Mr. Ken Greer Talks About His Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gym
The time of year is here where most of us will have more daylight and extra energy for new activities. Allowing yourself the extra time for a new activity to keep you busy is sometimes harder than expected; you must continuously maintain the desire to keep moving and trying.
Many of us have had the luck of meeting extremely helpful and passionate people on our journeys within martial arts. For myself, this has always helped nudge me into learning new things and not being afraid to step outside my comfort zone. Any time I have, I’ve always benefited from it. Just like American educator Temple Grandin said, “the most important thing anyone did for me was to expose me to new things.”
I was happy to meet with Mr. Ken Greer, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) instructor and the owner of Progressive Martial Arts (PMA) in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Let’s get started with a little background about you (name, hometown/current town, rank, profession, etc.)
My name is Ken Greer. I was born in Asmara, Ethiopia while my dad was stationed there in the military. Our family then lived in Florida for a short time and moved to Minnesota after I was out of kindergarten. We stayed in Minnesota until I was 15. After that my family moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota where I graduated high school. I then moved to Tennessee for a little over a year and then back to Grand Forks in 1986 and have lived here ever since. I got married in 1987 and have 4 children. I own and operate two businesses, Dakota Dry Cleaners and Progressive Martial Arts.
Was there a specific driving force behind your interest in martial arts? Or, did you happen to stumble across it?
I don’t have a specific thing that pushed me to start training martial arts, but I started judo and taekwondo at age 16 and have kept up with it.
What has kept you practicing martial arts, specifically Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
There are so many things I love about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is fun and challenging and you never stop learning, there is no end to it. I also live the environment. It is very family-like. Choking and arm locking each other has a way of bringing you closer.
Did you experience any struggles getting to a rank of Sensei/Master and establishing your own club?
I am not, and never will be, a ‘master.’ I personally don’t even like that term in martial arts because master would be someone who has mastered the art or reached the highest level, and that would indicate that your learning is over and that there is nothing more to achieve. Also, I am a brown belt and have a long way to go before I reach even the first level of a black belt. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu takes a lot longer to achieve rank in than other martial arts like karate or taekwondo.
As far as struggles go, I have always been fortunate to have great people to train with. When my gym began I started in my basement with about 3 students and it grew from there. The biggest struggle was finding a place to train that didn’t cost a fortune because I have always taught as a hobby and not to make money, so I wanted to keep the students fees as low as possible. I used to teach mostly MMA so a lot of places were afraid to lease space to us because they thought we were going to kill each other. I had many different locations until we finally settled at our current space about 7 years ago. Having our own space allowed me to diversify the curriculum and offer different classes including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
What is your philosophy as a club owner?
My philosophy as the owner and instructor of Progressive Martial Arts is to have a gym where people can come and get away from the pressures of everyday-life, a place to help them improve themselves both physically and mentally. I have always strived to have a healthy family environment, and that is what we are lucky enough to have built.
Family is often a topic that is not addressed; how do you balance work/family/martial arts day-to-day?
I have a very understanding and supportive wife who helps a lot. It is important when I am not at my day-job, or at PMA, that I am at home doing things with my family. It’s also good to establish (and stick with) a consistent schedule and always ensure family communication. Ultimately, balance is key for me.
Does anyone in your family also practice a martial art? And if so, is it the same or different from your current practice?
Yes, actually 3 of my children train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with me which is awesome; I couldn’t be happier to have them train beside me. I really believe in a family environment when it comes to practicing and training martial arts. Without this type of atmosphere learning is very dull and monotonous. Being able to interact with your partner and really enjoy learning alongside them is necessary so you can keep your desire to learn ready and active at all times.
Many practicing a martial art have a group connection with their dojo. Do you have longstanding members, new members, or a good mix of both?
We have a great mix of long-term and new students. With the Air Force base and the University of North Dakota being so close we are always seeing new faces; but we have a fantastic core group that has been here for a very long time. This has allowed for there to be oneness within our dojo and for members to branch out and meet new individuals that they would likely have never met it if wasn’t for the Air Force base, University, or someone traveling for work that stops by.
For anyone interested in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, what information would you want them to know upfront that could help in identifying if this art would match their needs?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for everyone. You don’t have to be in shape, flexible or an athlete to do it. It is very individual and is also great for self-defense. It does involve wrestling and being on the ground a lot, so you will need to get used to that. You may also find yourself getting bruised, but they are not painful, and many see them as temporary badges during their learning and training.
What benefits can one expect from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Do you find members having a specific interest in the mental or physical aspects of the art, or both?
Everyone is different in what they are looking for when starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It will help you both mentally and physically. Benefits include, better health, increased confidence, self-defense, learning to think and act under duress, increased flexibility, and weight loss. It also provides a great support group since it is a family environment and many positive relationships are made. It can also decrease depression, anxiety, and help you learn to control your emotions. Mentally, it helps you focus and improve your problem-solving skills.
If anybody wants to reach out to you, how should they do that? (All pertinent links, fundraising, etc. should be included in this answer.)
My gym is called Progressive Martial Arts and it is located at 1604 South Washington Street Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201. My phone number is (701) 740-1217. We have a Facebook page called Progressive Martial Arts in addition to an Instagram page called pmagf.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/progressivemartialartsgrandforks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pmagf/
Final Thoughts
I would like to say that I enjoyed interviewing Mr. Ken Greer and was amazed by the family atmosphere that he has in his gym. I wish him the best of luck in his martial art.
- Martial Journal Spotlight: Bubbling Springs Martial Arts - July 18, 2018
- Martial Journal Spotlight: Progressive Martial Arts - June 22, 2018
I’m curious to know if you teach children because don’t see any on your page?