This is to inform those who are looking either for themselves or for their children who are interested in Martial Arts that Sensei Bucky Loomis, who is a Black Belt in Charles Buckners White Tiger Martial Arts Association, teaches class on Saturdays at 4pm in the dance studio right next to Universal Athletics. This is not an MMA type class, but focuses more on the traditional arts. It is an ecclectic system focusing primarily on Kara Ho Kempo Karate, Aikido, and to a lesser extent, on grappling, primarily on Judo and Jiu Jitsu for the grappling part. The art has a strong focus on self defense.
From my own experience as a practitioner of White Tiger, when relating that to competition or sparring in the gym I go to in Billings, the stuff I learned makes me very formidable against the MMA guys I train with. So for those interested in MMA, the standup you can learn in White Tiger is from my own experiences, superior to the Muay Thai strikes you learn mostly in MMA.
If you are interested, give Sensei Bucky a call at (406-853-3763)
If nothing else parents, it will give your child confidence and self-discipline.

You feel this style 'White Tiger', which appears to be a mixed system, is a superior striking discipline then Muay Thai, or just Muay Thai as integrated in MMA?

[This message has been edited by J. Dyba (9/6/2012)]

I'm saying that where Muay Thai is very much a power house form, the Aikido that White Tiger utilizes is far more technical, and where I have sparred against a lot of muay thai guys in my gym, the technical typically beats out the power. Not to say that Muay Thai isn't good, and that when it lands it hurts like crazy, but I also do very well against the power strikes.
And I also mean the muay thai utilized in MMA. The pure form of Muay Thai is very impressive to watch. I would not want to try and take one of those power kicks after seeing kids who train make those trees shake with the impact.

[This message has been edited by Nathaniel Kaiser (9/6/2012)]

When we would pull into Thailand we would head to the local clubs and watch AAU aged children have full contact Muay Thai fights in the evenings.

Was so amazing to watch.

So this system utilizes Akido. Joint locks and throws/trips or just force redirection?

I personally found Akido to be an amazing physical art to practice but as a form of self defense, it has a lot of limitations.

What is the minimum age for children to join?

Is it wrong of me to find the phrase "Sensei Bucky" amusing?

Not so amusing that he needs to find me in a dark alley and rip my still beating heart out of my chest, which I'm certain he can totally do, you understand...

lol

It utilizes both the joint locks, trips, and such, but yes, it also utilizes force redirection. For the self defense, it can work well, but I also agree that it has certain limitations, which is why this is an eclectic system that takes certain strengths from many disciplines.
In regards to age group, there is a little girl in his class that I think was 3 or 4 maybe, so I think that might be if not an age limit, something to recommend for your child. It isn't that children can't be taught at a very young age, but typically, it will be really hard to teach a child anything that they will be able to comprehend and remember without getting too distracted if they are too young.

So in regards to age, I would recommend about 3 or 4 minimum, but you would have to talk with Sensei about it, and it would depend on the maturity that child already posesses.

How much are classes?

If anyone has any questions in regards to the White Tiger Martial Arts Association dojo in Miles City, please contact Sensei Bucky (James Loomis) at 853-3763.
At this point in time we do not have an actual PeeWee class (ages 4 and 5), but we currently accept new students at age 6 and older. If there is enough interest of children who are 4 or 5 years old, we would definitely consider having a PeeWee class tailored specifically for them.
If you are interested for yourself or your child(ren), you are more than welcome to come and watch our class at Studio M on Saturdays from 4 - 5 pm.
In regards to prices or any other questions regarding the class please contact Sensei Bucky.

Thank you.