Zach Bender-Kokx, a senior at Western Washington University and lead Jiu Jitsu Instructor at the Wade King Student Recreation Center, has trained in martial arts since his senior year of high school.
“The initial draw was from watching mixed martial arts,” Bender-Kokx said.
Bender-Kokx said that martial arts was a good way for him to dampen insecurities he had growing up in Seattle.
“It makes me feel safer,” Bender-Kokx said. “Small fish in a big pond sort of deal.”
He first tried Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) at Ivan Salaverry MMA in Seattle Washington. Eventually he worked his way up to a teaching position where he taught for two years prior to his move to Bellingham, Washington.
“I originally wanted to start a Jiu Jitsu club,” Bender-Kokx said.
Instead he began talking with the Student Recreation Center Fitness Coordinator, Ron Arnold. Bender-Kokx said that having a reserved time to practice and teach was a big moment for him.
“We have offered Brazilian jiu jitsu for 15 years on and off,” Arnold said. “It is a very inclusive activity that just about anybody can do regardless of their fitness levels.”
Arnold said that unlike a dance class where you can have up to 40 students per instructor, jiu jitsu is highly supervised and very technical.
Two Brazilian jiu jitsu students grapple following a Thursday class at the Wade King Student Recreation Center in Bellingham, Wash., on May 23. According to lead instructor Zach Bender-Kokx, the class was centered around foot sweeps and standing takedowns. // Photo by Ozzy Konez
The Student Recreation Center at Western offers jiu jitsu on Tuesdays and Thursdays and kickboxing classes on Mondays and Wednesdays during the school year.
“I like training at the rec center. It has that comradery that I really like,” Bradley Golden, a Western student and regular BJJ student, said. “I am training with people who are my age and are like me.”
Golden has been training in BJJ since October of 2023 and previously he wrestled in high school and was a boxer for the University of Washington’s boxing team.
“Martial arts is so much more than just fighting,” Golden said. “There is a discipline and bonding that you get through martial arts.”
According to Bender-Kokx, progression in these sometimes uncomfortable positions really builds a solid foundation and improves his life in a meaningful way.
“Being physically humbled really forces you to remind yourself that you are okay,” Bender-Kokx said.
He said that with teaching, he finds a greater sense of self in passing knowledge down to other people.
“Inspiring people and seeing their progression is really meaningful,” Bender-Kokx said.
Bender-Kokx said that generally, the classes at the rec center are very beginner oriented but he has had more than six of his students go on to more advanced martial arts practices in judo, wrestling and jiu jitsu outside of the university.
These classes are offered through the X-Pass and “allow participants to follow repetitive strength and cardio conditioning routines by providing flexible options with unlimited access,” according to Western’s website.
There is a $5 drop-in fee for one-time attendance to any X-pass class. For an 11-week pass, it’s $45 for unlimited access to classes.
Instructor Zach Bender-Kokx is demonstrating the most effective submissions following a rolling takedown at the Wade King Student Recreation Center in Bellingham, Wash., on May 23. In this instance, Bender-Kokx said it was a toe hold or knee bar. // Photo by Ozzy Konez
Ozzy Konez is a sports and recreation reporter for The Front. He is a third-year Visual Journalism major and a member of the Western Tennis Club. Outside of school, you can find him working at the local tennis club, cooking, hiking or at the student rec center. The best place to contact him is at ozzykonez.thefront@gmail.com.
