable layer towards our BJJ/grappling/MMA game. He is an excellent coach, who has also been a strong & consistent role model, both as a teacher and competitor. We are very f**king lucky to have him at our gym.”- Young Nghiem
