Future MMA continues to grow in Steinbach, offering programs for students of all ages and skill levels.
The gym officially opened in 2024, founded by head Jiu Jitsu instructor Bobby Funk along with fellow coaches Steven Friesen and Raina Rempel.
Funk, who holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has a strong background in coaching, says the gym offers a full range of classes.
“We have kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, and wrestling at our gym, so we do 5-6 days a week,” Funk says.
Jeremiah Unger is a competitor who trains at the gym, and he says the sport comes with a wide range of physical and mental benefits.
“If you want to do something that's fun while you're working out something that's good for your body, good for your heart, MMA in any kind of form, whether it's Jiu Jitsu, whether it's wrestling, whether it's kickboxing as well is very healthy for your body.”
Unger recently competed at the Dakota Centre in Winnipeg during the Manitoba Open, an event organized by an MMA gym based in Winnipeg.
“It's the biggest tournament across the province. I think this year they had between like 550 and 600 applicants, so that's not all in my division obviously. Each division is separated by a belt rank or as well as a weight division. I cut weight usually down to 168 pounds because fighting people who are 200 pounds and know what they're doing can be a little bit frustrating sometimes.”
Funk explains that what makes MMA unique is how it combines various martial arts.
“Then potentially go into a fight scenario where you can be kicked, you can be punched, someone can take you onto the ground where then you have to use your groundwork as well to defend yourself. Also, in a sports situation mixed martial arts includes all that where you're locked in the cage or you could be in a ring as well too, where essentially anything goes except for a few slate rules.”
Instructor Friesen is a Jiu Jitsu purple belt with a solid competition background both within Manitoba and across Canada.
“I teach half the Jiu Jitsu classes, so I'll generally teach the beginner class on Mondays, and then I'll teach the class on Thursdays or the advanced class on Wednesdays. And then I also teach class on Thursday, the wrestling class.”
He adds that a key part of MMA is the strategic element with fighters often facing off against others with a different specialty.
“There's a lot of variety, so if you know who you're fighting, it's really easy to just do what they can't because you get a pretty good view at what other gyms can do, what other people can do through tournaments they've done because some of it will be recorded and whatnot. So it's pretty easy to see things that they like to do, and then you can see a lot of their weaknesses, so to counter is it pretty easy, and that's kind of the fun part too, is doing things that they can't do. And then they'll frustrate them and it makes the sport a lot more fun.”
Future MMA has exciting plans ahead, including sending a group of competitors to Iowa for an upcoming event.
“It's one of the biggest amateur kickboxing events in the States, so we have about 12 people going out with our coach, Nick Penner, who used to be in the UFC, so that's pretty sweet.”
Funk acknowledges that some parents may be hesitant to sign their kids up for MMA, concerned it might encourage aggressive behaviour. But he says that is a misunderstanding of what the sport teaches.
“That's a little bit of a funny catch because you actually do martial arts to build confidence. So, then you don't have to use it in a scenario, let's say at school, for example, you're getting bullied or picked on, you have the confidence to know how to deal with the situation because you know that if it comes down to, let's say a fight scenario, that you’d be able to handle yourself.”
He adds that kids are taught to avoid confrontation and seek help when needed, but that the knowledge and skills they gain help both children and adults stay safe.
For more information, visit futuremma.ca or check out Future MMA on Facebook and Instagram.
With files from Corny Rempel
