Eric Kilstrom and co-host Sawana welcome Keith, owner and head instructor of Combative Concepts Martial Arts, an academy tucked into the Anthem Outlets near Ralph Lauren. Keith traces a lifelong pull toward the martial arts that finally became real at seventeen, when he sold personal belongings to cover his first lessons. Raised in Montclair, California, he found in training both a way to stay safe and a lasting sense of purpose.
Most of the conversation centers on why he teaches. Keith describes watching shy teenagers grow into confident young people, and he argues that the discipline keeps adults learning long after school ends. He answers parents worried about violence, explaining that his classes stress character, responsibility, and calm over aggression. He also walks through a blended curriculum of boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and Filipino styles, and shares how a realtor’s video convinced his family to make Anthem their home in 2020.
Key takeaways
- Combative Concepts Martial Arts sits at the Anthem Outlets in Suite 880, across from Ralph Lauren, where Children's Place used to be.
- Keith started training at 17 after selling personal items to afford his first lessons, and grew up in Montclair, California, near Ontario and Pomona.
- The academy blends many styles, including boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and Filipino martial arts, so students can handle standing, ground, and weapon situations.
- Classes run Monday through Friday, with morning fitness bag sessions from 6:00 to 8:30 a.m., kids classes at 5:00 p.m., and three adult classes each evening.
- Keith stresses character, discipline, and calm over violence, and he encourages newcomers to try a free first class to see if the academy is a good fit.
- The gym runs kids summer camps, and Keith, who met his wife through martial arts, chose Anthem in 2020 after his family fell in love with a realtor's video of the community.
Related: More Eye on Anthem episodes