For more than 15 years, Adam Marburger dreamed of having his own martial arts academy. It has finally been realized this year as Alton Family Martial Arts & Fitness.
Marburger teamed up with the Nautilus gym to offer Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, kickboxing, cardio kickboxing, and children’s martial arts.
Marburger has been training in martial arts since he was 17 and has trained with luminaries such as Steve Berger, Kyle Watson, Jesse Finney, Jon Menke, Scott Ventimiglia, and Brad Jones. He has traveled the country competing in the world’s largest Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments and is a top competitor.
Classes are open to all skill levels and children’s classes are available to all ages. They have expert instructors who are passionate about sharing their knowledge of martial arts and fitness. Marburger, along with managing the gym, will instruct Brazilian jiu-jitsu. George Stanich will teach judo and children’s martial arts and is a world-class seventh-rank dan who has been training, teaching, and competing in judo all over the world for the last 50 years. Cort Wahle is also an instructor for children’s martial arts as well as kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He is a charismatic taekwondo black belt who has been teaching children’s martial arts for several years and a professional mixed martial arts fighter. Energetic Alton native Ginny Yost, a lifelong martial artist and black belt in taekwondo, will teach cardio kickboxing.