Hopkins to Host Martial Arts and Fitness Benefit Saturday

Martial arts enthusiasts don’t have to go far to get their combat sports fix this weekend.

On Saturday, the Hopkins Activity Center will be the site of a to benefit a man who’s been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Mark Basel—an employee for Plymouth-based Avertech who’s also a martial arts and boxing instructor—organized the expo to help a coworker and friend named Matt Ross who works in the company’s Sioux City, SD, office.

Doctors diagnosed Ross with ALS less than a year ago, and he faces mounting medical bills. Basel figured he knew enough people in the martial community—from traditional martial arts to mixed martial arts—that he could gather some support to help Ross.

Basel’s and Ross’ company employer helped pay for the Activity Center space and other costs associated with getting the expo started.

Saturday’s expo will feature some of the metro area’s top instructors offering instruction in a variety of martial arts, including:

• Mixed martial arts,
• Muay Thai,
• Olympic-style boxing,
• Shaolin Kung Fu,
• Bahad Zubu (Kali/Eskrima/Arnis),
• Dekiti Tirsia Siradas (Kali/Eskrima/Arnis) and
• Hapkido.

Instructors will also conduct sessions on general fitness—including yoga breathing, chiropractic health and injury prevention.

Workshops will be conducted in 55 minute session cycles. At the end of each session cycle, participants will have five minutes to explore the varying workshops and sign up for the workshops they want to take part in. The cycle then starts again. Participants can stay for just one workshop or try as many workshops as they want.

During the lunch hour, some of the presenters will give demos and there will be a raffle for prizes. Items such as jewelry, books, and training weapons will also be available for sale. And there will be children’s activies, including balloon animals.

The expo takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and cost $25 at the door or $20 via a donation on the group’s website.