Early on in his jiu-jitsu journey, McFarlane said the idea of opening a gym began to cross his mind.
Opening GDTW is a dream come true for Matt, an attorney by profession. For Jessica, who has over 20 years of experience being a horse trainer and riding instructor all over the country, GDTW is another way to use her love of teaching.
“This is purely a passion scenario. For us, we do this because we love it. We do this because we want to bring this to the community and because we're good at teaching jiu-jitsu,” McFarlane said. “I really think that shows in the way that we teach and the way we run the facility.”
Ground Dwellers is off to a strong start offering a variety of adult and children’s classes and is open 365 days a year, including holidays.
“We're open every day, Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday are open gym,” McFarlane said. "If anyone is interested, they are welcome to come and train with us.”
“One of the ways we are able to pass along those benefits to people is through our kid's program,” Sims said. “They can learn so many different things through jiu-jitsu, such as discipline, self-control and they learn a lot of body awareness and problem-solving skills.”
McFarlane said jiu-jitsu is commonly misunderstood as many think it requires a certain level of fitness expertise.
“Bottom line is you're never going to feel like you're in good enough shape. You're never going to feel like it's the right time. But I can guarantee you that if you come in and do it, it will change your life if you stick with it,” McFarlane said. “I have plenty of testimonials of people that I brought into the sport that will tell you that it's changed their lives in a significantly positive way. It gives you a sense of community and gives you confidence. It's great for fitness and weight loss. Even more, the emotional and mental stability it gives you is second to none.”
Among the many amazing aspects of jiu-jitsu is the diversity of participants across all ages and genders.
“The number of women is growing in it, and we would love to see more women come out,” Sims said. “All classes are currently co-ed, but we will also plan to eventually have women-only classes. I know that a lot of women do feel more comfortable training with women and we plan on having women's only classes to accommodate that.”
Additionally, coming in the new year, GDTW will be offering a Judo program for both children and adults.
“It's going to be a really great complement to not just our gym, but also the community to have someone with that level of training as a judo instructor," McFarlane said.
“I think teaching anything and passing wisdom along in any form or fashion is one of the most fulfilling things that you can do with your life,” Sims said. “I think it's really one of the best things you could do—to be an instructor, teacher, coach, mentor.”
For more information about Ground Dwellers The Woodlands, visit their website, YouTube channel or call 832-349-1603.
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