Martial arts center to open soon
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For those not in martial arts, the idea of jiu-jitsu might bring to mind the image of broken boards and karate style hand chops – that’s not it.
“It’s more like wrestling,” said Justin DuMontier, jiu-jitsu instructor and owner of the Cross Collar Academy. “It’s a grappling form of martial arts mostly on the ground. The goal is to submit the opponent and achieve a dominant position. It’s like a chess game: you use strategies to make the next move.”
And it involves close personal contact like wrestling.
“You get used to people in your comfort zone,” he said.
DuMontier instructs almost two dozen people from adults to children at the St. Ignatius Community Center in the far corner of the gym. He has six children of his own so he didn’t need to learn how to work with kids when he started instructing classes about a year ago. He’s also coached soccer and helped with little guy wrestling in the past.
“I like working with the kids and adults,” he said. “Sports are a great outlet for everyone. They get you off the couch so you’re not just flipping channels all the time. It’s important to be challenged. You feel better.”
The class is separated from the rest of the gym by flexible folding doors, but basketballs continuously pound against those doors.
“It’s time to move,” he said.
In the new year, about a month from now, he hopes to open the doors of a new studio in the old tae kwon do building next to City Hall. DuMontier worked in construction before he took out a small business loan to start his martial arts business. He is using his knowledge of drywall to remodel the new space.
“It’s a work in progress but we hope to start classes over there soon,” he said. “I’d eventually like to have a little rec center with jiu-jitsu classes available five days a week.”
Michael Umphrey often leaves class early. He is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the Mission Valley Ambulance Service. During class last week, he was called to a car accident. He quickly changed from his gi, which DuMontier says are fancy pajamas. Umphrey says jiu-jitsu teaches him “patience under pressure.”
Aspen Incashola started taking classes earlier this year. She explained what attracted her to jiu-jitsu while waiting her turn to practice a choke hold.
“I grew up in a wrestling family,” she said. “This is as close as I could get to doing something like that. I also like the idea of learning self-defense. As a white belt, I really have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m learning.”
Stacy McElderry lives in St. Ignatius but works for the University of Montana’s police department. She has a blue belt and says she uses what she’s learned from jiu-jitsu in her law enforcement work.
“I use it if I need to subdue someone,” she said. “Learning this is not as hard as it looks. It’s a progressive learning system. Training gives you confidence. It brings you together with different people in the community. We’ve become like one big family.”
Sheldon Shepherd said he recently started taking classes.
“Being able to train and show up regularly helps me learn to be more disciplined with other areas of my life,” he said.
DuMontier led the group in a series of warm-ups, including rolling into a kneeling position that looks much like a move from a ninja movie — probably due to the fact that samurais originated the practice.
DuMontier says he uses a Brazilian style of jiu-jitsu.
“I was a huge fan of martial arts for years,” he said. “I would watch videos all the time. When I was 32, I started training. I was hooked from there. For me, it’s a lifestyle. It’s like therapy. When you’re on the mat and you’re sparring, you’re caught in the moment. Everything else gets blocked out. It’s like being in the zone. I’ve been training for almost six years.”
He said at first he started training other people for selfish reasons.
“I really needed someone to train with, but then, I started to see people learn and progress,” he said. “I love to see people connect the dots and figure out a move. It became about helping other people. I hope to continue on with this journey and see where it goes.”
For those interested in taking a class, call DuMontier at (406) 529-1439. His website is www.crosscollaracademy.com
