Renaud Spirit Center Offers Mix of Martial Arts, Fun Exercise

Some come to the looking for classes just to have fun, while some are hoping to learn new skills. With the martial arts and self defense classes offered at the center, residents can find a little bit of both. 

”You can use it every day because you never know when something might happen and you’ll have to defend yourself and you’ll at least have some confidence,” said Lisa McNeil who has continued to take adult martial arts and self-defense classes at the Renaud Spirit Center for the past year-and-a-half.

The adult martial arts and self-defense class meets twice a week and focuses on both basic self-defense moves as well as some historical fighting, such as Viking wrestling and Irish stick fighting. Instructor Danny Hoskins has spent eight years at the Renaud Center teaching not only adults but children as well. Hoskins offers a three and four-year old toddler class, a youth class for ages five to 15 and an adult class for 15 and up.

Michael Page who attends the adult classes, first became interested thanks to his two sons who began taking the youth version of Hoskins class nearly three years ago. Page began to like what he saw and decided to join himself. “It’s good exercise but it gives you some basic defense techniques to use if you were to ever find yourself in a bad situation but hopefully never do,” he said. 

McNeil who has had martial arts training for 15 years and has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do began taking her daughter, who’s now six, to youth martial arts classes at the center a couple years ago. McNeil saw Hoskins teaching the youth martial arts class and decided to sign up for the adult classes. 

For 15 years, Hoskins has taught full-time people of all ages the importance martial arts offers for mental, physical and emotional health.

“Martial arts is more about personal growth than actual fighting," he said.  "The fighting is actually 10 percent of the overall picture. The other 90 percent is to make yourself feel better physically but also mentally and emotionally. Without that confidence in yourself, nothing’s going to work in life.”

Another benefit most of Hoskins students see, is the exercise side of it. McNeil said martial arts is fitting for people who don’t enjoy exercising or easily become bored because it keeps your mind occupied.

For others, like 17-year-old Joel Smith, the benefit is pre-training for basic. Smith, who joined about a year ago, plans on joining the army. “It’s not that hard to learn, I think, and it’s quite literally hands-on,” he said.

And it is. For a non-stop hour, these students take part in kickboxing drills, defense and counter-offensive skills, coordination exercises, one-on-one practices of realistic self-defense and more.

One of the younger participants of the class, 14-year old Brendan Pinz began taking the martial arts and self-defense class at the center about three years ago and said he enjoys the experience you get from fighting people. "For me, it’s fighting adults so it’s like what it would really be like out on the street,” he added. 

Hoskins said at age five his parents made him take martial arts class, but he eventually grew to love it and make it his life. Over the course of a week, Hoskins teaches 12 classes throughout the city. Additionally, he teaches women’s self defense courses for church groups and other organizations. Over the years, he’s spoken at several schools concerning children’s self-defense and safety awareness as well as given military and law enforcement seminars.

 Hoskins said what really makes him feel good as an instructor, is when his students make the right choices in different situations. “I’ve had instances where people were attacked and they responded in a proper method of either just walking away from their attacker, running away or actually defending themselves on a physical level and just to know that they actually are capable of doing that,” he said. 

Page said the comradery of the group is great and said they come together outside of class to take part in dinner and watching MMA fights.

“If it’s fun, then people will want to do it and come back. I’ve had traditional teachers who were on the extreme end and you either really like that part of it or people would just quit left and right. So I’ve changed my philosophy in teaching and have tried to make everything fun, even for the adults,” said Hoskins.

Join Hoskins adult class at the Renaud Spirit Center on Mondays at 6:15-7:15  p.m. and Thursdays at 7:15-8:15 p.m.