ESTEVAN - Did you know that Estevan has its own hub for martial arts adepts?
The Estevan Combat Sports and Fitness (ECSF) has been around for over a decade, teaching kids and adults jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, mixed martial arts, kickboxing and more.
The non-profit organization, run by a small group of dedicated volunteers, has wandered around Estevan for a while until they finally found their permanent location at 1320 Seventh Street.
"We've been all over town and had some good help. We've done that out of oilfield shops back in the day, and church gymnasiums, and we were even stationed in a classroom in (Estevan) Comprehensive School for a while. It wasn't being used for anything else, so we were in there. It was a little tight. We've bounced around from place to place and found a home here," said the current ECSF president Tyson King.
The core group of people who have an interest and passion for martial arts ensured the organization survived all the storms. Even the pandemic, which closed the gym for many long months, didn't affect their love for these rarer kinds of sports.
"There's certainly a core group of regulars who have a deep interest in it and a passion for it, and always stick with it. And then especially in Estevan we get lots of faces coming through, whether it be for work or people that have moved away over the years, and then come back to visit family. Whenever they come, they'll message ahead and they'll come and visit. It's a good sport for people stopping by for a night or two," King said.
Unlike most other local sports organizations, the ECSF covers all age groups from kids to adults. They start kids at about six years of age. King started that program some time ago and says it's now solidifying into a good, strong curriculum.
He pointed out that in their practices, they make the main accent on self-defence.
"We come from a more self-defence prioritized system, where we're just looking to learn some skills that lead to a little confidence and a little bit of self-assurance. Because you never know," King said.
He explained that the bully-proof program they offer for the kids "is purely learning to be aware and learn to react to any kind of situation that might come up on the playground or wherever else you might be."
And as the kids' program keeps growing, King said he finds more and more joy in training the youths.
"I've been running the kids' program for five years now, maybe six. And I think every year I get more invested with the kids' program, and less invested in my own training. Just seeing some of the kids that have been here for almost five years now coming up through it and with it, and growing bigger, growing up. It's becoming the best part of the whole thing," King said.
There is also a variety of practices for adults of any age.
"Our adults come in for anything from kickboxing, which is definitely more fitness-oriented. Yes, you're learning punches and kicks and elbows and knees, and that stuff's great, but for the most part, you're just hitting pads and learning techniques, mostly just moving around, getting some good exercise … And then the wrestling and jiu-jitsu program is even more hands-on. They are mats, definitely focused on just learning some things that can really come in handy in any situation," King said.
Both kids and adults partake in tournaments and competitions, but King said medals and belts are less of their goal than life skills they teach their members.
"We are glad to take them to tournaments and let them compete against all the other kids from all over Saskatchewan and Manitoba and you name it. But we'll never be a gym that's after medals and trophies. We just want the kids to go home with full confidence and self-awareness," King said.
The kids' programs run in two three-month semesters starting in September and March, and adults programming is ongoing throughout the year with memberships and punch cards available.
King has been with ECSF since 2011, but the group existed even before that.
"I was in Saskatoon. I was doing competitive judo with an Olympian. And I think what got a lot of people started from around here is when the MMA fights would come to town. Some guys I knew from Estevan approached me … to say that I should come up. Back when those events would come to town more regularly, it was good for getting the interest," King recalled.
Chris Bezaire, Amber Burt and Dallas Fonstad alongside King help the ECSF progress and succeed on a regular basis. These volunteers come to the gym after their day jobs to keep the Estevan martial arts going, and are always happy to see interest in these unique sports.
