On Wednesday night, Soma Jiu Jitsu will be hosting the opening night of its new Shisei Kenpo self-defense course.
Four-character martial arts is a form of martial arts and fitness that includes three combat ranges: striking, clinch and ground fighting. James Emfield, a black belt and instructor at Rexburg SoMa Academy, described Four-character martial arts as a more family-friendly version of MMA.
“SOMA is the best,” said Kambry Thayne, a junior studying humanities at BYU-Idaho. “I love the environment and the people it fosters. I always feel welcomed and genuinely cared about. I've never felt embarrassed when I struggled with movement. And James is the best teacher I could ask for.”
Cambrie Thayne and Kaitlyn Wishart practice their moves during practice with several other students. Photo by Elicia Olson.
Emfield grew up surrounded by martial arts as his father is an instructor and owner of SoMa in Idaho Falls.
“My first martial arts start wasn't jiu-jitsu,” Emfield said, “when I was 2 years old and watching old kenpo videos with my dad in a trailer.”
While Soma has focused primarily on Jiu Jitsu in recent years, both James and Jared Emfield have experience in other martial arts, and although they always come back to Jiu Jitsu, they wanted to add Shijian to their path, for themselves and the community.
“I think what we're trying to offer is the self-defense aspect of mixed martial arts, where people can learn how to strike and how to protect themselves … but in a safe, family-friendly environment,” Emfield said.
Students participate in a sparring session at Soma. Photo by Elicia Olson.
Emfield strives to create a positive environment for his students. He has done this by testing and critiquing the code of conduct in Idaho Falls for many years. In the Shizian program, he holds students to the same standards and expectations as he does in his Jiu Jitsu program.
“Since we started with jiu-jitsu, you'll notice there's also a strong emphasis on clinching and grappling in the Shizian program,” Emfield said. “Even if I have the ability to hit somebody, I want the ability to not have to do it when I don't want to… The Jiu-Jitsu team has the same standards as Jiu-Jitsu, but we're going to be hitting the bag.”
The opening Shizian class will be held at 8pm at the Rexburg venue and is open to people 16 and older of all experience levels.
Emfield encouraged students to come in their gym clothes; he would provide the uniforms and sparring equipment.
If you'd like to give it a try, contact James and Jared Emfield on the Shizian website.
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