Middle Ground Martial Arts

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Middle Ground Martial Arts Judo, Muay Thai and Kickboxing dojo, RKC kettlebell gym.

Fighting and self defense are physically intense. Being fit enough to sustain fighting, and to handle the aftermath, ar...
10/14/2026

Fighting and self defense are physically intense. Being fit enough to sustain fighting, and to handle the aftermath, are crucially important, and one of the few things they are fully in our control. Make sure that your training is preparing you for sustained striking and grappling- being fit for running or a sport aren’t the same.

The next installation of our Domestic Violence Awareness Month info series deals with something commonly said by the unt...
10/12/2026

The next installation of our Domestic Violence Awareness Month info series deals with something commonly said by the untrained, and by the poorly trained. Unfortunately, the second category are often found teaching SD classes, even (especially?) the ones marketed as “real” or “better than martial arts” or whatever. Being encouraged to do techniques half-assed, or to depend on things like biting or groin shots but being unable to correctly execute basics like sh*****ng or a bump and roll, is anathema to the goals of self defense training.

Being ready to take advantage of things like that is important too, but learning technically reliable and tactically dependable skills comes first. Your instructor should be consistent and repeatable in his or her explanation of the techniques, and also able to repeatedly execute them to a high level. When they can’t and brush it off with “but you’d just do whatever works anyway”, find a new program.

There are a lot of self defense gurus out there willing to sell you untested, unreliable techniques. Here are a few thin...
10/06/2026

There are a lot of self defense gurus out there willing to sell you untested, unreliable techniques. Here are a few things to look out for with regards to grappling, which is an essential skill set for smaller individuals. By and large, the most qualified people to teach grappling in SD have significant grappling backgrounds. People that say things like “grappling is hidden in our kata/forms” are not likely going to teach you repeatable, tested and reliable skills. Neither are people who dismiss grappling outright, offer “anti grappling” or start with “we took the best of…” Although the context of self defense and competition don’t overlap completely, the opportunity to train against committed resistance provided by sport is invaluable, and prepare you far beyond some of the things listed above. Being trapped underneath a heavier, stronger person is not the time to realize that your training was based on assumptions instead of proven methods.

Round two of our info series for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Information drawn from reporting by the NIH.
10/02/2026

Round two of our info series for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Information drawn from reporting by the NIH.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. We’ll be sharing some related personal defense related information across ...
09/30/2026

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. We’ll be sharing some related personal defense related information across the next few weeks, based on evidence rather than the anecdotal aims often made in self defense discussions. The following slides are drawn from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and FBI Domestic Violence Special Reports.

As we approach cold and flu season, we wanted to put out a reminder that sometimes being a good training partner means s...
09/21/2026

As we approach cold and flu season, we wanted to put out a reminder that sometimes being a good training partner means staying home and resting.

No one wants to miss sessions and the temptation to ‘work through’ whatever we are faced with is always there.

BUT, when you show up to class sick, you risk spreading what you are carrying to everyone else. Some students are preparing for fights/competitions, some work full time and balance having families and other responsibilities on top of training and no one wants to put their life on pause because of being sick.

Take care of yourselves. Take care of your training partners.

Love you. 💜

After 20 years of deep dives into barbells 15 of kettlekbells, I’ve (Randy) been working on the fundamentals of club, ma...
09/18/2026

After 20 years of deep dives into barbells 15 of kettlekbells, I’ve (Randy) been working on the fundamentals of club, mace and shena board work. It’s good to stay fresh with new methods and being a perpetual student. Heres an observation- don’t program yourself to have a harder time than you need to. Replace self talk or talking to peers about “this is so hard” or “this is too much” with breaking new skills into smaller pieces, and conquering those one at a time. If you’re in a group, don’t let commiseration over the challenges take the place of facing the challenge itself. Focus on the new skill(s) instead of focusing on how difficult it may be at first. And as St. Vincent observes, “to get good at anything, you have to commit to sucking at it first.” But- don’t lose sight that the goal is to do it well.

Train hard, eat smart. Or is it train smart, eat hard?Whatever the case, good food choices are key for recovering and re...
09/16/2026

Train hard, eat smart. Or is it train smart, eat hard?

Whatever the case, good food choices are key for recovering and resetting from training. Foods rich in magnesium, zinc, calcium, complex carbohydrates, proteins and moderate amounts of monounsaturated and saturated fats should dominate your plate. Despite the absurd marketing of protein in every possible food product, the average American eats well above the RDA, even when athletic activities are accounted for. Getting your vitamins, minerals and protein from whole food sources is recommended, since supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA (until *after* à problem occurs).

Over the weekend, a few members of the MGMA Kickboxing/Muay Thai team took a last minute opportunity to head out to the ...
09/15/2026

Over the weekend, a few members of the MGMA Kickboxing/Muay Thai team took a last minute opportunity to head out to the K1 tournament hosted by Champion Striking and Fitness where everyone had a great time and got some solid experience. Huge thanks to Champion for hosting and being incredibly easy to work with.

If you see Hunter Roche or Al around the gym this week, congratulate them on a job well done.

Please join us in remembering Jeremy Glick, a Judo black belt who led the effort to take back control of flight 93 on 9/...
09/11/2026

Please join us in remembering Jeremy Glick, a Judo black belt who led the effort to take back control of flight 93 on 9/11. Glick and several other passengers formulated a plan for attacking the hijackers, which led to the plane crashing in Pennsylvania instead of reaching its intended target. His final words and actions were captured on a phone with his wife- “we’re going to rush the hijackers.” Gick was awarded a posthumous 10th dan by the USJA for his selfless act.

Address

785 Acorn Drive Suite 102
Harrisonburg, VA
22801

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 12pm
5pm - 8:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 12pm
7pm - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 12pm
5pm - 8:30pm
Thursday 8am - 12pm
7pm - 8pm
Friday 8am - 12pm
Saturday 12am - 1am
9:30am - 11am

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