Welcome to Woodstock Mixed Martial Arts
Stand-up, Takedowns and Grappling
The Woodstock Mixed Martial Arts program was developed from the traditional karate styles of the Young Hong Karate Institute, a Woodstock landmark since 1969. Carolyn and Kurt Schulenburg trained under Master Young Hong (obtaining their 4th degree Black Belts!) and were chosen by Master Hong to take over day-to-day operations of the school under his tutelage. They eventually become his successors, hand picked to carry on the excellence and effectiveness of the Young Hong Karate Institute.
The last 10 years has seen one of the greatest changes in martial arts since the invention of judo in the early 1900's. That change is the advent of the Mixed Martial Arts, a style that utilizes the most effective hand-to-hand fighting techniques ever devised. There is no wasted time with outdated forms or techniques whose effectiveness is lost to history. Clearly, in order for the Young Hong Karate Institute to continue to be THE school for Martial Arts in Woodstock, it would have to evolve... and Woodstock Mixed Martial Arts is the result.
Teaching styles, too, have changed, moving beyond the rote "do it like I do" to a greater emphasis on understanding the physics and body mechanics of Mixed Martial Arts moves. Head Instructor Kurt Schulenburg is a certified public school teacher and his staff understands that learning is more effective when repetition is enhanced with visual and audio cues, when drills are supported with demonstrations as well as detailed explanations. Under his direction, each class features age appropriate goals and methods to achieve them.
Safety has been moved to the forefront. Gone are the days of unprotected sparring. Children are not simply told "Get out there and fight!". Instead, our curriculum progresses from Foundation Skills to Limited Sparring Drills and, when the student is ready, age and weight appropriate Sparring, with full safety equipment and supervision. It's also important to note that ALL of our drills and exercises are scrutinized - and many created - by Owner and Instructor Carolyn Schulenburg, a Registered Nurse for the last 20 years!
Behind all of these changes is the introduction of the first curriculum to teach Mixed Martial Arts to the masses in a safe and effective manner. WMMA is one of the first schools in the country licensed to teach the world renowned Pro-Star Mixed Martial Arts system, conceived and developed by Masters John Graden and Joe Brignoli. Integrating more traditional stand-up styles with the latest techniques in ground fighting, the Pro-Star curriculum is an organized and effective system that is so easy to learn that a Black Belt can be earned in only 3 years. As Founding Members of Pro-Star, WMMA has been instrumental in helping to create the world's first Mixed Martial Arts program for the general public.
We feature Stand-Up Training in our first year, with emphasis on the punches, blocks, kicks, elbows and knees that are featured in karate, MuayThai and kickboxing. The second year focuses on the Grappling Game, with takedowns and submissions from Judo, Aikido and Brazilian Jui-jitsu. Our third year is where we put it all together, where students are taught to integrate standing and ground fighting with drills and combinations that produce incredibly effective fighters as well as an amazing workout!
The next step in finding out more - if you haven't already done so - is to sign up for our newsletter. (That box up over to the right!) Don't worry, we're not an Internet Spam Machine and we won't sell your email or invade your privacy - but we will send you some basic information about our program along with any current specials that we have!
Browse around to find out more about our various programs, but if you have any questions - or simply want to make an appointment for your FREE trial class - you can always reach us at 1-815-334-WMMA (9662). Don't hesitate to call - if it's too late (or too early!), simply leave a message and we'll get back to you quickly!
In addition to our Mixed Martial Arts classes we offer:
- Little Dragons and Tigers Program (for 3-6 year olds)
- Fitness Kickboxing (for those looking to get in shape with authentic self-defense techniques)
- Black Belt Self Defense Program (designed for effective street safety and self-defense)
Remember, give us a call to schedule your FREE class and see if our school and our instructors are a "good fit" with your needs. Give us a call and we can find a time where we can get together, answer any questions you may have and give you a "hands on" idea of what we offer.
