Thank you for taking the time to visit the Summerside Martial Arts Academy (SMAA) website. SMAA was founded in Jan 2018 by UFC Athlete Jason Saggo. Our goal is to instill attitudinal qualities that will assist our members in achieving positive life goals through martial arts, while strengthening their bodies and minds in the process. We offer classes in self-defence, MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai, kids martial arts (ages 4 – 14), women’s only self-defense and strength and conditioning. We also offer private lessons, AMAZING birthday parties and dry-land training for local sports teams. Whether your goal is to lead a healthier more active lifestyle or to start your journey in Martial Arts – SMAA is for you. Our school is focused on delivering the highest qualities standard of black belt excellence and instruction to our students. You are welcome to drop in anytime and try a free week trial on us.
Famously known as the art of eight weapons, Muay Thai (“MT”) is an ancient form of combat that originated in Thailand. A powerful art that employs clinch (upper body) throws, punches, kicks, knees and elbows, MT forms a key part of the Thai cultural identity and is a source of great national pride. Thai fighters generally start their careers at an early age, usually fighting full contact by the age of 8 or 9, and successful fighters often have 300+ fights before retiring.
Because its techniques are so devastating, MT is often considered by outsiders to be a particularly brutal form of striking. However, MT, as it is practiced in Thailand, is a very precise art and requires a great deal of skill, patience and control. Because they generally train 6 hours each day, and often fight weekly, you will never see Thai fighters sparring aggressively with each other in practice. Rather, they exchange incredibly powerful strikes with control, precision and huge smiles on their faces.
In recent years, Muay Thai has become very popular in the West, most notably in Europe, where the Dutch school of kickboxing has combined many Thai techniques with Western footwork and boxing. MT, when combined with Western Boxing, is generally considered the best foundational striking art for MMA.
