Training Report: Fifty/50 Martial Arts Academy (Falls Church, VA, USA)

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After a 2-year-long backpacking journey in Asia and Europe, I finally returned to the United States to resume the glorious corporate lifestyle. Don’t worry, I still have countless cities and academies that are still on my bucket list! Before moving back to New York City, I had a pleasure of living like a teenager again while staying with my parents for the summer. Lucky for me, their house is located near the infamous Fifty/50 Academy, and it was one of the most exciting summers spent training and rolling with Fifty/50’s monsters.

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City
Falls Church, Virginia is a suburb of Washington D.C, which is the capital city of the United States bordering Virginia and Maryland.

Overview
Established in 2008, Fifty/50 Martial Arts Academy located in Falls Church, Virginia is headed by Ryan “The Wizard” Hall who received his Black Belt under Felipe Costa. Ryan is not only a professional MMA fighter competing in the featherweight division of the UFC, but also a renowned submission grappler with remarkable records prior to shifting his focus to MMA. The academy currently also has 3 black belt instructors including Adam Benayoun and Jen Hall, whose accomplishments and qualifications speak for themselves. As a martial arts school, the academy also offers striking and wrestling led by NCAA All-American wrestler and active MMA fighters. Besides this formal introduction, I am sure everyone has heard of Ryan Hall and his well-known academy, Fifty/50.

Unlike other gyms I have visited, I had an opportunity to train at the academy for an extended period of time. A few notable things that stood out to me about Fifty/50 are its community and Ryan’s unique teaching style. During the summer, I was regularly attending advanced BJJ classes on Monday and Wednesday nights. There was a tightly-knit group within the academy which welcomed me to its Jiu-Jitsu community, and I instantly felt included although I was simply a visitor at the academy. In addition, I found Ryan’s teaching methodology rather unique. Instead of teaching specific techniques, his focus was to explain concepts through analogies as he encourages his students to explore and apply these concepts to their own games. For example, while teaching a guard, his emphasis was to explain the concept of aligning the body structure, which can be easily translated to other positions and techniques. Then specific techniques that illustrate these concepts followed. Fifty/50 has recently expanded its reach online so if you are interested in checking out Ryan’s teaching style, feel free to check out ryanhallonline.com!

Honestly, I could not ask for more from Ryan, Adam, and the rest of Fifty/50 team during my brief but intense 5 weeks. I have been visiting the academy whenever I am back to see my parents, and I am planning on doing so going forward. My only regret is that I did not start training early enough to be a part of Fifty/50 while I was in high school living in northern Virginia. If you happen to be in D.C. or northern Virginia, don’t regret later missing out on training and rolling at Fifty/50. With top-notch instructors and athletes in combination with friendly training environment, Fifty/50 will remain one of my favorite academies to visit. Thank you, Ryan, Adam, and the rest of the Fifty/50 family. I will see you guys soon!

Location & Facility
The academy has a massive mat space, which allows for up to two classes to be run simultaneously. Also, the academy offers men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers. Fifty/50 Martial arts academy (929 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046) is located in Falls Church, VA, which is about a 20-minute drive from Washington D.C. (Google Map: Link)

Schedule
Fifty/50 has an extensive schedule with a variety of classes ranging from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to Kickboxing offered everyday so you cannot make any excuses not to train if you are around the area. The academy’s most recent schedule is posted below:

Visitor Pass
The academy welcomes all visitors from any affiliations and offers daily, weekly, and monthly visitor passes that cater towards everyone’s need. Also, discounts are applied to military and law enforcement visitors.

Website — Fifty/50 Martial Arts Academy

Tourist Attractions — Washington D.C.

  • The Washington Monument — Built to honor the nation’s first president, this marble obelisk stands slightly over 555 feet in the center of the grassy National Mall. You should take an elevator to the top for aerial views of Washington D.C.
  • Lincoln Memorial — Located at the western-end of the National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial is another popular tourist destination. At its center is a gigantic giant marble statue of President Abraham Lincoln surrounded by 36 columns which represents states that existed at the time of his death. The memorial is free and open 24 hours so I would highly recommend visiting the attraction after dark when it is lit and less crowded.
  • The Tidal Basin — Bordering monuments and memorials, the Tidal Basin, a man-made reservoir adjacent to the National Mall, is home to thousands of Cherry Trees that were gifted by Japan all around the edge of the water. Every spring, the Tidal Basin is surrounded by a cloud of cherry blossoms luring visitors from all over the world.
  • The White House — Located in the heart of the nation’s capital, the White House is the official residence of the U.S. Presidents and one of the most iconic landmarks in Washington D.C. A trip to D.C. wouldn’t seem complete without getting a glimpse of the White House.
  • Museums — From Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington D.C. is filled with world renowned museums and galleries that will appeal to virtually anyone’s interests. The best part is that all of the Smithsonian museums including the National Zoo are free to the public.