A brief history on the Nantucket Martial Arts Alliance. Learn about the dedicated community, how the training space was built, and the challenges they faced in pursuit of the “gentle art”.
On the island of Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts. There’s a place that exists outside of team-sports. Where there are no players, only practitioners and all losses are viewed as lessons. At Nantucket Martial Arts Alliance, an island native by the name of Jules Embry-Pelrine is trying to realize his dream of running his own martial arts school and creating an atmosphere of mentorship. NMAA opened its doors over the summer of 2019 and in this post you’ll learn what it took to reach that milestone.
( Read to the end for ways to contact NMAA )
Jules has been involved in martial arts since he was a kid, receiving his black belt in Tae Kwon Do at a young age. But, it wasn’t until his high school senior year that a former Tae Kwon Do instructor named John Hallett introduced him to Krav Maga. Jules trained with Hallett during school breaks throughout his time in college. Leading up to graduation, Hallett unexpectedly decided to leave the island of Nantucket to pursue opportunities elsewhere. With Jules at a juncture and nowhere to continue his training, they parted ways as friends. That’s when a training partner of Jules, named Steve Tornovish offered his commercial property to use as a Krav Maga studio. Being an active police officer, Tornovish understood the value of this type of training. Thanks to Tornovish, Jules could now progress in his instruction. When Hallett left, there was only one other certified instructor available. Shortly after resuming his martial lessons, Jules went to phase-training and gained his certification of instruction for Krav Maga. Tornovish earned his and they both began teaching regularly. In 2012, Jules received his blue belt in another martial art called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It was granted from a student of Terrinha Draculino Team BJJ, named Germano Chatti. He’s a black belt under the tutelage of professor Carlos Terrinha. A multiple time world champion, whose organization includes schools across New England. Knowing ones lineage in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is important, its arguably the most effective martial art in existence and continues to advance at a staggering pace. Most other systems of fighting have slowed in progress or ceased altogether. Their practitioners relying on athleticism, mastery of well established tools, techniques & patterns for success. BJJ focuses on understanding core concepts which can be endlessly applied through different filters of creativity & disability. Knowing ones place in the fast moving stream of grappling history anchors the practitioner in time. Helping them understand the evolution of the movements seen today. Jules is able to trace his lineage to a direct root of BJJ knowledge. Carlos Gracie Jr, whose father and uncle together invented the entire fighting system being studied. Jules loved teaching, and the desire to make it a full time pursuit became paramount. He grew up hearing his father expound the values of mentorship and education. The impact an instructor or mentor might have on someones life is long-lasting. Like the bonds Jules formed as a youth leader at Strong Wings adventure school in Nantucket. To this day the kids speak of him as a legend, influencing the next generation.
“Almost immediately, new challenges presented themselves”
Challenges came from unexpected angles. In 2014, Steve Tornovish needed to step away from Krav Maga and make use of his commercial property for other endeavors. Left again with nowhere to train, Jules began his search for new accommodations. Locations used for training became increasingly unreliable. Suddenly, scheduling issues were a constant hurdle, preventing classes from even being planned. Jules worked out a deal with the local VFW, letting him use their space to practice. He also arranged a handful of backup locations the team could use to create a DIY studio.
Almost immediately, new challenges presented themselves. Receiving Same-day notifications, for last minute changes in availability became normal. Soon after, Jules was frequently forced to cancel classes due to the unpredictable schedule. This added up to many lost training days. Even worse, there’d be times where the venue would force a change before the guys even finished warming up for practice. Leaving everyone confused and frustrated or arriving just in time to hear the bad news. When the dream of teaching & leaving his day-job behind couldn’t seem any further away, his most reliable training venue began bumping his reservations. Moving the schedule around in a way that’s impossible to plan for.
“Operating from a fairly small budget, he figured there’d be at least one place to fit his needs”
Instead of being discouraged, Jules vowed to have his own training space. Free from any influence beyond his control. From there, he consistently put out “feelers”; calls to agents and lots of asking around town, to find what might be out there? Operating from a fairly small budget, he figured there’d be at least one place to fit his needs. In his mind, a location big enough to practice in, mid-island, roughly ten minutes from the center of town would be a win. Fortunately, that’s when a newspaper listing for a rental space would offer the perfect starting point for Jules. By the middle of summer 2019, he had the keys in hand and now needed to make NMAA a reality. The location is a small office space that Jules chose to convert into his studio! After tearing out cabinets, installing training mats and a lot of elbow-grease later, Jules finally stood in the front door of his own martial arts studio. This new studio marks the outset of the next chapter in Nantucket Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Krav Maga.
If you want to reach the Nantucket Martial Arts Alliance or Jules Embry-Pelrine, just reach out on the website NantucketMartialArts.com or any of the channels below.
Website: www.nantucketmartialarts.com
Email: nantucketmartialarts@gmail.com
Facebook: Nantucket Martial Arts Alliance on Facebook
Address: 3B Windy Way, Nantucket, MA 02554
Tel: 508–332–9797
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