The seeds of Apex MMA were planted in 1994 when martial arts pioneer Anthony Lange opened the first mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) gym in Sydney, Australia – Lange’s MMA. Starting in a modest school hall in Manly, Lange’s gym quickly grew as he imparted his knowledge across various martials art disciplines.

Anthony Lange held black belts and teaching certificates in multiple styles including Shoot fighting, Kickboxing, Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and more with over 30 years of martial arts experience. He was the first Australian male black belt to win gold at the BJJ World Championships, earning the title at brown and black belt levels.

Lange’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lineage traces back to the pioneering John B Will, widely considered the man who brought BJJ to Australia. Will was part of the famous “Dirty Dozen”, the first twelve non-Brazilians awarded a BJJ black belt. He trained under Reagan Machado in Brazil and later joined the Machado brothers in LA. Will established a presence for BJJ across Australia and New Zealand, creating the Will-Machado association.

Anthony Lange was one of John Will’s students, earning his black belt and later becoming the NSW State Head for Will-Machado. In addition to BJJ, John Will also trained in amateur freestyle wrestling, Goju Kai Karate and Taekwondo. He was an early pioneer of martial arts cross-training in Australia with a philosophy of training and competing in complementary styles.

Drawing from his diverse background, Will developed his own integrated / hybrid Shoot fighting system, combining elements of wrestling, karate, taekwondo and submission grappling which was an early style of MMA. This revolutionary approach was ahead of its time in blending the strengths of multiple arts into one effective fighting method.

The Shootfighting system was later taught by Lange, himself a pioneer competitor in MMA, first competing in Japan at Shooto: Vale Tudo Perception in 1995. He also coached Australia’s first UFC fighter Elvis Sinosic to victory and many other notable martial artists like Peter King, Stephen Kamphuis and Simon Farnsworth honed their skills at Lange’s MMA in those early days.

Among the students at Langes MMA were three dedicated martial artists – Sonny Brown, Nick Pudney and Chad Lumley. While training under Lange, Sonny Brown competed professionally in MMA, becoming a three-time Australian MMA champion and also earned his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Nick Pudney likewise gained his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and competed professionally in both MMA and Muay Thai.

At the same time, Chad Lumley coached both Sonny and Nick, leading sparring sessions and helping corner them for professional MMA & Muay Thai bouts. His role as their coach allowed Chad to pass on his own traditional martial arts expertise while gaining valuable coaching experience in contemporary styles.

Sonny, Nick and Chad continued to train, compete and coach at Langes MMA for well over a decade, immersing themselves in the diverse techniques of multiple martial arts disciplines and while training and coaching students to numerous national and international victories.

After an illustrious 28 year run, Anthony Lange closed the doors on Lange’s MMA in December 2022, marking the end of an era. But with Lange retiring, Sonny, Nick and Chad started Apex MMA, building on the foundations that had already been laid. Together they blend a diverse range of martial arts experiences into a harmonious whole, continuing a legacy of guiding students to push boundaries and reach their potential through inclusive training focused on growth of the individual.