Perseverance: The Key to Success in Jiujitsu and Life Jiujitsu, like many martial arts, requires a high level of discipline and perseverance. The sport is …
Dear Parents of Our Martial Arts Students, As you know, the kids’ uniform is an important part of their martial arts training. Not only does …
Situational awareness is the ability to identify, process, and comprehend information about one’s surroundings to make informed decisions. In self-defense, situational awareness is critical for …
Lightning Kicks is a high-energy martial arts program that combines elements of kickboxing, Jiujitsu, boxing, wrestling, and taekwondo to provide a full-body workout that tones …
First, I need to emphasize the importance of the process, not the outcome. Belts will come as long as you keep showing up, work on …
Jeremy Horn talks about MMA in Kalamazoo and Portage: Hi guys, this is Jeremy Horn. I trained some of the biggest names in this sport …
BJJ Gym Culture is one of the most important factors to consider when looking for a new gym. For those of you who haven’t quite committed …
Like most other things in my life, “Jiujitsu near me” in Google started a fantastic journey at Lightning Kicks. I was overweight, struggled with self-esteem …
“Why would I want to roll around with a bunch of sweaty people?” If you’re anything like me – I questioned the appeal of Brazilian …
The great American novelist Mark Twain once said “The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man’s.” Many people inherently …
The best way to win is to lose a lot! I know, it seems crazy right? What are you going to say next James, the …
The last I checked we are living in the 21st century. We’ve experienced the Enlightenment, entered into the “modern” era, phased through “postmodernity,” and now …
I signed up for Jiu Jitsu in late January of 2020. Finally. Jiu Jitsu was something I had thought about and wanted to try for …
There is a clear ambiguity and ambivalence for many men in understanding when they know they finally “have what it takes,” and with the continued …
Who is the toxic man if it is not the untested man? Indeed, it is the man who can feel the tug of the heroic …
Several weeks passed since the day the Boy showed me his special trip to the camper, as well as several trips to see my therapist, …
And there I found myself watching the sun dive into the lake, staring into the beauty of the moment, befuddled as to why my finances …
This went on for weeks on end, until one day, I found myself at Lightning Kicks, my second home, and was on the verge of …
It was the pain. It consumed his every thought and could feel it reverberate down his spine and into his toes. It started off as …
Here are some staggering statistics that most men – to their detriment – are too proud to admit: Over 6 million men suffer from depression …
I was talking to my bestie on the phone and casually mentioned that my first BJJ class was coming up the next week. “I’m sorry, …
One of the most powerful moments of my life was hearing another grown man tell me he loves me. I still remember it like it …
Let’s face it, most men in our day and age have never been in a physical altercation no less actually thrown a punch with the …
“Man, he would’ve been so good!” This is something I’ve told Amir so many times in regards to the countless young men (and women) who …
“Breathe, Tanner, breathe!” I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a little light sparring and I still really didn’t know what I was …
I know what you’re thinking. “This place is full of meatheads and bullies, those with a penchant for hurting other people.” The truth is, that …
I grew up renting UFC VHS tapes on Fridays from our local video store. It had to be Fridays because I got out of school …
When it comes to self defense, there are many variables that can effect the outcome of an encounter: knowledge (how much technique you know), mental …
Summer is right around the corner, if your summer travels takes you to any of the following areas be sure to drop into one of …
Do you like pushing yourself? I mean really pushing yourself. Like to the limit? Where you work to see how far you can push your …
Well, this will show you how little I know about fighting, it can all be summarized in a single (maybe 2) blog posts 😀 This …
Failure can be defined as simply as, ‘the lack of success’. Failure can be accompanied by a variety of emotions including embarrassment, anxiety, anger, sadness …
How long have you been with Lightning Kicks and what made you decide to start? I started Jan 2020. My interest in martial arts started …
What the heck does that mean? well, I’m not sure either, I just wanted to use some big words to peak your curiosity. Let’s see …
Some people call it “being in the zone,” “flow,” or “the state of no mind.” For me it was about being completely in the moment. …
The Elite Sports Gym bag has become my carryon for most of my recent travels. Check out this video to find out why. One very …
Are you tired of being a mere mortal? want to know that you can defend your loved ones and yourself? Looking to get in the …
Our women’s self-defense workshop focuses on teaching techniques that have been proven to work against a real attack. This two-hour workshop will arm you with …
Lightning Kicks is centred on creating an atmosphere which facilitates both intense training, and personal development. Each student has the chance to grow through pushing …
