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Photos by Ron Burkett.
Heroes MMA
Heroes Martial Arts coaches demonstrate a jiu-jitsu technique.
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Heroes MMA
Students practice hand-fighting techniques at Heroes Martial Arts.
It’s far away from Gotham City or Metropolis, but Heroes Martial Arts Academy, behind the Pants Store on Gadsden Highway, is allowing men, women and children to train in techniques found in a DC or Marvel comic.
“If you could go to class to be Batman and Robin, that’s what that class is,” said Chris Mize, head instructor and founder of Heroes, referring to the new kids’ classes.
Little Heroes (ages 4-6) and Heroes Kids (ages 7-10) introduce elements of gymnastics and parkour, along with self-defense and jiu-jitsu, to help teach not only self-defense, but also discipline, respect and confidence. The classes also provide opportunities to talk through situations that may have happened at school.
“Chris has compassion for kids, and I think his compassion is going to take someone’s child to the next level,” said Todd Chappell, a parent, trainee and instructor at Heroes.
To help play up the superhero theme, paintings of Wolverine, Batman, Spider-Man, Hulk, Superman, Wonder Woman and others fill the wall in the kids’ area. A youth jiu-jitsu program (ages 9-12) is also offered.
However, Heroes is not only for children. Nearly 70 percent of the academy’s members are adults — professionals ranging from mid-20s to 40s. Adult programs are offered in Gracie (Brazilian) jiu-jitsu, Civilian Tactical self-defense, Combat Submission Wrestling and STX Kickboxing. Steve Brown and Robby Eaton join Mize and Chappell as assistant instructors.
Regardless of age, Mize said, “once people come in and feel the magic of it, if they’re really serious about wanting to train, they fall in love with it.”
Such was the case for Clay’s Lora Whitehead, 27, who is approaching her one-year anniversary at Heroes. Whitehead learned about the gym from her boss as a workout replacement for running, but it turned out to also provide a sense of security.
“I feel a lot more confident walking down the street. I’m much more aware of my surroundings. I don’t worry about anybody grabbing me from behind, because I know how to get out of it and know what to do,” Whitehead said, who works as a management trainee in the textiles industry.
She said one of the keys is accepting defeat in class or competition and to “learn to not be caught in those types of positions again.”
“The more we lose sometimes, the more we learn. It teaches you a lot of life lessons and a good set of values. You respond and react to situations better in the real world than if you hadn’t been exposed to jiu-jitsu,” Whitehead said.
Mize, considered to be the first to open an MMA gym in Alabama, has studied martial arts for more than 30 years and has trained everyone from kids to law enforcement and military special forces. He says his base focus is less on giving students a full toolbox and rather helping them use a tool with multiple functions.
“I want them to get really good at two or three things that will apply to a lot of different situations rather than have a thousand things that you have to pick the right one to use, especially when doing a self-defense class,” he said.
One of the beauties of the classes is that anyone can do it, Chappell said.
“This is something we can do every day, something the average Joe can do. It’s not something you have to be a super athlete to be able to protect yourself or learn basic moves and basic techniques,” he said.
Chappell, now 40, has done mixed martial arts since he was 29 and has worked with Mize for the last decade. The two earned their black belts together in 2014. A former MMA fighter and Gold Gloves boxing champion, Chappell works for a pacemaker vendor by day, instructs classes and trains, as well as bringing along his 11-year-old son, TJ. TJ is a baseball player who benefits from using Heroes as an offseason workout. It helps with upper body strength, overall athleticism and awareness.
While some families work out together, Whitehead said the group at large feels like a second family.
“You see a lot of the same people; you train together; you help each other train and grow in the art,” she said. “It’s been one of the most rewarding and most memorable experiences of my life … You’re all in there after the same goal no matter what level you are. It’s a humble art — not a lot of ego in there.”
While Heroes serves the Trussville and Clay areas primarily, Mize said they have trainees from across the Birmingham area and some from as far away as Tuscaloosa and Gadsden. Many pick Heroes as their workout and training destination on their way to or from work.
“Usually they say most of your business comes from within five miles, but it’s a tribute to the product. They drive by a lot of different places to come to my place.” Mize said. “This is going to be a good year for us. We’ve finally got everything in place where we can go and the word finally is getting out there that what we have is really a hotbed of information and good training for everybody.”
Classes are available Monday through Thursday and on Saturday. Private lessons are available on Fridays. For more information about Heroes Martial Arts Academy, go to heroesmma.com.
Heroes Martial Arts Academy
- WHERE: 1840 Gadsden Highway
- CALL: 401-0808
- WEB: heroesmma.com
- FACEBOOK: Heroes Martial Arts
