Zach Bender Cox, a senior at Western Washington University and head jiu-jitsu instructor at Wade King Student Recreation Center, has been training in martial arts since his senior year of high school.
“I first got interested in mixed martial arts after watching it,” Bender-Cox said.
Bender-Cox said martial arts was a good way for him to deal with anxiety while growing up in Seattle.
“It gives you a sense of security,” Bender-Cox says. “You feel like a small fish in a big pond.”
He first tried Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) at Ivan Salaverry MMA in Seattle, Washington. He was eventually promoted to a teaching position and taught there for two years before moving to Bellingham, Washington.
“Originally I wanted to start a jiu-jitsu club,” Bender-Cox said.
Instead, he began talking with Ron Arnold, fitness coordinator at the Student Recreation Center, and Bender-Cox says being able to book time for practice and instruction was a big deal for him.
“We've been offering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu on and off for 15 years,” Arnold says. “It's a very inclusive activity that can be done by just about anyone, regardless of fitness level.”
Arnold said unlike dance classes, which can have up to 40 students per instructor, jiu-jitsu is closely supervised and highly technical.
Two Brazilian Jiu Jitsu students grapple after class on Thursday at the Wade King Student Recreation Center in Bellingham, Washington, on May 23. Lead instructor Zach Bender-Cox said the class focused on sweeps and standing takedowns. // Photo by Ozzie Conez
Western University's Student Recreation Center offers jiu-jitsu classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and kickboxing classes on Mondays and Wednesdays during the semester.
“I like training at the rec center. There's a lot of camaraderie, so I like it,” said Bradley Golden, a Western University student who regularly practices BJJ. “I train with people my own age.”
Golden has been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since October 2023 and previously wrestled in high school and was a boxer on the University of Washington boxing team.
“Martial arts is more than just fighting,” Golden said. “It's about discipline and bonding.”
According to Bender Cox, this sometimes uncomfortable progress builds a strong foundation and improves your life in meaningful ways.
“Physically humbling yourself helps you tell yourself that you're OK,” Bender-Cox says.
He said teaching gives him a greater sense of self by imparting knowledge to others.
“It's really meaningful to inspire people and see them grow,” Bender Cox said.
Bender Cox said that while the rec center classes are generally geared toward beginners, more than a half-dozen of his students have gone on to practice more advanced martial arts outside of college, such as judo, wrestling and jiu-jitsu.
According to Western's website, the classes are offered through X-Pass, “providing flexible options with unlimited access so participants can follow a repetitive strength training and cardio conditioning routine.”
A single X-pass class costs $5 as a drop-in fee, or an 11-week pass gives you unlimited access to classes for $45.
Instructor Zach Bender-Cox demonstrates the most effective submission after a rolling takedown at the Wade King Student Recreation Center in Bellingham, Wash., on May 23. In this case, Bender-Cox said it's a toe hold or kneebar. // Photo by Ozzie Conez
Ozzie Konez is a sports and recreation reporter for The Front. He is a junior visual journalism major and a member of the Western Tennis Club. Outside of school, you can find him working at the local tennis club, cooking, hiking, and hanging out at the student recreation center. To contact him, ozzykonez.thefront@gmail.com.
