Business & Tech

'It's Good for You': Port Man Opens Martial Arts School

Seamless Progression Academy of Martial Arts teaches courses for adults and children, including Jiu-Jitsu and Ginastica Natural — a practice that the business owner says is like "a little bit of medicine."

As a second-grader, Benjamin Salas recalls telling his mother about an interest in learning kung fu or ballet — he didn't care which, but he knew that both could teach him skills that would help him protect people.

Ballet, he reasoned, would give him the strength to hold people in the air and avoid fighting; martial arts would allow him to fight like they do in the movies.

And thus Salas was enrolled in martial arts, a move that would spark a lifelong love of the practice and recently inspired the opening of a new business in Port Washington's downtown: Seamless Progression Academy of Martial Arts.

"This is, to me, like a dream come true — to be able to open up a community (martial) arts school," Salas said.

The space at 307 N. Franklin St. includes a 21-foot monkey bar equipped with a suspension system, heavy bags, resistance bands, swiss balls and top-of-the-line floor mats. A television mounted to the wall acts as a teaching tool, allowing Salas to pull up videos that offer examples as a way to coach the moves. The building formerly housed retailer Mobocracy.

Salas' business will teach courses for adults and children in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kenpo Karate, Filipino Eskrima, and Ginastica Natural.

Jiu-Jitsu is form of martial arts that has been gaining popularity recently, and Salas is confident that trend will click in Port.

"I think we'll get a lot of interest in it because it's proven itself as an effective discipline," he said. 

Ginastica Natural is a form of exercise that utilizes body weight to increase the quality of life, Salas said, and offers a wide application base from heavy weight trainers to physical therapy.

"Like a little bit of medicine, I put it there because it's good for you," Salas said, on adding ginastica exercises before the kid's Jiu-Jitsu classes.

Salas — who was born in Oshkosh but lives in Port with his wife who is a native of the city — is glad to be joining Port's downtown, pointing to a growing number of fitness-oriented of store fronts now in the area that his business fits right in with, such as Zu Zu Pedals, Impact Dance Studio and Physical Enhancement Services  — to name a few.

"This community, a number of years back, the downtown didn't look very fresh," he said. "Now, it's lively."

Seamless Progression Academy of Martial Arts opened July 1, and plans to expand the business in phases as interest grows. For more, contact Salas at 262-235-2620 or e-mail seamlessprogressionacademy@gmail.com.


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