Bastrop Jiu Jitsu: Why Airlock Jiu Jitsu Loves Bastrop, TX
Even before we opened our doors, we knew there was only one place for Airlock Jiu Jitsu to begin its story, and that’s right here in Bastrop, TX. A blog post like this is really here to preach to the choir – if you’re reading this, it means you probably have the same love for Bastrop that we do. We felt and still feel strongly about our little town’s history and its future, and we are so thrilled to be a part of the story of Bastrop jiu jitsu, especially with our unique approach to no gi training. It’s a great day to be in Bastrop.
It should be said that our respect goes out to our fellow martial artists in town! We’ve always felt that way – we just want everyone to do jiu jitsu and experience the life changes that we’ve experienced ourselves. When we planned our place in the Bastrop Fitness Project building, we knew that we were about to bring something brand new to the Bastrop jiu jitsu scene. This is a town that combines so many of the things we love. It’s a small town with a big heart, and we’ve found our own values reflected in the community of Bastrop – a community that cares.
Our own love of health and wellness brought us to a building that was so in line with our values. We’ve got Strive Strength & Conditioning right next door challenging our community to be healthier through exercise every day. We share our own space with the Strive Recovery Room, bringing modern sauna and cold plunge therapies to our athletes. And don’t even ask how many coffees we’ve had from Bastrop Cafe in the building – we’re already jittery. And this is just a small slice of the other wellness businesses that we share our wonderful building with.
Of course, our location alone wasn’t the only unique factor we cared about. Professor Rei Villa is a force to be reckoned with as a jiu jitsu black belt, and his instruction is second to none. Rei molds beginners with zero fighting experience into genuine martial artists and brings the advanced practitioners to new levels of achievement. His experience and credentials in no gi jiu jitsu grappling are widely respected, and the results just speak for themselves. Coach Rei cares about molding our Airlock athletes into genuine warriors, with the confidence and self esteem that comes from practicing a disciplined, challenging sport.
That goes for adults and kids programs alike. Many of our Airlock kids came in with no experience in martial arts, and we’re swiftly watching them grow into disciplined, patient martial artists. Their confidence has soared, and we’re proud to know them and to know how their actions are reflecting Airlock outside of the gym.
The people of Bastrop have welcomed us with open arms. The Bastrop jiu jitsu crowd have come in to cross train with us, our Bastrop friends have tried a sport they’ve never tried before (and some of them got hooked), other local businesses have been a resource in everything we’ve done to set up our business, and every day when we’re in town, we feel that OUR people are here. People who care! They care about their health, they care about their families, and they want a Texas-sized challenge: to become the best version of themselves possible. And we know that the best version of yourself knows how to fight for what you care about. That’s what we love about Bastrop, and we love that we get to be a part of it.