Page 33 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2016

ALAN BELCHER’S
5 UNEXPECTED, LIFE-ALTERING EFFECTS OF MARTIAL ARTS:
NUMBER 1:
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
NUMBER 2:
GREATER CONCENTRATION
NUMBER 3:
A WELCOMING, SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY NUMBER 4:
GET INTO AWESOME SHAPE NUMBER 5:
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, HAVE FUN
take chances,” Alan Belcher says. “I’ve made my career successful due to the direction and encouragement of both my parents and support of my lovely wife.”
Alan Belcher turned pro in 2005. He met his future wife Ashlee at a kickboxing tournament on the Mississippi Gulf Coast while he was living in Atlanta.
He moved down shortly afterward, opened his gym in early 2006 and fought his first UFC fight a few months later. Being established with his martial arts teaching, he and Ashlee married in late 2007 and enjoy three beautiful children —Savannah, Ava, and Eli.
Belcher did quite well in the UFC, with a total overall professional record of 18 wins - 6 losses. He ranked third in the nation in the middle-weight division, and decided to retire from the UFC in 2015 to focus on the students at his gym.
Achieving such a feat takes a tremendous amount of discipline, dedication and sacrifice. Being rewarded with decent purses and incredible bonuses, he was able to open bigger locations on the Coast, his largest being in D’Iberville, Alan Belcher MMA Club. The “club” is an 8000-square-foot facility, which is more than adequate for his 1100 students. With the great response, he now has a second location in Gulfport.
Belcher has set up seminars with top- rated instructors to teach better ways
to train and stay motivated. He and
his instructors teach a wide variety of different martial arts techniques. Muay Thai kick boxing, Brazilian Ju Jitsu and mixed martial arts are the most popular.
“The kickboxing classes are action- packed from start to finish,” said 37-year-old Apryl Hall. “It’s much more engaging than going to a regular gym. It’s fun and I get a total body workout in 45 minutes. It’s the best workout I have ever had and surprisingly it wasn’t intimidating like I thought. It doesn’t matter if you’ve just started like I have, or been going for a long time. The only competition I feel in class is with myself —am I getting faster, stronger, and more accurate? I tell my friends to do the trial and see why I rave about it.”
Students range from 2 years to 68 years. MMA is a sport for people of all ages and physical condition.
This month Alan Belcher MMA Club will celebrate its 10-year anniversary. If you’d like to learn more about why MMA is among the fastest growing sports and how you can stretch your abilities and improve your well-being, contact Alan Belcher MMA CLUB at 228.392.0034 or www.alanbelchermmaclub.com.
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net January 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 33
LEFT: ALAN BELCHER relaxes with wife, Ashlee, son Eli and daughters Savannah and Ava. MIDDLE: CELEBRATING its 10-year anniversary, Alan Belcher MMA Club teaches all ages, with students ranging from 2 years to 68 years.