USAJJ is proud of all its charter schools, and today we’d like to recognize Jim Kiser and his school, Myrtle Beach Martial Arts.
Jim Kiser receiving his black belt from Rigan Michado
Jim Kiser began his martial arts training in February 1998 under Jason McCormick of Karate World in Surfside Beach, SC. At present, Jim is a third degree black belt in Zen Ketsugo karate and a black belt in Jiu Jitsu under Rigan Michado. Over the years, Jim has competed in numerous sport karate and Jiu Jitsu events. Most notably, winning the SKIL world championship in adult self-defense and forms in 2004 at the Super Grand World Games.
MBMA offers Kick Boxing, Jiu Jitsu and MMA training. They have just opened a 5,000 square foot training center, so there is plenty of room to practice. It’s a good thing too, since Jim’s school boasts over 100 students! That’s incredible, especially since Jim is their main instructor. Needless to say, Jim has very little free time. Of his students, about 40 are adults, and the rest are minors. Falling into what seems to be a common theme among Jiu Jitsu instructors, Jim has a program specially designed for children. It is amazing and wonderful that there is so much commitment to the future generation of Jiu Jitsu practioners among its current competitors.
Jim’s kids program is separated by age, with training style for kids 13 and under and the other for kids over 13. The difference is Jim does not teach submissions to the younger students. He feels that at that young age, positioning should be taught and instilled. Older students are more mature, and able to better understand the risk with submissions. Jim recounted an incident where he saw a young kid at a tournament and the kid was in an arm bar. On the sidelines, the kid’s dad was yelling at him not tap out, which is a dangerous piece of advice. The kid could have had his arm broken. Not to mention, an eight year old doesn’t need to be doing submissions during recess at school.
Jim has been involved with USAJJ since the start. He thinks USAJJ is important to the growth of the sport as a whole. He thinks it is important to have a governing body that is free from egos and politics, not to mention USAJJ is totally non-profit. He feels USAJJ will lead to a more pure sport. And of course, he’s as excited as the rest of us for the Olympics.
Jim’s school hosts a multiple tournament event at his school. It has multiple divisions and only has a $25 entry fee. So if you’re in the area, check it out. Any chance to participate in an event is great, and at that price, it’s fantastic.
You can visit the Myrtle Beach Martial Arts web page for class schedules and more info on their kids program.
