Unbridled Martial Arts | MMA for Fitness & Self-Defense in Bellingham WA

Rob Eis: School Organizer & Instructor

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

Student Testimonials

I first heard about this class from my husband. He had been going to this class for some time and recommended it highly. I wanted a class that would teach me self-defense and give me a good workout at the same time. This turned out to be the class. The instructor is very skilled in teaching self-defense. He teaches techniques that are easily adapted to real life, and is so well organized that he finds time to fit in a great workout. I didn’t have any martial arts experience so I was a little nervous before my first class. Five minutes into the class and that nervousness was put to rest. It is a very friendly atmosphere and geared toward all levels of experience, or non-experience, as in my case. I find the pace very comfortable with lots of encouragement. I feel confident about the skills I’m learning, my fitness level is increasing, and I feel invigorated after each class. This is definitely a class worth recommending.

~ Margie Miller

This is the best, most realistic as well as safest training I’ve ever received in a civilian class. I’ve attended 6 different martial arts classes as a civilian and sat in on dozens of other classes and this is the most realistic training I’ve received outside of the military. It teaches almost all of the same skills as military combatives while being geared toward civilians. It is a very well organized class which teaches a good blend of hand to hand, grappling, and weapons fighting realistically. Because of this I was able to improve on all of the skills I learned while being deployed in Europe for a year. The real tragedy of the class is that so few people seem to realize how great it is.

~ Spc. Patrick Walsh, US Army National Guard

I found Unbridled Martial Arts (UMA) back in 2008. I had looked at some schools online but right away noticed the high price tag. Not only did the schools want high monthly tuition, they also wanted me to sign an annual contract and buy special uniforms. I was discouraged since I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford all that and also I didn’t know how long I’d be staying in Bellingham. Just as I was losing hope of learning MMA, I came across UMA’s website.
I was surprised to see that there was no annual contract to sign nor were there any other hidden fees. I could join the school on month-to-month basis and train three nights a week. If I wanted to stop training, I was able to do so without getting penalized, unlike other schools and gyms that bind you with their annual contract. With UMA’s affordable and reasonable enrollment structure, I must admit I was skeptical of the quality of classes offered but I decided to take a chance.
There were people of all skill levels and all shapes and sizes attending the class. Rob was very organized with his lesson plan. He explained and demonstrated things carefully at a pace that was very easy to follow even for the beginners. When students paired up to work on drills, Rob went around the room giving pointers and assistance where needed.
I am happy that I discovered Unbridled Martial Arts seven years ago. Rob is still expanding the workouts in new and fun ways. UMA is such a comfortable atmosphere where I never feel intimidated by others or out of place. At UMA, students help each other to succeed and progress together instead of beating each other to get ahead of your classmates.
We all take turns cleaning the mats after class instead of expecting our teacher or a janitor to clean them. When I notice my classmates’ progress and my own improvement in class, I’m reminded that when you invest in yourself, your friends, and in the school, everybody gets better. I feel more confident in myself knowing that I have some self-defense knowledge and skills. I know this is a journey that will never end but I sure am glad that I got my start at UMA.