Adam Smith
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – With a lifelong passion for martial arts, and a drive to teach others, Adam Smith has opened his third facility for SMASH Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to serve the West Plains region.
According to Smith, he saw a need here and after having seen success with his other locations in Spokane Valley and Deer Park he wanted to bring this opportunity to Airway Heights.
Originally the 34-year-old martial artist got involved in karate at 5 years old, and that was because Smith's grandmother put him in classes.
"My grandmother put me and my brothers in classes," Smith said. "Because we were living with a single mother and this would help with self-discipline and it's just a good safe healthy activity for young people."
Growing up without a lot of resources, Smith said he was given the opportunity to work for his tuition so his family could save money as well.
"We were really poor, and my instructor actually let me work by cleaning the mats and the gym every day," Smith said. "So that's how I paid my tuition by helping out around the gym and in the classes."
He said as he grew, this helped instill a sense of self-discipline and perseverance through his journey.
He stuck with it, eventually earning a black belt in kenpo karate. From there Smith had become involved in competitions, but realized he needed to expand his studies.
Trying to take it a step further, Smith got into mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions in 2010, but realized only having karate training wasn't going to work well in MMA. Smith said he was very confident I his karate and striking skills, but had to get into training that would help with the grappling aspect of martial art competitions.
That's when he started studying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Marcelo Alonso, a sixth-degree black belt in the sport who teaches classes in Seattle.
After spending a lot of time practicing and working on his own skills, Smith decided he wanted to start his own academy.
That has led him to his third facility, but says he would like to have facilities worldwide. Smith says he is motivated to do that through empowering his students and helping them grow through martial arts training.
He says it can also help people learn some form of self-protection in case they would ever encounter a bad situation.
"We have a lot of students who you would not think to be a natural fighter," Smith said. "We have a lot of moms and young kids and even some technology guys that you may not picture here, but now they can stand up for themselves if they ever need to."
Smith has always had motivation to either help protect others or teach others to protect themselves. He said he spent 12 years as a firefighter in the region including a couple years stationed in Airway Heights. According to Smith martial arts is one of the best methods of protection, which can be a concern because of the world around us. According to Smith, sometimes people get in bad situations and need some knowledge of how to fight back.
"Martial arts is something that if you're using it right you are using it 24 hours a day seven days a week," Smith said. "Without even realizing it you can be using it walking through the store, walking to your car. You just become more mindful of your situation and look to keep yourself safe even in the most minute tasks."
Smith said his other two facilities each teach about 130 students, and he is confident in reaching higher numbers in the west plains. With Fairchild being close, he is already seeing some interest from military personnel as well.
Smith would also like to foster partnerships with city groups and other groups to help incorporate some community events and involvement with his classes.
"It's a service that can really benefit the west plains," Smith said. "I fully understand a lot of the struggles of growing up poor or less fortunate than others, and that has really driven me to help people grow in themselves and the community."
Matthew graduated from West Virginia University-Parkersburg in 2011 with a journalism degree. He's an award-winning photographer and enjoys writing stories about people.
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