Martial arts champion Don Grady will open the doors to his studio, Don Grady’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Waldoboro April 1.
Weekly classes will focus on training men, women and children of all fitness levels how to defend themselves and to build physical fitness into their lives.
Families are encouraged to participate in addition to individuals. The academy has special rates for families and children aged 17 and under.
“There are a lot of kids out there who are obese,” Grady said. “I’d like to see them get outdoors, go for hikes and just get back into shape.”
Students of all ages and skill levels can learn the techniques Grady has developed over the course of many years. The local martial arts instructor draws upon on his experience from having sparred with leaders of the martial arts world in his travels throughout China, Korea, Russia, the United States and Canada. Grady has moved with his family from the Augusta area, where he ran two studios in Gardiner and Augusta for several years. He was a sergeant at the Kennebec County Jail while there.
Grady fought at the Jubilee Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1993 and was the first American to fight at the Shaolin Temple in Hainan, China. Among the roster of Grady’s close martial arts associates include those he traveled, trained and sparred with.
Grady said he went to the Shaolin Temple with Grandmaster Robert Cheezic, famous for having trained many black belt students worldwide, including Chuck Norris. Grady said he also trained with Billy Banks, who is most famous for his Thai Bo cardio kickboxing videos. Hanging from a hook in his studio are a set of gloves signed by boxing champ Joey Gamache.
Grady trains his students a Greek form of martial art called Mutau Pankration, among other forms of self defense and fitness. He said he first picked up the form at the Spartan Academy in New Hampshire, founded by Jim Arvanitis.
The styles of martial arts Grady teach include Chinese Kempo, Brazilian Ju Jitsu, some forms of Karate and Thai Kwon Do among others.
“I do a variation of styles,” Grady said, standing in the padded gym at his home on W. Main St. “No one style is better than the other.”
The studio, a 16 by 28 foot room, is fairly Spartan. Dark blue mats cover the entire surface of the floor and run up along the bottom portion of the white sheet wood walls. A long punching bag swings from a rafter beam in the ceiling and there are a variety of gloves, mitts and padded helmets on high shelves. There are a couple of fabric wall hangings, one of which is the American flag.
Grady is just getting started in his 209 year-old farmhouse, which he has been renovating with his family for the past year and a half. He teaches minimum force techniques to help people escape dangerous situations, such as when one person is attacking another with a knife. He said he expects the forms he teaches will be new to a lot of people.
“Karate forms are useless to total defense, especially on the street,” Grady said. “I tell myself (and students) to be prepared for anything.”
He plans to have classes of 10 students in three categories. His youngest students, ages 6-11, will learn beginning techniques, such as take-downs and wrestling moves. He said much of the lessons for younger students are designed to develop hand to eye coordination. Grady said he has taught his own children, Lisa, Lindsay and Donald, who have excelled in sports. One daughter Lindsay is involved in kickboxing. Grady said his son won a Maine state championship in wrestling. In his division Don Jr. was the Maine state wrestling champion in 2003, Grady said.
Older students will learn more about basic self-defense and the techniques will increase as students develop skill, he said. Grady said the lessons are a good workout and involve a lot of cardio exercises.
“I could knee him in the face twenty times, but what’s that going to do?” Grady said, while demonstrating some moves with sparring partner and student Randy Young. “The object is to get away.”
Grady has a working schedule started for the academy. Classes will be offered Monday-Friday between noon and 1 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. for adults, where they will practice grappling and striking among other self defense techniques. Sundays from 2-4 p.m. will be an open session day for adults, to go over what learned is during the week.
Classes for children will be available four days per week, Grady said. He wants to offer these classes Monday – Thursday from 5 -7 p.m. and on Friday from 5 – 6:30 p.m. Grady will also offer family discounts, he said. Wednesday and Fridays from 5:45-6:45 p.m. he will host a self defense class for families.
The cost for individual students under 17 is $50 per month and $60 per month for students 18 and older. Grady will also offer private, one-on-one lessons for $30 per hour.
For more information or book lessons in advance, contact Don Grady at 832-6201. Interested parties can also call his cell phone at 930-5196.