No Contracts. No Belts.
We are the only non-commercial MMA school in Whatcom County for children, teens and adults.
If you are turned off by the pressure of a commercial school...
If you have ever wanted to:
Locally owned and operated since 2003, UMA offers sessions for Private Lessons and Corporate Training.
For 40 years, Rob Eis has been dedicated to the practice of martial arts. Inspired by live action Japanese superheroes he watched as a child on TV growing up in Hawaii, Rob’s martial arts career began with the study of traditional Shito-ryu and Goju-ryu Karate at the age of 10. By age 15 he was competing internationally and that year he was the youngest member on the U.S. Junior National Karate Team. Since then, he has studied a multitude of styles that he now teaches to others, including Doce Pares Escrima, Shamrock Submission Fighting, Judo, Western Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, JKD concepts, and Muay Thai kickboxing. Learn more
I was impressed, my first day of class, by the informal atmosphere. Everyone is introduced to the program at their own pace according to their abilities and background. There is lots of encouragement, not intimidation. The class time is well structured and makes good use of the time. The instructor uses a broad range of effective but basic and easy to learn techniques that a student puts into action much more quickly than “traditional” schools. My personal reasons for going to this school is that I can get a brisk workout (about as much or as little as I put into it) and learn a skill at the same time. There are no pressures to get to that next rank level. You’ll know if your skills are getting sharper without a new rank to show your friends. After a bad day at work, this is an excellent way to get out those frustrations and get a good nights sleep.
I was with UMA for about a year while I lived in the area. I’d had about 1 year or so of experience prior to joining. I loved that the classes involved people of all fighting skills and that you’re training with all different sizes and ages. It makes for a very well-rounded training experience. Rob takes extra time with newer individuals to help you get on track with the current students. I felt at home from day 1! I wish that more gyms would utilize this setting. You have a structured class plan, a friendly and professional environment that is set up by a very knowledgeable and passionate instructor. Rob even took time during class when learning new moves to show me how it would be relevant from a police officer perspective. I have and continue to recommend this class to just about anyone in that area that has mentioned having an interest in martial arts. If you’re into fitness, want to learn self-defense, or have a higher risk job where continuing to hone your defensive tactics is absolutely necessary, UMA is a perfect choice.
Getting in shape has been a battle for me most of my life. I have gone through spurts of regular jogging, lifting, and trying to eat healthier, but it always seemed to taper off at some point, due to an illness or some other stress in my life, and I found myself back at square one, back in my old eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. After a few weeks of class at UMA, I noticed that not only did I feel healthier and in better shape, I was actually looking forward to going to class and working out. Learning about self-defense has made getting in shape a secondary outcome, and my newfound optimism about working out doesn’t come from looking healthier, but from the fact that I know I’m developing toughness, mental discipline, and valuable skills.