Combat sports injury treatment in Melbourne
Treated by people who train it, inside a working MMA gym.
Book an assessmentWhere we are
Inside Renegade MMA, 92 Parsons Street, Kensington. Treatment room and mats under one roof.
Dr Luke Smith
Osteopath. BJJ black belt. ISSN certified sports nutritionist. Has cornered at UFC, ONE Championship and Dana White's Contender Series.
Nick Mann
Remedial Massage Therapist. Black belts in six martial arts. MMA titles across three weight divisions.
Who we treat
Professional and amateur fighters, and the hobbyists who make up most of the caseload.
Comfort comes back long before capacity does
That gap is where most re-injuries happen, and it is the reason a generic rehab plan fails combat athletes.
A shoulder that has stopped aching has not necessarily rebuilt the tolerance to be cranked into end-range rotation by someone your own size. A shin that no longer hurts to touch has not been tested against somebody's elbow. Rest restores comfort. It does very little for capacity, and capacity is the only thing the mats, the ring and the cage actually test.
So the assessment is built around the position that injured you, and the return plan is built around the position you have to survive.
Find your sport
Each sport injures the body in its own way. Pick yours for the mechanisms, realistic timelines and staged return plan specific to it.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Knees from leg entanglements, shoulders from kimura grips, and the gi-grip finger damage that becomes permanent if it is left alone. BJJ injuries →MMA
Four disciplines, no deload, and hands in 4oz gloves. Plus fight camp planning and weight cut support. MMA injuries →Muay Thai
Shin conditioning versus shin stress injury, the hip and groin load of high-volume kicking, and clinch neck pain. Muay Thai injuries →Boxing
Hands, wrists and shoulders. Mostly overuse in disguise, and usually traceable to the wrap or the chain above it. Boxing injuries →Wrestling
The hardest neck load in sport, mat knee, and the cauliflower ear nobody deals with in time. Wrestling injuries →Judo
Breakfall impact, the planted standing leg in uchi mata, juji gatame elbows and years of kumi kata. Judo injuries →The Fight-Ready Framework
Whatever you train, every plan runs through the same four phases.
Diagnose
Full history, then assessment against the mechanism that caused it rather than the spot that hurts. Starts with gait and functional movement, so we can see what is compensating above and below.
Keep you training
A written list of what is still safe this week — which drills, which positions, which rounds, which lifts. Your coach gets a copy.
Rebuild
Hands-on treatment, dry needling where indicated, and loaded rehab in the TrueStretch. Working through range, not around it.
Fight ready
Return in stages, cleared by what you can demonstrate. If you have a fight or a competition booked, the camp is built around it, weight cut included.
Fight camp and weight cutting
A cut that goes wrong costs you the fight before you walk out, and dehydrated tissue is markedly less tolerant of load — which is why so many camp injuries cluster in the days before a weigh-in.
Dr Luke Smith provides weight-cutting and rehydration guidance alongside treatment, planned around your division, your camp length and your walk-around weight. Almost no clinic in Melbourne offers this at all.
If you have a fight booked, come in at the start of camp rather than in fight week.
In the corner, not just the clinic
Most practitioners who treat fighters have never worked a fight week. Dr Luke Smith has cornered in the UFC, in ONE Championship, and on Dana White's Contender Series — including at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
It changes what the conversation is about. Not just whether the shoulder is settling, but whether it will hold in the third round after a cut.
Head trauma is referred, not treated
Concussion is a medical issue, not a musculoskeletal one. We do not clear anyone to return to contact after a head knock. We refer appropriately and treat only what is within scope, such as an associated neck injury.
Be cautious of anyone in this sport who tells you otherwise.
You don't need to be fighting professionally
We treat the hobbyist who trains twice a week and wants to still be rolling at fifty. The amateur two weeks out from a comp who cannot afford to pull out. The professional in camp. And the person who took up Muay Thai six months ago and has been quietly ignoring a shin problem since.
The assessment is the same. The return plan is built around what you actually want to get back to.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an osteopath and a physio for combat sports injuries?
Both are five-year-trained, AHPRA-registered first-contact practitioners, and both treat sports injuries. Osteopathy places more emphasis on assessing the whole body and how a restriction in one area forces compensation elsewhere, and typically involves more hands-on manual treatment. In practice the larger difference is whether the practitioner understands your sport well enough to assess you against the positions you actually train in.
Can I keep training while I'm injured?
Usually, with modifications. At the first session we map what is safe and what is not, and you leave with it in writing so your coach knows exactly what you are cleared for. Stopping entirely is rarely necessary and usually costs more than it buys.
Do I need a referral?
No. Osteopaths are first-contact practitioners in Australia, so you can book directly. A referral only matters for specific funding pathways such as a Medicare care plan, DVA, or a WorkCover claim.
Can I claim on private health insurance?
Yes, if you hold extras cover that includes osteopathy or remedial massage. Check your level of cover with your fund.
What should I bring or wear?
Shorts and a t-shirt. If your injury happens in a specific position, we may ask you to show us — bring a gi or rash guard if that is relevant.
Do you treat juniors?
Yes. Growing athletes injure differently to adults, with vulnerable growth plates and apophyseal sites, so timelines are typically more conservative. If you are booking for a child, mention their age and training volume when you book.
Where to train
Thinking of starting, or looking for a new gym? Dr Luke Smith recommends:
BJJ: Renegade MMA, Kensington — we are inside the building.
MMA, judo and boxing: Resilience Training Centre, Footscray.
Get a clear plan back to hard rounds
Kensington clinic, inside Renegade MMA at 92 Parsons Street. Monday to Friday 7:30am–7pm, Saturday 7:30am–5pm.
Our location
92 Parsons Street, 3031 Kensington
Monday–Friday
8am-7pm
Saturday
8am - 1pm
Sunday
Closed