MONROE - An ancient Japanese martial art has been developing a swelling base of practicing members in Green County, beginning with a Brodhead gym that recently extended into Monroe.
Dave Dodd has been training in jiu-jitsu for 10 years. He began by helping MMA fighters train. As he continued to learn, he found there were no local connections for the sport. Initially, he traveled to Sun Prairie for classes, eventually moving to Janesville and finding a coach he liked. When Dodd became a coach himself six years ago, he started to think about localizing the art.
"I wasn't looking to start a huge source of revenue," Dodd said. "I wanted to bring something to the community that wasn't there."
Diane Dodd, a native of Juda standing just over 5 feet, instructs at their co-owned Brodhead business Fluid Motion Jiu Jitsu. She and Dave have been married for 24 years.
At first, Diane said she was hesitant to be a part of the sport, despite her husband's assurances that she would enjoy learning how to grapple. But then she tried it.
"I was never athletic growing up," Diane said. "I was in band and the book club type kid, so I was like, 'I don't know,' ... I actually went and just watched several classes and then I ended up trying, and I loved it."
Common practice in jiu-jitsu is the use of the ground and manipulation of body weight to overpower an opponent.
Now in their fourth year of instruction, the Dodds have made jiu-jitsu a family practice; both of their sons, now in their 20s, practice the art. A total of 35 students frequent their facility for classes weekly. And it has been growing over time, Dave noted. The interest has grown to allow extended class offerings to the area.
Diane noted a group of students travel from as far away as Freeport to take classes. With the addition of a jiu-jitsu space through Legacy Personal Training of Monroe, those who already practice have more accessibility. Those in Monroe who are interested or already attending classes in Brodhead are also closer to a training facility. Membership to Fluid Motion can be used at the new LPT site in the 1300 block of 16th Street in Monroe.
Sam Messerli, a Monroe native who founded LPT seven years ago, recently acquired a new, larger space for his gym. Because of the extra room, Fluid Motion could utilize the facility for its members and to newly interested enrollees.
Messerli has been training with Dave for the last six years, and jiu-jitsu has become a family sport for him as well. His two daughters, 7 and 10, have been training for most of their lives. Messerli said he has seen the benefits of its self-defense properties.
"I've always felt very strong about people having the skills and the tools necessary to protect themselves," Messerli said. "There's more to this than just putting the right move on; you have to be in emotional control as well. Not all situations require lethal force."
He's hoping people who are interested in both physical fitness and defense techniques will take the opportunity to try it out during the new facility's open house on Oct. 21.
Dave said self-defense has been a common reason for students to take jiu-jitsu classes, and there have been requests for Diane to teach women-only self-defense courses. Diane also teaches young people, which the Dodds said is helpful in bullying situations where the child cannot access help from an adult.
"You can control that and say, especially in a bully situation, 'will you stop picking on me now?' and if they still continue to aggress then the child can control the level of where they need to go," Diane said.
Dave pointed out that while kids can be enrolled in a variety of martial arts, the nonviolence of jiu-jitsu allows choices for people in the face of opposition.
"Jiu-jitsu actually means a gentle art, that's how it translates," Dave said. "That doesn't mean it can't be done aggressively. You can injure somebody for sure ... we choke people unconscious, we break bones if we need to, but you have the option not to. This is more just self-defense. I teach you a way to manipulate your body to get out."
Dave Dodd has been training in jiu-jitsu for 10 years. He began by helping MMA fighters train. As he continued to learn, he found there were no local connections for the sport. Initially, he traveled to Sun Prairie for classes, eventually moving to Janesville and finding a coach he liked. When Dodd became a coach himself six years ago, he started to think about localizing the art.
"I wasn't looking to start a huge source of revenue," Dodd said. "I wanted to bring something to the community that wasn't there."
Diane Dodd, a native of Juda standing just over 5 feet, instructs at their co-owned Brodhead business Fluid Motion Jiu Jitsu. She and Dave have been married for 24 years.
At first, Diane said she was hesitant to be a part of the sport, despite her husband's assurances that she would enjoy learning how to grapple. But then she tried it.
"I was never athletic growing up," Diane said. "I was in band and the book club type kid, so I was like, 'I don't know,' ... I actually went and just watched several classes and then I ended up trying, and I loved it."
Common practice in jiu-jitsu is the use of the ground and manipulation of body weight to overpower an opponent.
Now in their fourth year of instruction, the Dodds have made jiu-jitsu a family practice; both of their sons, now in their 20s, practice the art. A total of 35 students frequent their facility for classes weekly. And it has been growing over time, Dave noted. The interest has grown to allow extended class offerings to the area.
Diane noted a group of students travel from as far away as Freeport to take classes. With the addition of a jiu-jitsu space through Legacy Personal Training of Monroe, those who already practice have more accessibility. Those in Monroe who are interested or already attending classes in Brodhead are also closer to a training facility. Membership to Fluid Motion can be used at the new LPT site in the 1300 block of 16th Street in Monroe.
Sam Messerli, a Monroe native who founded LPT seven years ago, recently acquired a new, larger space for his gym. Because of the extra room, Fluid Motion could utilize the facility for its members and to newly interested enrollees.
Messerli has been training with Dave for the last six years, and jiu-jitsu has become a family sport for him as well. His two daughters, 7 and 10, have been training for most of their lives. Messerli said he has seen the benefits of its self-defense properties.
"I've always felt very strong about people having the skills and the tools necessary to protect themselves," Messerli said. "There's more to this than just putting the right move on; you have to be in emotional control as well. Not all situations require lethal force."
He's hoping people who are interested in both physical fitness and defense techniques will take the opportunity to try it out during the new facility's open house on Oct. 21.
Dave said self-defense has been a common reason for students to take jiu-jitsu classes, and there have been requests for Diane to teach women-only self-defense courses. Diane also teaches young people, which the Dodds said is helpful in bullying situations where the child cannot access help from an adult.
"You can control that and say, especially in a bully situation, 'will you stop picking on me now?' and if they still continue to aggress then the child can control the level of where they need to go," Diane said.
Dave pointed out that while kids can be enrolled in a variety of martial arts, the nonviolence of jiu-jitsu allows choices for people in the face of opposition.
"Jiu-jitsu actually means a gentle art, that's how it translates," Dave said. "That doesn't mean it can't be done aggressively. You can injure somebody for sure ... we choke people unconscious, we break bones if we need to, but you have the option not to. This is more just self-defense. I teach you a way to manipulate your body to get out."