Luke Smith

Rank: Brown belt under Jamie Murray (Renegade MMA) / Ninos Dammo (AET)

Where it all began:

Back in 2012 when I was a uni student and pretty overweight (about 120kg) a friend invited me to come and try a class at Renegade MMA. It was their first birthday so still pretty new on the scene. I fell in love with BJJ from that first class- but being a broke uni student I had to wait a couple of months until I’d finished up a contract with a weights gym before I could sign up. Even so, I became totally obsessed with the sport. Since then I have lost more than 30kg and competed in BJJ more times than I can count.

I was never the most naturally talented athlete but my hard work and love of jits started to pay off when I was a four-stripe blue belt and I won my first gold medal. I had the opportunity to travel all around Australia and also to Japan and the US for competitions and would bump into Jordan and the Hyperfly crew along the way. I always really loved their gear and so when they asked me to represent their brand I was stoked.

In late 2019 I suffered a severe neck injury requiring emergency surgery for spinal cord decompression which has put me on the sidelines for most of 2020. It was really scary- I couldn’t even lift my right arm or leg off the bed and I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to train or even walk properly again. It was a big blow for me, because of how much the sport and BJJ community has changed my life. I didn’t stay down for long though and found a love for Muay Thai as a way to help me keep fit and recover from my injury. I got to spend a month training in Thailand before I had to come down because of the pandemic. Now I’m fit and hoping to get back to BJJ by the end of the year!

In my professional life, I am an osteopath. I run my own business, Mixed Osteo, out of Renegade MMA where I treat amateur and professional combat sports athletes recover from and prevent injuries while training.

 

Relationship with Hyperfly team:

I got to know Jordan and the Hyperfly brand as they were always representing at different competitions around Australia. I remember when I got my first Hyperlite Gi- it was the best Gi I’d ever owned and after that I stuck to the Hyperfly brand for just about everything from my rashies to my backpacks. In 2019 when Jamie told me that Jordan had offered me a sponsorship, I was thrilled. Starting out as an overweight and underconfident kid, I couldn’t believe how far things had come. I can’t wait to get back on the mats to show heart and, hopefully, win a few competitions along the way.

 

Favourite Hyperfly product: 

It’s hard to choose just one. For daily wear, I love my Hyperfly Flash hoodie- it’s the warmest hoodie I own.  I wear my Icon shorts for all my S&C and No-Gi training. For Gi, I absolutely love the JudoFly which is excellent for competition and frustrating for my training partners because it’s so hard to grip.

 

Here are some of Luke's amazing results. 

Brown Belt:

x2 gold Gi and No-Gi weight, x1 Silver No-Gi Open - Sydney Open

x3 Gold Gi/ No-Gi weight and No-Gi open, x1 bronze Gi Open - Victorian State Championships

x1 Silver in Gi weight, x1 bronze in Gi Open - Grappling industries Melbourne

x1 Silver No-Gi weight, x1 bronze No-Gi open - Australian National Championships

x1 Bronze Gi weight – IFBJJ Asian Open

x2 Bronze No-Gi weight and open – IFBJJ Pan Pacific Championships

 

Purple Belt:

X1 Gold Gi Weight x1 Silver in No-Gi - UAEJJF Melbourne Pro

X2 Gold Gi and No-Gi Open weight, x1 Silver Gi weight x1 Bronze No-Gi weight

 - Arnold Classic

X1 Silver Gi weight, x1 bronze Gi Open weight – Adelaide state championships

X2 Gold Gi and No-Gi weight, x1 Silver in No-Gi open weight - Canberra state championships

X2 Gold No-Gi weight and Open, x2 Silver in Gi weight and Open - Tasmania state championships

X3 Silver Gi weight, Gi Open weight and No-Gi weight - Pan Pacific Championships 2017

X1 Silver No-Gi Open, x2 Bronze Gi and No-Gi weight - Victoria State Championships

X1 Gold No-Gi weight x2 Silver No-Gi open and Gi weight - Pan Pacific Championships 2018

X1Gold, x2 Silver, x1 Bronze - Newcastle Open