Women’s Kickboxing Fargo | BJJ Fargo
Mixed Martial Arts MMA
Learn the fundamentals of standup, takedowns, and ground fighting…
Women’s Kickboxing
Learn how to implement punishing kicks, knees and elbows that give you a truly complete style of self-defense.
Muay Thai
With Muay Thai Kickboxing, you will learn to use your whole body to strike like a weapon.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)
Discover the art of this dynamite discipline with or without the classic Gi…
News about the ACA
We have classes for everybody. No experience expected or required.
No matter your skill level, experience or ability, we have a class that’s just right for you. Since we offer a variety of different types of classes in various levels, you can quickly transform yourself from total newbie to experienced fighter faster than you ever imagined possible.
Whether you’re an aspiring UFC fighter or are looking for a fun new way get in the best shape of your life, Academy of Combat Arts in Fargo, ND offers the fitness achievement of all skill levels.
With daily and weekly MMA classes for every skill level, you can finally say “Goodbye” to those boring gym workouts and endless hours on the treadmill.
In our safe, ego-free, family-friendly gym, beginners are always welcome and you’re never too young or too old to take it to the mat!
It’s time to let our world-class instructors give you the powerful boost you need to say “Hello” to a brand new you.
Our unmatched team of highly-decorated instructors in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and Wrestling is ready to help you unlock your inner champion … in and out of the octagon!
Put an end to those mind-numbing workouts once and for all. This is the #1 way to lose weight, build muscle, and increase your cardio … all while having a fun at the Academy of Combat Arts.
Everyone loves the Academy of Combat Arts. Just see what our customers have to say about it!
I started my first class at ACA at 55.
Allen Carter – 57 year old – Associate Professor of Music – MN State Univ Moorhead
I started my first class at ACA at 55, fifty-friggin’-five years old. I’d never trained, never been in a fight, just loved watching the fights and really wanted to learn and try to get into the kind of shape “those fighter guys” were in. I am NOT a jock. I’m a music teacher who loves challenges. When I first started, I was so bad that it was all I could do to summon the courage to get out of my car, go in and try/suck again…….. NOW, TWO YEARS LATER …….. I’ve learned and grown so much it can’t be measured and the reason is simple. GREAT teaching in an AMAZING environment. I train with guys who are at the top of the MMA world and they have embraced me as a friend and fellow martial artist (notice I didn’t say “fighter”). At the head of it all is an amazing martial artist/teacher named Dylan Spicer who refuses to have anything other than the right kind of supportive “team” environment going on in his gym; NO ATTITUDES, NO EGOS (Trust me, if you have one, someone in the room will beat it out of you). I’ve held pads for and taken Muay Thai instruction from Pablo Garza; yeah, THAT Pablo Garza. The one who’s won both of his last 2 UFC fights in the first round. And he doesn’t treat me like a guy they need to hang on to just to get his dues. He makes me ACCOUNTABLE when I’m training and he (and Dylan and Jason and Joe and every teacher there) does everything he/they can to make me all I can be. If these guys have accepted and become supportive of me, it’s proof that ANYONE who is SINCERE about becoming a martial artist will show up at ACA. I don’t want to sound too much like Dr. Phil, but if you’re training somewhere else, what the hell are you thinkin’?
Testimonial
Tat Romero
Tat Romero
“I live over four hours away on the Iron Range of MN. There are more than a handful of MMA gyms that are closer and believe me I have trained at pretty much every one. I’ve been a professional fighter for 8 years. I am also a Juvenile Probation Officer and pride myself on my sportsmanship and class both inside and outside the cage. I only surround myself with people of the same quality. I have had the honor of fighting opposite the cage of ACA and have been treated with respect, honor, dignity, sportsmanship, and class. Which is what drew me to ACA. Like I said, I drive four hours to train here on my days off when I’m preparing for a fight. Truth be told, I’d drive 12.”
Testimonial
What other coaches are saying about the Academy of Combat Arts
Greg Nelson Minnesota Martial Arts Academy
Gregg Nelson – Owner/Head Trainer – Academy of Minnesota
Greg Nelson is coach to UFC stars Brock Lesnar, Sean “The Msucle Shark” Sherk, Pat “HD” Barry, Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann, and Nik Lentz to name a few.
Do you remember how you felt when you first walked in to that place? Did you have butterflies in your stomach? Maybe you felt anxious, even nervous, about walking in there and not knowing what to expect.
Well we want to relieve your anxiety; we assure you that when you walk in to the Academy of Combat Arts in Fargo, ND you’ll be greeted by someone with a smile that not only trains at the school, but is dedicated to helping people like you find the program that best suits your needs. There is a very positive, friendly–even family-like—atmosphere at the Academy of Combat Arts in Fargo, ND. You will feel welcome. Maybe you want to train every day, but right now you just can’t because of work , school, or family obligations, whatever it may be. Instead of waiting for your schedule to clear up so that you can get started with what you believe the “perfect” program will be, why not just get started now with whatever you can do? You can always do more later when you get in a better situation, but wouldn’t you agree that something is better than nothing?
Let me tell you this, there IS a perfect time to get started with a program that will begin to get you in shape, reduce stress levels, help you defend yourself on the street, give you more self-confidence, and even give you techniques that can Save Your Life -that perfect time is NOW!
