Columbus, GA/ Fort Benning

     I know it’s been a bit since I have posted but I have been stationary in Columbus, GA, for the past month or so. Now that I am back on the road and traveling more, I am planning on making the posts more frequently.

     Columbus in located along the Georgia and Alabama border and it a fairly large city on the banks of the Chatahoochee River. I lived in Columbus previously, for about two and half years, and returned to help a close friend prepare for an upcoming Mixed Martial Arts fight (hence the reason I was there so long). I really enjoy this town, and when it is time for us to stop traveling and settle down, it’s a pretty safe bet that I will return to this area.

     The uptown district, what most would call downtown, is riddled with numerous shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs. On weekend mornings there is a pretty nice farmer’s market, which offers all kids of local produce and handmade crafts. The rest of Columbus is kind of like any other city; there is pretty much any kind of food and entertainment you can think of. I thoroughly enjoy Thai food and my favorite is Thai House. Whenever I am in Columbus it is guaranteed that at some point during my visit, I will be walking through the doors of that small restaurant.

     As I’ve said, Columbus is a fairly large city, third largest in the state of Georgia I believe, and a lot of its population comes from Fort Benning. Fort Benning is a US Army base that is the home of the Infantry; because of this they are home to the National Infantry Museum. The museum is located just outside on of the access gates and is open to the public. I have been through the museum a few times and it is a truly humbling experience.

Standing outside the National Infantry Museum

     Now for the training; while in Columbus I trained at three different locations. Blind Fury BJJ is owned and operated by my friend Jason “Blind Fury” Keaton. He is called “Blind Fury” because he is legally blind, but don’t think that he considers this a handicap. He is an accomplished grappler and has even had a few MMA fights. I always enjoy training with Professor Keaton as we can sit and talk about jiujitsu philosophy and heavy metal after training (in case you’re wondering he is quite versed in both).

After training pic with Professor Keaton (third from right)

     F3 MMA is another gym in Columbus, owned and operated by Joseph “Dark Knight” Creer, a well-known boxer and MMA Fighter on the regional circuits and a BJJ Brown Belt. Every time I walk in his gym I am greeted by the smell of sweat and the sound of gloves hitting their target. I am almost guaranteed to see his young daughter playing with toys or mimicking his movements while shadow boxing. I love his gym, and the people that train there make it a great place to be.

Joe, Brandon, Professor Farris, and myself at F3 after training

     Probably the place that I did most of my training while in Columbus was actually on Ft. Benning. The United States Army Combatives School is located there and they host Fort Benning Jiu Jitsu. Classes are free three nights a week and are open to anyone that has access to the base. Classes are mainly conducted by Professor Tim Farris, a black belt under Matt Larsen and the Alliance lineage. When Professor Farris cannot be there, the classes are run by some of the USACS instructors. I claim USACS as my home gym because it is where my training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu became more serious and I started to get a better grasp of the art.

     One last thing before I wrap this up, while training with Professor Farris for the past month, he saw fit to promote me to the rank of purple belt. Honestly I was not expecting it but am more than happy that I was given the honor.

Professor Farris and I after my promotion

     We left Columbus a couple days ago and hit the road again, so expect to see some more posts from the spots we stop in!!