More About BootCamp

Wow! When we get an idea... it really catches on! We started planning our BootCamp program last November and started our first session on January 3rd. By mid-January, no less than 4 other fitness boot camps have sprung up in the area!

I wonder if all of the other boot camps have martial arts and fitness experience dating back to the late 1970's? Do they all have a Registered Nurse on staff, designing every class? How about 4th degree Black Belts, certified MATA trainers and MME Certified KickBoxing trainers?

And... most importantly, are they offering FUN?

As our first session winds down, we're getting ready to take our "after" stats. We measured height, weight, blood pressure, body fat, water % and measurements at the neck, chest, arm, waist, hips and legs.

Stay tuned for some positive feedback from our students - they've been literally working their butts off!

Our February session starts Tuesday, Feb. 3. Sign up now. Give us a call at 815-334-WMMA (9662) today!

Karate Kleenex

An odd title for today's musings, but it IS relevant to where my mind has gone in the last few hours. I've been thinking about brand names, marketing and, of course, martial arts and trying to figure out keywords and search terms that will help people to find our website. Obviously, people will want to search for us locally and the words "Woodstock" or at least "Illinois" should appear, but exactly what is it we teach?

What is "karate"? Here's a definition from WordNet:

"a traditional Japanese system of unarmed combat; sharp blows and kicks are given to pressure-sensitive points on the body of the opponent"

Wikipedia adds that:

"...is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods and Chinese kenpo"

Chinese Kenpo is what most Americans would call Kung Fu - a rather generic name for the unarmed fighting arts that originated in China. The Ryukyu Islands are part of Okinawa which in modern times is part of Japan, but some martial arts histories are very deliberate in giving Okinawa credit for the early development of karate.

Originally, the Japanese word for "karate" meant "China Hand" - but a deliberate spelling change in the late 1800's turned it into "Empty Hand". This spelling change was meant to tone down the Chinese involvement in the original concepts and make the Empty Hand more of a Japanese development.

Our history at Woodstock Mixed Martial Arts starts with Young Hong, an enterprising karate master who taught Korean Karate. Korea? How did this happen?

Korean Karate is called Tae Kwon Do, "the way of the hand and foot". Basically, Tae Kwon Do was modeled after Shotokan Karate and continues to use many of the same forms and techniques.

"Karate" really has come to mean "empty hand fighting" regardless of it's Chinese, Japanese or even Korean origins. And the word, in the United States at least, has become a generic term like Kleenex or Rollerblading.

Yes, don't say Kleenex, say "tissue". It's "inline roller skating", too. And, whether you knew it or not, elevator, thermos, escalator, walkman, q-tips, chapstick, aspirin, cellophane, dry ice, brassiere, frisbee, xerox, fedex, band-aid, lycra, jell-o, scotch tape, kool-aid to name a few, all started life as trade names - and some are still fighting for their brand identity.

So even though we don't teach much in the way of traditional karate anymore, we still teach unarmed fighting skills. We've taken the best of the old ways and forged a new method, one that has proven superior to the old arts time and again on the Ultimate Fight contests. Which would you rather watch, that Westinghouse TV from the '50s or an HD 42" Plasma with Blu-ray? Things do improve with time.

Want to find us on the Internet? Go ahead and google "woodstock karate". Just don't "google" us at Yahoo! "Google" is still at brand name...

Advanced Techniques

Those of you who have participated in (or watched) one of our recent Year 3 classes may have noticed how much more sparring and grappling has been going on.

While we are learning some new techniques - fairly advanced ones - the ultimate goal of Year 3 is to take the skills and combinations from the first two years and put them to the test, figure out what works for each individual and then hone those skills to perfection.

Year 3 culminates in the awarding of a Mixed Martial Arts First Degree Black Belt. This is the goal of every one of our students.

It's important to remember that while most of our students will reach this goal in three years, that many will not. Lots of kids come through our Dragons and Tigers programs and these classes are designed to build the skills necessary for the successful completion of Year 1. With some of our younger students, this might take a year or two.

Missing too many classes will also slow down progress. Obtaining a Black Belt involves not only learning a specific skillset, but also learning the value of goal setting and commitment.

My basic principle is that you don't make decisions
because they are easy;
you don't make them because they are cheap;
you don't make them because they're popular;
you make them because they're right.
Theodore Hesburgh

Fitness Bootcamp is Underway!

For those students 14+ years old who are already enrolled at WMMA - or family members! - we're running a FREE Fitness Bootcamp. This is a trial version, a chance for us to streamline the classes as we get ready to roll out the finished product in February.

Boot Camp is a 4 week intensive exercise and nutrition program designed to build muscle, lose fat and get you in shape as quickly as possible. It also teaches how to make healthy eating and regular fitness part of your everyday life.

Classes meet 3 times a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00PM and Saturday at 11:00AM. They are 45 minutes in length and will include a variety of measurements (before and after), a 4 week diet and nutrition plan, training focused on strength development - and an incredible variety of exercises to keep things fun!

We may have to limit the class size with this FREE offering, so call Mrs. Schulenburg today - 815-334-WMMA(9662)

This class will be offered again in February for $299 $199 for the four week course. This is Personal Training at a fraction of the price and is your best bet to learn habits for staying in shape for the rest of your life!

WMMA Students Move Ahead!

by Kurt Schulenburg - Pro-Star MMA Instructor, 4th degree Black Belt

December saw a lot of graduates moving up a year - and even a Dragon or two moving up to our Tigers program! Mrs. Schulenburg managed to grab a photo or two of some of these grads:

Some Year 1 graduates...


...and some of our Year 2 graduates!

Congratulations to all!

Our Year 3 program is underway with our most advanced students learning the two part combinations that are the most advanced sparring drill yet. These combos are learned with moves from both the defensive side and offensive side and all of them start from a stand-up position and end on the ground with a submission.