Any gyms up here?

[C.J. Steele]

Anchorage is an excellent location for a hotbox for sure, lots of people and easier access to/from the states. I am interested to start training in an mma program, but want to be comfortable off my back. Im also looking at greatland martial arts out of TKD America. I'll have to Pm you sometime Barber.

[C.J. Steele]

I am looking to start mma and thanks to Eddie, my eyes have just begun to open to the world to jiu-jitsu and I have a whole new appreciation for it. I have found frontier vale tudo which has no-gi jiu-jitsu classes =]. The owner has a black belt in ruas vale tudo, anyone know anything about this? I know that it's an all around (striking and grappling) system and the creator Marco Ruas won like UFC 7 or something like that. The gym also offers a wrestling/judo class.

[Kyle Spalla]

They got a Gracie Barra there, convert the Gi wearers!

[Barber]

CJ what are you looking for specifically? Do you want to focus on MMA and have the option of no-gi/gi bjj?

[C.J. Steele]

I want both basically, yeah. I want to start my belt and train all aspects of fighting. I have aspirations of doing at least one fight, theres one event here in Anchorage, and another in my home town Wasilla, and both seem to have beyond amateur fighters(like can't throw a square punch, flailing wildy, etc.). However, both feature good wrestling, and I bet they'd be pretty surprised if I tied them up after training for a while and maybe try to pick up some 10th p. Right now Im basically just youtube trained, so yeah, definitely need lots of time in the gym before im ready.

[Gerrit Butler]

I run a hotbox in fairbanks! I just got my purple belt from eddie. If u guys are ever in fairbanks or of i am ever in anchorage i will contact u guys!

[Barber]

CJ I would recommend checking out everyone just to see how you like them, but would probably say abjj is your best bet for what you're looking for. So you want to do an AFC fight? What weight?

Good to hear Gerrit . I work on the slope so I have time on my two weeks off to travel/train. Ill hit you up in the up coming months to see if we can get together in anc or fairbanks. Im still very new to bjj, but I love it. Lets keep the 10th planet love up in the AK ^^

[C.J. Steele]

Been kinda following you here on the forums Gerrit, pretty awesome. Also, liked your official hotbox page on fb. Barber, I was looking more toward Thursday/ Tuesday night fights in Anchorage and Wasilla respectively. Like I said, just getting into it, 2 years ago I was 240lbs, to me very overweight, found mma, and since then, I lost about 60lb (though I did most of the weight loss in about a month). I've been kinda in a rutt this year, haven't lost weight, definitely lost some muscle that I did have, so I need to get into shape before I fight. Right now im 180 and probably have a good 20-35lbs to lose and I have to gain muscle, so Im not quite sure where Im going to be sitting at.

[Barber]

Just liked the FB page as well . Im way excited for this. CJ I would still definitely check out all the schools to see which one you like the best. Youll probably get more straight up mat time at abjj i imagine though, and the guys there will def be willing to push you to get better. I havent seen them run any of the stand up/mma stuff however. Let me know what you think about the schools though. Its awesome to see the beginnings of 10th planet in the AK.

[Gerrit Butler]

ABJJ has the MMA team the Wolf Pack... Lots of animals there..MOST are really cool dudes also!