Erik Paulson MMA
Erik Paulson – Combat Submission Wrestling
Starting with Judo in 1974, Paulson has trained in many disciplines including Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Kali/Eskrima, Sambo (martial art), Catch Wrestling, Shoot wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, studying first with Rorion Gracie, Royce Gracie, Rickson Gracie in his garage in 1989. He has studied with 40 different teachers over his 30 years of training including Rick Faye, Greg Nelson, Yorinaga Nakamura, Larry Hartsell, Tim Tackett, Ajarn Chai Sirisute, Nicolas Saignac, Rob Kaman, Rigan Machado, Rico Chipparelli, and the legendary Dan Inosanto, who claims Erik is one of the world’s most dynamic grapplers.
He currently runs the CSW Training Center in Fullerton, California where he trains MMA fighters such as Josh Barnett, Ken Shamrock, Renato Sobral, Cub Swanson, Ben Jones, Craig Wilkerson, James Wilks and Ginelle Marquez. He is closely affiliated with Sean Sherk and Brock Lesnar of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.
Erik came out of retirement in October 2007 to headline the first HDNET MMA fight card. Paulson took on Jeff Ford in the main event of the night. Paulson made quick work of Ford, winning by spinning arm bar in the opening minutes of the first round.
Erik holds the rank of Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Rigan Machado. He also trained extensively with Rorion, Royce, and Rickson Gracie. Erik trained Shoot wrestling under Yori Nakamura. Erik is the founder of Combat Submission Wrestling, and STX Kickboxing. Erik is the coauthor of a book along with American Combat Association president Matthew Granahan and JD Dwyer on the History of American Submission Wrestling.
Erik was the striking coach for Team Lesnar on The Ultimate Fighter: Season 13.
Erik has younger brother Leif Paulson who is an up and coming grappler in his own right.
Story about Jess Sell:
Jessica Sell in 2011, before losing more than 80 pounds. Jess, pictured here Aug. 16, trains several times a week at the Academy of Combat Arts in Fargo. (Legacy Photography)
FARGO – Jessica Sell got a letter from her doctor in November telling her she was in the early stages of weight-related pre-diabetes.
“That was a lot to take,” the 33-year-old Wheatland woman says. “I knew at that point I needed to lose the extra weight – and fast.”
Jess had reached 285 pounds after having two children and working a sedentary desk job. Even in her new photography business, she spent hours behind her computer editing.
read more...Holt: Kickboxing, diet help woman reach goals
“I knew I needed to change my lifestyle. Not just what I ate, but exercising to help get rid of the extra 125 pounds I had packed on,” she says.
Jess and her husband, Rob, follow the low-carb, high-fat keto diet, typically comprised of 60 percent fat, 30 percent protein and 10 percent carbs.
“I saw immediate results, but it was slow-going,” she says.
Her diet staples include eggs, bacon, summer sausage, chicken, cheese and protein shakes.
“I love eggs. I could eat eggs at every meal,” she says with a smile.
She and her family have experimented with keto bread, pancakes, brownies and energy bars, and they use cauliflower in place of potatoes.
The keto cheesecake didn’t turn out so well, however. “I think the dog ended up eating it,” Jess says.
Her blood sugars have since normalized so that she’s no longer pre-diabetic, but she plans to continue on the keto diet.
“For me, for the next five years, this is my way of life,” she says. “I can re-evaluate it then, but I’ll tell you, the things that I learned about some of the foods will probably still keep me from eating them.”
In fact, she’s gotten so accustomed to her new way of eating that she rarely breaks from it. She’s only had one cheat day, when she allowed herself to eat whatever she wanted, including her favorite candy (Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups).
“Could I do that every so often? Yeah. Do I want to? No. It’s not worth it anymore to me,” she says.
Soon after changing her diet, Jess decided to kick up her exercise routine. She started with Zumba but was interested in women’s kickboxing at the Academy of Combat Arts in Fargo.
Jess had worked with the school as a mixed martial arts photographer but hesitated to give it a try herself, claiming she needed a couple months to get in shape first.
The owner, Dylan Spicer, convinced her not to wait and that they could help her get there.
“My first couple classes I had no idea what I was doing. I was so sweaty and so out of breath, but it was so fun,” she says.
Jess credits her coach, Joe Trottier, with much of her success.
“He helps you with your technical form, your endurance, and honestly, he makes you laugh,” she says.
Jess is enjoying the new skills, friendships and empowerment she’s gained from her ACA workouts.
“I like walking out of there knowing that I just went through a workout that a lot of people maybe couldn’t do,” she says.
Jess’ dedication to both her diet and her four-day-a-week kickboxing classes has paid off – she’s lost over 80 pounds, and she’s still dropping weight and building muscle consistently.
“I now work my life around going to class. I have determined it’s how I need to do it, or I could easily go back to sitting on the couch every day, just wishing I could lose weight,” she says.
Do you have a weight-loss story to tell? Email me at mholt@forumcomm.com
Forum reporter Meredith Holt has lost 105 pounds since May 2010. She will share stories of her weight-loss journey in her column, which runs the first and third Friday of each month in SheSays. Readers can reach her at (701) 241-5590.