If I had to pick only one component of self-defense that outweighs all the rest, it’s situational awareness; nothing else even comes close. Taking one …
1. Find a workout partner who has goals similar to yours 2. Create a plan with your workout partner that includes how often you will …
Life can be challenging. Everyone is fighting something, but in this family, no one fights alone. You may never step on the mat or in …
I’ve told a lot of people about training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and kind of tinkering with MMA. First off, yes there is a difference between …
What do you think is one of the hardest things you will do in your martial arts journey? No, it’s not competing for a regional …
Life can be so cruel, so undeniably and inexplicably cruel that it hurts. You can feel the pain in your bones, as if the world …
Fear. It’s what keeps you there, in that place that is most comfortable, where no one can ever hurt you again. We’ve all experienced pain, …
I’ve found that when we are having a hard time wrapping our minds around something that has happened or is happening, we tend to frame …
Portage, MI. Lightning Kicks Martial Arts, one of southwest Michigan’s longest-standing martial arts schools is now offering free police jiujitsu to any local law enforcement …
We have seen a huge shift in the reason our students train in the past year or so. Initially, most of our students were training …
You’ve been to this house many times and never had an issue, so you assume this will be just another routine call. You even think …
To compete or not to compete, that is the question. As a life-long martial arts competitor in Taekwondo, Kickboxing, MMA, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (both …
MMA training is intense and tough which makes it a great fitness workout. Pushing your body limits in MMA is much greater than other sports. …
What if I tell you that working out regularly can improve yourheart health, strengthen bones, lose weight, and improve mood, would you do it regularly? …
Paige is one of our kids instructors and jiujitsu blue belts. Paige is amazing with our kids and is super energetic and fun for in …
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but one self defense seminar is most likely not going to be enough to save your …
We have had a large number of new members join our family lately. Welcome! I’m so happy to have you. I’m very excited for you …
I had the privilege of coaching at the FUJI jiujitsu tournament in Lansing, Michigan. Lightning Kicks did a phenomenal job. I was filled with joy …
Open letter to my Lightning Kicks family; What an amazing week it has been? We celebrated our 18 year anniversary, Lightning Kicks is now technically …
Today, I had the honor and privilege to coach our students at the Grappling Industries Jiujitsu tournament. I was extremely impressed with their technical skills, …
I’ve told a lot of people about training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and kind of tinkering with MMA. First off, yes there is a difference between …
April’s Women’s Self Defense Workshop We had another wonderful Women’s Self-defense Workshop last week. It is such a powerful and reassuring experience for me to …
Patience Man, this is a tough one. I feel like a general consensus between human beings is that we want immediate gratification in almost any …
What does it mean to be dedicated to something? Not necessarily a person but an activity? What does it mean to be dedicated to working …
What does it mean to be an alpha? Well, let’s start with what an Alpha is not. An alpha is not a bully, an alpha …
At my age, I can really feel the aches and pains of training two or three times a day. I have to rely heavily on …
I have been wearing this Elite gear set for a few weeks and I love it. The biggest thing for me is the thickness of …
Many gis are stiff and have to be broken in. Elite Gi comes with that feel right out of the box. Check it out. Product …
Congratulations to Professor James for his Pro BJJ win. This makes Professor James the first and only Professional BJJ athlete in Kalamazoo. If you are …
We had a wonderful time at the Fuji BJJ tournament in Dimondale. The event was well organized with a good turnout. The mats were clean …
We would love to have you in for a free trial class. Our memberships include all of our awesome programs. You can pick from Olympic …
If a bad guy gets the drop on you, you won’t have a whole lot of time to think about your response. For technique to …
What a wonderful year we have had at Lightning Kicks. Amazing teamwork by our entire administrative and instructor teams. The work we are doing at …
Cadets, I’m very pleased with the progress you have made in the area of Subject Control. I wanted to emphasize something that we talked about …
Morning cardio for weight loss at 6 am, kickboxing sparring at 10 am, strength and conditioning with my strength and conditioning coach, Tim Hermann, head …
One of the most common questions we get. As you can see from our website, we offer many styles of martial arts, which one is …
Another question we get all the time. I don’t believe it is my personal fighting accomplishments that make Lightning Kicks such a special world-class school. …
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