Rob Lea and his son, Holden, are hooked on mixed martial arts.
By Kathy McGrath
For many years, Rob Lea drove his son, Holden, to classes at Energy Mixed Martial Arts several times a week. He would often hang around and chat with the staff as he waited. Six years ago, he took the plunge himself and signed up for classes. He’s never looked back.
“It was January, and I made a New Year’s resolution to get fit and healthy,” Rob said. “The school was having a promotion to give it a try with no strings attached. I did and I got hooked.”
Students learn martial arts techniques, but they also do a lot of exercises like push-ups and jumping jacks that promote stamina and lung capacity. One of the things Rob appreciates is that students don’t need prior experience in mixed martial arts and they don’t need to be particularly fit to join.
“There’s no judgment. There’s camaraderie and support, not only from staff but also from the other students,” he said. Classes will accommodate people of all ages and physical conditions.
Over the years, Rob has met people in the community who have become friends and training partners. “The students and staff progress through the classes together, so you’re not alone in this.”
Holden, who started at age seven, is now a 16-year-old with a black belt. He says the instructors and his parents helped push him to advance through the levels. “It took a long time to get my black belt, but I enjoyed it.”
Often at the school five times a week, Holden has advanced to a level where he can do sparring. This is an exercise where people are paired up according to their age, size and skill level. They put on full gear and “go against” each other. “It’s not really about trying to fight each other, it’s more like helping each other,” he said. “If I feel like someone’s contact with me is light, I let them know they’re dropping their guard.”
He says the emphasis on respect, discipline and responsibility are skills that instructors encourage students to use outside the classroom.
His dad also finds MMA helps him in everyday life. “When you’re stuck in traffic or you’re in a meeting that isn’t going very well, you can use breathing techniques to calm yourself so you can focus and think rationally.”
While students do place each other in holds and other physically challenging exercises, Rob said their version of MMA is not like you see on TV where guys are in a cage kicking each other in the face. “That doesn’t happen here!” he said.