martial arts in or around the Springfield, Dayton, Ohio area

[firearchdruid]

I live in Springfield, Ohio and I am looking for a good place to continue my martial arts training. I am willing to travel to the Dayton area because it is fairly close. Is anyone here familiar with this area and know any place that they can recommend? I would love to learn some good Kung Fu but the closest place is Tim Normans Kung Fu and they don't even have a website. I am not even sure what style of Kung Fu they teach. I am open to learning anything though so I welcome all the help I can get.

Thanks everyone.

 

[clfsean]

Go to Meng's ... mengsmartialarts.com

It's the only thing I can find in your area that I'd look into. Do yourself a favor & ignore what else you find on the internet concerning politics. If you want to study, go here & study.

 

[firearchdruid]

Have you studied there personally? I have heard some bad things about them making up past history of their art but never anything bad about their training other than they are really strict. I even emailed them before to ask about rates but they never answered me back.

 

[clfsean]

Nope. Just offering a suggestion.

 

[Grenadier]

While I can't give an in-depth view on Sifu Meng's school, I can vouch for his teaching abilities, having taken a couple of his seminars.

He's clear, concise, and has quite a knack for explaining things in a way that is relatively easy to understand.

I would give his school a try (just call them; you'll get a faster response), and see if you like what's there. You really have nothing to lose by at least visiting.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Are you only interested in CMA or are you open to other styles?

 

[firearchdruid]

Are you only interested in CMA or are you open to other styles?

I am open to any style of martial art. If you had something in mind I would love to hear it.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

If you have any interest in Muay Thai, BJJ, or MMA, then I can recommend Dayton MMA Academy. Mike Patt was my original BJJ instructor before I moved to Kentucky.

 

[lklawson]

I live in Springfield, Ohio and I am looking for a good place to continue my martial arts training. I am willing to travel to the Dayton area because it is fairly close. Is anyone here familiar with this area and know any place that they can recommend? I would love to learn some good Kung Fu but the closest place is Tim Normans Kung Fu and they don't even have a website. I am not even sure what style of Kung Fu they teach. I am open to learning anything though so I welcome all the help I can get.

Thanks everyone.

I'm an assistant coach at the Troy YMCA Judo club (just above Tipp City); head instructor is 7th Dan in Judo - Bob Spraley (http://www.kodokwan.com/pagesnew/juido.html). I also teach Western Martial Arts out of my garage (http://cbd.atspace.com: Bowie Knife, old school Pugilism, Bartitsu, Irish stick, etc. I teach a 1 hour class on Sunday afternoons at a local Fencing Salle in Dayton on Leo St. near Heidelberg dist. (http://www.s-w-o-r-d.com/‎); they have several martial arts programs there. I can also vouch for the FMA/Silat club Aegis, in Huber Heights (https://squareup.com/market/aegis-martial-arts-llc); they have a good kids program too if that's important to you.

John Powel's Judo/MMA school is in Huber also. They've produced some really good Judo competitors but, from what I've heard, there's a bit of politics in the club which turns some people off.

There are several others in the area which I have only a passing acquaintance with. Meng's is a decent Wing Chun school. He also teaches Tae Kwon Do (which, I believe, is his personal emphasis) and Tai Chi. Probably some other stuff too but it's been a while since I was in there. Nice enough guy, for what it's worth.

There are also a number of respectable Tomiki Aikido schools more-or-less near to you as well. It's on the Columbus side of you, but Moe Stevens (IMS) is teaching out of Orient, OH. He's the top Tomiki guy in Ohio and super nice. Coaches wrestling (or at least he used to) and has a background in Judo too.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[lklawson]

Have you studied there personally? I have heard some bad things about them making up past history of their art

It's Wing Chun. I'm convinced that half of CMA's "official oral histories" are made up or exaggerated, not just Wing Chun (WC). I don't think a whole lot of WC practitioners actually believe that the art was invented by a displaced female Shaolin monk. But who cares? If the training is good and it meets your needs, then who cares if the history is a bit weird? I personally like the idea that Chinese cribbed European style bare knuckle boxing, combined it with a bit of Kung Fu, and made WC. But that's just as unproven, if not more (but I'm an old school Pugilism fan and it makes my WC friends cringe so I love it ).

but never anything bad about their training other than they are really strict.

Laid back environments in martial arts are actually pretty rare. It's one reason that I run my classes the way I do and a reason that I value training under Bob.

I even emailed them before to ask about rates but they never answered me back.

He's running it as a for-profit business so it ain't free and it's a bit more expensive than clubs where the instructor isn't doing it as his day job.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[Tony Dismukes]

The official main website for Aegis is actually http://www.aegismartialarts.us/index.html. I haven't had a chance to evaluate his FMA skills, but I can testify that head instructor Jose Connors is a nice guy and Aegis has a friendly, laid-back atmosphere.

Kirk - would it be possible for me to drop in on one of your Sunday classes one of these weekend when I'm up visiting Dayton? I don't know how S.W.O.R.D runs things, but I'd be happy to pay a reasonable mat fee.

 

[lklawson]

The official main website for Aegis is actually http://www.aegismartialarts.us/index.html. I haven't had a chance to evaluate his FMA skills, but I can testify that head instructor Jose Connors is a nice guy and Aegis has a friendly, laid-back atmosphere.

Jose is a nice dude, no doubts. I haven't studied under him but I've watched him teach and I liked what I saw. "Curly" is a skilled dude too. They're trying to talk Bob into starting a Judo program there on Saturday's.

Kirk - would it be possible for me to drop in on one of your Sunday classes one of these weekend when I'm up visiting Dayton? I don't know how S.W.O.R.D runs things, but I'd be happy to pay a reasonable mat fee.

Far as I know there shouldn't be any issues. I honestly don't have any idea what Will would charge for a one-time mat fee but we've certainly had observers before so that's not likely an issue.

Sunday's at 3:00 PM.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk