At the most critical points in our lives, there has been someone who saw us as our best badass self, even when we couldn’t. It’s at those exact critical points, when the odds are stacked against you and your back is up against a wall, that you need people around you, cheering you on and holding you up.

A lot of times in our life, that support has come from coaches and teammates in a martial arts gym who believed in us, saw the best in us and encouraged us on through even unimaginable situations. It’s the experience of martial arts that shows us what we’re capable of and how powerful we are, even when we don’t feel like that’s true, and it’s the community around us who makes it really, really hard to give up on ourselves because they are not giving up on us.

They held that confidence for us when we couldn’t find it.

Now it’s our turn to do that for you.

That’s why Equip Academy exists. Portland is increasingly chaotic and unexpected. Life happens and sometimes you face things you never thought you would. It’s in those times that being surrounded by badass people who believe in you and your potential really matters.

It’s never too late to believe in yourself. It’s never too late to find out how powerful you actually are. Badass eras start today, from right where you are. The first step is to come in. It’s not always easy, but we can guarantee it will be worth it.

—Ish & Macie, founders and owners of Equip Academy