Published: September 29, 2007 08:40 pm         

New martial arts center geared toward improving the lives of everyone

• Instructors at Stillwater Combatives Center will ‘go the extra mile’ to teach responsibility, respect, and citizenship

Whatever your goals may be — become more flexible, not be so shy, overcome a drug addiction, become closer to Christ — Coda Scott, senior instructor, and the other instructors at Stillwater Combatives Center can help.

While the center was founded by Scott in June, the official launch will take place Monday. While the martial arts center teaches Chinese Kenpo, ITF Tae Kwon Do, Aikido and Kabudo, it has bigger plans than just martial arts.

“We use martial arts to teach the tenets of respect, responsibility and citizenship,” reads the mission statement. “The art is directed inward, so that the positive character will not only yield excellent martial technique, but also promote confidence and respect which in turn improves their academic as well as personal pursuits.”

The Stillwater Combatives Center is not financially motivated, rather interested in helping people to become better people in a better community, said Scott. That point is driven home by the policy that the center guarantees it will work with anyone in any financial situation.

There are three programs; youth program (5-12), adolescent and adult. The youth program will accept children as young as three and is “a fun class, taught very casually” and is “meant to be exciting.”

The adolescent program is primarily meant for guidance.

“We want to be a good influence,” Scott said.

An example: a couple of teenagers with prescription drug addictions came to the center and turned their lives around. Scott said the instructors became proactive in the teenagers’ lives and built a lot of confidence in them.

One of the steps was a wood block with the word “adderall” written on it. The teenagers were told to break the board, which ultimately signified the breaking of their addictions.

“They have gotten through this addiction,” Scott said. “As instructors, we go the extra mile to help you improve your life.”

The adult program is designed to not necessarily turn someone into an amazing martial artist, but to help them reach a personal goal.

“We try to bring out positive character in people,” Scott said. “If we do that, they will never have to make a fist.”

While the center is a mission for Christ, it is open to persons of all faiths, or no faith. A generalized Christian prayer is said at the open and close of each session.

“If I had a choice of a school of 1,000 with 100 world champions, or a school with one student who came to know Jesus Christ, I would choose the latter,” said Scott.

A free public self defense class — Project Community Awareness — will take place at Stillwater Combatives Center, inside Body Works Gym, 707 N. Perkins Road, on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Self defense maneuvers, as well as facts about violence and how to not be a victim will be covered.

Interested people can contact Coda Scott at (405) 880-0541 or SCC Director, Adam Hull at (405) 612-7182, or visit the Web site at www.stillwatercombativescenter. com.

     

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.