A mixed martial arts gym has brought a ‘groundbreaking’ initiative to their premises in North Glasgow.
The Griphouse, based in Possilpark, has welcomed champion fighters and big-time winners through its doors since opening in 2005.
And through The Griphouse Academy – which holds kids and teens classes - the gym is hoping to be the starting point for future stars in the making, especially with the launch of their new Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes for youngsters aged four and a half to 16, which run six days a week.
Nathaniel Montgomery, head coach for The Griphouse Academy, told the Glasgow Times: “We are the first jiu-jitsu gym in Scotland offering a six-day-a-week programme for kids. No other gym in the country is doing that.
“You find that most gyms house one or two classes for kids but we want to make the sport as accessible for young kids as possible.
“A lot of gyms offer kids classes as an afterthought. Kids can be so limited for opportunity so it is great that we can open it up and expose the sport to a wider range of children.”
The move comes after the team at The Griphouse Academy noticed a significant growth in kids wanting to take part in the sport.
Nathaniel explained: “We used to put on about two classes a week and that ran here for about five years.
“But now, we’re seeing the team constantly expanding – we have more kids wanting to train and more competing at an international level.
“We never thought we would see the interest get as big as it did, it was just something that we never expected.”
And Nathaniel has claimed that the classes – which have seen kids travel from as far as Inverness - are already making a difference despite only launching a month ago.
“The classes are making a difference,” Nathaniel confessed.
He continued: “We are already seeing the kids evolve and become more confident.
“The amount of them who have started so nervous and shy, and have since completely come out of their shell. It is helping kids at school be more confident too.”
Nathaniel and the team hope that the classes will help kids defend themselves and compete against the best in the world, and win.
In a typical class, kids can expect to warm up with some Jiu-Jitsu games, learn some moves in-depth and spar with a partner.
The classes are ASN-friendly and toddler jiu-jitsu classes will be set up in due course for little ones aged between two and a half and four and a half years.
The Griphouse Academy have low-income support available for their classes.
To find out more about The Griphouse and the Jiu-Jitsu classes, click HERE
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