Decades ago Ed Bruneau helped introduce Jackie Chan to North America, and the Asian film star would go on to popularize martial arts among millions of Westerners.
These days it's the mixed martial arts featured in Ultimate Fighting Challenge that is drawing kids out to learn the variety of fighting skills that Bruneau teaches at his Chinese Boxing Connection school here in Innisfail.
But he wants to make it crystal clear that what he's offering is not a precursor to the rowdy bouts seen in pay-per-view, but is more regimented.
“I think there's a lot of disadvantages to that type of martial arts,” he said. “There's a lot of punks getting into it.”
Bruneau, who holds a fifth degree black belt in Chinese boxing and seventh degree black belt in kung fu, says the mixed martial arts youth train in at his dojo give kids a different sort of experience.
“We're not like that,” he said. “We run a very clean club.”
His goal is to teach youth to dig deep to uncover their true potential, through drills and grappling. He teaches upwards of 50 students and has been in operation in town since 1999.
“They learn a lot about discipline,” he said. “The kids come in and leave a better person.”
The mentality of the club is to focus on true skill development and not belt promotion for the sake of promotion.
For that reason youth are not allowed to test for their black belt until they are 16 years of age.
Martial arts are one of the few activities that will help keep youth out of some seriously sticky situations, he says.
“I've had students who have had to defend themselves and it actually saved their lives,” he said. “If I can teach someone something that can save their lives then that makes me happy.”
