“There’s no better lightning rod for your protection than your own spine.”
A bit of truth from yesteryear courtesy of one Ralph Waldo Emerson. The famed American poet and philosopher may have died in the late 1800s, but the sentiment still holds true. There’s no better way to build up your “spine,” or in this case, your level of self-confidence, than learning how to defend yourself.
That was the thinking behind the original debut for a kids’ MMA class at the Bullpen Fight Club back in 2013. Taught by unbeaten professional fighter Josh Baker and other members of the Bullpen, kids were able to come in and learn grappling and striking techniques from various disciplines. Some entered tournaments to test their skills, but it was never required. The aim was to teach the kids a functional form of martial arts.
The classes went on hiatus for a while but were remodeled and brought back starting in December 2019 in the form of a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu-centric class.
“I had planned on making the switch to youth BJJ classes sooner, but my schedule was pretty tied up during the best window to make that happen,” Baker said. “The kids in the classes were progressing well and learning how to protect themselves, but long term, I thought it would be more beneficial for them to have a deeper dive into Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.”
Baker believes the best approach to learning self-defense and mixed martial arts is to study and develop skills in the various disciplines separately and “mesh them all together down the road.” BJJ stands on its own as the most effective martial art when looking at match-up comparisons between styles and also self-defense.
No Time Like the Present
The weekly enrollment usually hits 10 or more kids with both boys and girls attending. While the students build off of the lessons they learn each week, Baker wants to ensure any prospective students that they can enter any time and get acclimated to the class.
“I always recommend people take private sessions if they can just to speed up the learning curve, but it’s not essential,” Baker said. “I teach a few different techniques each class and I give the kids time to drill and practice those techniques I’ve taught in previous classes.
“A new kid coming in will learn some techniques and build on that more and more with each session.”
The last part of each class is sparring so the students can put into practice what they learned against a live opponent. Jiu-jitsu as a discipline is about grappling and holds, but there’s no striking.
“This is what really separates Brazilian Jiu-jitsu from other martial arts. They get to spar every session against a fully resisting opponent in a safe and effective way,” Baker said. “A new kid can probably expect to be in a lot of tough positions early in their training, but that is where they learn survivability.
“They get better with not getting caught in a submission,” he continued. “As they progress, they will win more and more positional battles. As they develop their grappling skills, they’ll be more than ready to help the next new kid come through the same progression.”
Students are getting to learn from one of the Ohio Valley’s most knowledgeable and talented mixed martial arts practitioners. Baker has his black belt in Jiu-jitsu and Burmese Bondo Kickboxing. He has a professional record of 8-0 in MMA, 1-0 in kickboxing and 5-1 in boxing. From 2012-2017, he was ranked as West Virginia’s top pound-for-pound MMA fighter on Tapology.
Baker is the main instructor and occasionally is helped by Cory Clark and Chris Goldbaugh, both Bullpen members. Clark is a blue belt with years of training and Goldbaugh is a former professional MMA fighter.
Anti-Bullying Component
Ask most parents their thoughts on the phrase “zero-tolerance policy” when it comes to bullying and school districts and you’ll likely see your fair share of eye rolls. The districts try, but there’s only so much they can do. It still takes place.
Yet, bullies rarely pick on those who can defend themselves, which is where BJJ training has an added component.
We’ve had a few different kids come to the classes that have dealt with being bullied,” Baker said. “This really gets me fired up and makes me extremely motivated to help these kids out.
“It’s not going to happen overnight, but I feel I can help get these kids confident in their ability to defend themselves far faster than most would expect. They are learning techniques that our gym has successfully used against other professional fighters,” he added. “If they stick with it, they’ll become over-qualified for dealing with the typical untrained bully.”
Another way the students can gain confidence in their skills for when such a need arises is through tournament-style competition. As previously stated, competing in these tournaments is not a requirement, but it is an option for students who want to test their abilities.
“The tournaments are a lot of fun and there is great value in doing them,” Baker said. “They help you prioritize what problem areas in your skill set you need to focus on improving first since you get paired up by age, bodyweight and experience level.
“Competing is always up to the student and their parents, though.”
Try it Out and Get Involved
Classes are held twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays inside the Bullpen Fight Club, located in the basement of the Nelson Jordan Center on the corner of 12th and Jacob Streets.
The cost is $60 per month for boys and girls ages six through 12. The first class is free if your son or daughter wants to swing by and check out the class.
For more information, visit www.joshbakerbjj.com, or call (740) 391-0839.
