ROCKWALL —
It has never been more popular than it is now to engage in mixed martial arts. The craze has surpassed both boxing and wrestling in popularity and Rockwall has not been immune to its charms. Wolfpack MMA is the most recent gym to open where all fans of the sport can go to train and learn more from experienced fighters.
Owner and longtime Rockwall resident David Prince said the idea for the gym came to him after years of disappointing training.
“There was no one I was training with at other gyms that could promote,” he said. “I was training in one place for three years and I couldn’t get my belts. I was stuck paying money and going no where.”
It was then that Prince approached his training partner and friend Collin Grayson about opening a gym. Grayson started a gym in 2005, but ended up leaving after three years. Grayson, a certified instructor was instantly on board with the idea.
“I got fed up looking at other gyms and one day I was at Collin’s house and I said ‘let’s do this,’” Prince said.
The gym had a soft opening one month ago and officially opened Jan. 3. Membership has steadily grown during this time, according to Price.
Wolfpack allows people of all sizes and experience to participate. The gym uses a 30-day free trial period for all members, so he and Grayson can evaluate the level of the athletes and place them in the appropriate classes.
Prince said he had very little training when he put his first pair of gloves on.
“I was a big kid when I started,” he said. “I weighed 230 pounds and now I am down to 170. I have been in sports my entire life and you get different things from different sports, but I can’t describe what I get from this. It’s just amazing the enjoyment I get from training with the same guys I have been with for years.”
The training methodology is a bit different from other places, according to Prince.
“We have a plan for everything we do,” he said. “We use the same blue print that all the top schools in the nation use because we want fighters from all over the world to come train here.”
Other gyms did not have the same rigid approach toward training and that is one of the reasons Wolfpack is so special Prince said.
“We set goals for everyone here,” he said. “We have some people come that are in great shape and have a bit of experience, so we know instantly where to put them. Others are brand new to the sport, so we have to limit them a bit.”
An average class starts with simple calisthenics and warm up activities. Then Grayson comes on the mat to lead the group in a movement and two actual techniques. The movements use techniques and play into what an athlete might actually experience in a fight, so actual fighting techniques are incorporated throughout the entire class.
Despite the obvious danger in the sport, Prince said he has only seen one real injury since he started training and safety is always first.
“You get your bumps and bruises, but that happens with football too,” he said.
Grayson and Prince both grew up in Rockwall and it is because of that the two decided to start the gym here.
“I was training here and it seemed like the logical place,” Prince said. “I know the people, I know the demographics, I know the town.”
The majority of the student base is from Rockwall according to Grayson.
“It has been as inviting as Rockwall normally is,” he said. “Both of us growing up here gives us an advantage. We are a little more in tune with Rockwall, and how it operates and that is more important than anything.”
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