1. Change of Rate

First and foremost, our rates will be changing in the fall. If you want to take advantage of the current rates be sure to get signed up quick. Once your signed up your rates are locked, so this won’t effect current members or anyone that gets in before the change.

2. New 3-4 year old program

Do you have or know anyone who has a 3 or 4 year old that could benefit from getting a jump start on basic motor skills, listening skills and working in a class / group setting?

We are launching a brand new 3-4 year old program, and regrouping our current kids classes from 4-6 and 7-13 to 5-7 and 8-13.  All existing members will remain in the same class they are currently in.

This class will work as a prep course to our 5-7 year old program teaching them listening skills, co-ordination, balance and to be confident in a group environment.

This class has very limited space available due to needing a high instructor to student ratio, so act quick to ensure your child’s spot.

The new schedule will take effect August 29th, with the 3-4 year old classes launching after Labour Day weekend.

3. New Black Belt Club for Kids

The Saturday 30 min weapons class for kids is going to be expanded into 3 times per week. In addition to weapons we will also work on other special skills not done in the regular class and work on leadership training.

* This class is invitation only, for those that show commitment, effort and good self-discipline.

4. New Class Break Down For Adults

Adult classes will now be broken down into different levels, as well as competition prep classes. Level 1 will basically be the same as what the kickboxing class is now, with a little more self-defence stuff involved. Level 2 will get into the ground work and sparring.

The competition prep classes will change focus depending on what is coming up in the near future (Grappling, MMA, Kickboxing, etc)

This will allow us to have a little more clearly defined curriculum that is more appropriate for those in attendance, whether they are beginners or advanced.

The new schedule will take effect August 29th.

If you have any questions just ask!

The Fall Schedule can be seen here: http://innovativema.ca/Schedule%20-%20Fall%202011.pdf

This is not really a surprise as they have been pushing for a ban of boxing for years.

Although boxing has a higher head injury rate due to having more rounds, standing 8-counts and 10-counts which give fighters the opportunity to regain composure and get back in. Not to mention the fact that they are forbidden to clinch and use takedowns to smother strikes and protect themselves, MMA is the current target.

As a contact sport it does have injuries, all contact sports do, as a professional sport we are right up there with sports like hockey and football.

As someone that practices and coaches this sport I obviously disagree with them on their calls for a ban, and have spent some time this past week speaking to news reporters on exactly that.

A ban is not going to increase safety, all it would do would be to drive the sport underground and remove the safety precautions already in place.

But the question should be, how can we make it safer?

Training in MMA is very safe compared to other sports, compared to other martial arts I’d say we are one of the safer choices. This is largely due to the lack of stylistic restrictions. In Judo falling on your back loses the match, yet the first thing you would be taught in most classes is to fall on your back as it is the safest way to land. However in practice participants often try to avoid landing this way which can lead to some serious injuries. In MMA you want to land as safely as possible, which means on your back so that you can recover guard.

As far as the striking goes high kicks, the biggest cause of injury in traditional striking martial arts are rare. This is because the risks involved in them, such as low kicks, takedowns, slipping, etc are all actually a risk, where as in the traditional styles those counters are removed.

So what can we do?

Well, one of the biggest problems is the “all or nothing” nature of competition. A karate fighter has many choices in competition, ranging from no-contact to semi-contact to full contact bare knuckle fighting… Something most participants will never engage in. Even in boxing most participants, even the competitors will never fight as a pro, but instead as a amateur under a much safer set of rules.

In MMA right now amateur fights aren’t allowed at all in Manitoba, it’s fight as a professional or not at all. Even out of province fighters generally only have a option that is almost the same rules and equipment as pro fights use. Where other styles involving striking have much safer amateur competition levels working up to the top levels we currently lack that in MMA, at least here.

If we truly want to make MMA safe, what we should be doing is looking at different tiers of amateur rules, allowing fighters to get competition experience without going in under professional rules. There are many sets available in use in other places so we are certainly not having to reinvent the wheel.

But participants need to have the ability to compete in a safe format, as a amateur athlete, just as participants in other sports do. Making it a all or nothing choice in terms of competition is where the biggest danger for the athletes lies.

Minister of Consumer Services Sophia Aggelonitis said the province has come around on the issue after seeing the benefits that MMA could bring to Ontario.

“Our government has been monitoring MMA for some time. We know that the sport has evolved and that Ontarians want to see it here,” Aggelonitis said in a statement released Saturday.

“My goal is to make sure we have the tools to keep the competitors safe, and provide an economic boost to communities that want to host MMA events.”

Ontario says it will adopt the same MMA rules that are in effect in other North American jurisdictions. Strict safety and medical standards will have to be met at licensed events.

Full Article at CTV

A joint bid to host from the Manitoba Amateur Wrestling Association and the University of Winnipeg has been selected over bids from Calgary and Toronto.

Canada’s representatives in the sport of wrestling at the 2012 Olympic Games in London would be selected from the tournament, scheduled to be held Dec. 15-18.

“The sport of wrestling needs something to be excited about and this is it,” said MAWA president Adrian Bruce, contacted in Niverville, where he is also the head coach at the Niverville Wrestling Club. “This is landmark in what we are trying to do to bring wrestling back to the forefront in Manitoba.

“This event will create a legacy for the sport in Manitoba.”

Wrestling, which became recognized by Sport Manitoba on April 1, is undergoing a resurgence in Manitoba. It had slipped off amateur sport’s radar screen after being dropped as a University of Manitoba sport in 2004.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/amateur/u-of-w-to-host-olympic-wrestling-trials-in-2011-96863794.html