“Hi, my name’s Emmy Wood, I’m 20 years old, and I’ve been coming here for 9 months. We originally got started, me and my best friend Lauren, because her brother is in the military. He did a Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu class, which got her interested in it. So we decided we’d try it. The second we got here we were immediately welcomed into a family-like atmosphere, and we’ve been coming ever since. We started out with two (classes) a day, then immediately went to the unlimited plan.
There’s nothing as much fun as being out on the mat. Because I am a girl, there are a lot of connotations, and people asking “Oh, what are you doing that for?” But if you are ever thinking about trying a martial art, then this is the environment where you want to start. Immediately you are welcomed in. We have a couple girls here, and all the ones that are here love it. They love doing it. All the guys too, even when you are rolling with them, they are very careful, but at the same time they challenge you. Also, when I started, I had no intention of competing, but when competitions started coming around, [I signed up]. I have now done two submission only tournaments. I placed third in gi, and third in no-gi. I love coming to Forged Fitness, and I have and would recommend it to any friend or family member.”