Taekwondo

Taekwondo is the Korean martial art of unarmed self-defense with an emphasis on kicks thrown from a mobile stance. Taekwondo, which translates as "the way of the hand and the foot," develops strength, speed, balance, flexibility and stamina. Students wear a white, v-neck uniform called a "dobok" (based on traditional Korean peasant garb) and a belt whose color indicates their rank - all students begin Taekwondo as a white belt.

In UMACA's taekwondo classes, students practice their forms, learn self-defense techniques and can choose to participate in sparring.

To advance in taekwondo, students demonstrate their skills in front of Masters of Taekwondo. If they demonstrate sufficient knowledge of their level of taekwondo, they advance in rank.

Olympic Sparring

Olympic sparring teaches students how to participate in a taekwondo match. A taekwondo match involves two competitors and, as the definition of taekwondo implies - the way of the hand and the foot - each athlete tries to earn points by landing kicks to the opponents head and body or punches to the body.

• Hogu (chest protector)
• Headgear
• Shin guards
• Forearm guards
• Mouthpiece
• Groin-area protector (male athletes only)

Kickboxing

Kickboxing is a sport which uses martial-arts-style kicks and western-boxing-style punches. UMACA Kickboxing is a highly-effective form of fitness with an additional focus on proper technique - which is what differentiates it from common generic-fitness-gym-offered "cardio-kickboxing." Students of UMACA Kickboxing may choose to use the techniques for fitness only or may choose to train with one of our experienced fight trainers in preparation for the ring.

Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on two opponents using grappling (gripping, handling and controlling of an opponent without the use of striking) and ground fighting techniques with the goal of one opponent gaining a dominant position over the other and forcing him/her to submit.

UMACA owner, Brad Chapman, runs the jiu-jitsu program at UMACA, which focuses on the fundamentals of jiu-jitsu as taught by the Gracie family. He holds his 6th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo as well as his Blue Belt in RGDA Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

"The point of our jiu-jitsu program is provide students with place to learn how to train in jiu-jitsu without the hesitancy of 'just being a beginner,'" said Chapman. "We welcome everyone to our open mat, but really want to provide a solid introduction to the sport and focus on the fundamental techniques."

"Jiu-jitsu is a great sport for anyone interested in self-defense or mixed martial arts," he continued. "It is a real thinking person's martial arts, which I think is why people who try it absolutely love it."

Wing Chun & Hung Gar Kung Fu

Wing Chun Kung Fu
Wing Chun literally means Eternal Spring and is a Chinese martial art that uses strking and grappling with a specialization in close-range combat. The most famous practicioner of this art in the West is Bruce Lee. The commonly accepted history of the art is that Ng Mui, a Buddist nun, escaped from an attack on her Shaolin Monastery and fled into nearby mountains. There she wittnessed a fight between a crane and a snake and carefully observed how they fought. As she already was a master of Shaolin Kung Fu, she applied her observations to her art. She taught this new style to a yong woman named Yim Wing Chun, who wsa being forced into an unwanted marriage. Wing Chun used this new Kung Fu style to fight off the unwanted fiance and get out of the marriage. She taught other this new martial art and, hence, it bears her name.

Hung Gar Kung Fu
Hung Gar Kung Fu is a fluid self defense system that includes techniques meant to mimic the dragon, the snake, the tiger, the leopard and the crane. It is a traditional Chinese style and one of the most practiced of the Shaolin Kung Fu styles. It derived from the "fighting monks" of the Shaolin Temple in the Chinese Henan province and was practiced along with Ch'an Buddism to both imprive the physical fitness of the monks for longer meditation sessions as well afford a level of protection to the temple.

Students must be 18 yrs old and over to be able to participate in Wing Chung and Hung Gar Kung Fu.