MOSES LAKE – Matthias Kalmbach, a junior at Moses Lake High School, is nearing his sixth year at Freewind Martial Arts. Now a dedicated student and instructor, it all started as something that looked interesting at a Halloween Walk Around.  

“I noticed they had a punching bag out with a Michael Myers mask on, and I was like, ‘Hey, that looks pretty interesting. I'd like to try that.’ So, a few months later, I did, and then we went straight through COVID,” Kalmbach said.  

However, despite the pandemic causing several disruptions to normalcy, it did not prevent Kalmbach from pursuing his new interest. He attended online classes and said that a lot of content had to be revisited once in person classes returned. According to Kalmbach, since the classes were online, some things could not be learned to their fullest.  

“I remember I had to relearn a lot of things, not only because they were changed a bit, but also because I didn't learn them to the fullest. I didn't learn the intensity of it,” he said. “I did feel more motivated, not only because I had other people around me, but I had an instructor in person.” 

He said the discipline he had to learn is a significant part of what drew him to martial arts. Freewind Martial Arts has five tenets they live by. Courtesy, integrity, perseverance, indomitable spirit and self-control.  

According to Kalmbach, self-control has played a big part in his daily life since joining the studio. At Moses Lake High School, he is a percussionist in the band and throws javelin for the Track and Field team.  

“I have to use that self-control while we're marching and during the concerts, so that I don't, you know, mess up the whole thing,” he said.  

In addition to self-control, Kalmbach said courtesy might be the tenet he most relates to. He said he aims to be a kind person and treat others how he would like to be treated, just like his dad would say.  

According to Freewind instructor Brandi Guertin, learning martial arts at the studio is more than just learning a skill, it’s about creating yourself. She said it’s about embodying the five tenets in their daily lives, something she said Kalmbach does exceptionally well.  

“He's got a really good way of being instructive and direct but still being courteous. He treats everyone with the same respect, whether they're younger or older or male or female or anything in between,” Guertin said.  

Though he has come a long way since joining, Kalmbach notices how martial arts have shaped him as a person. As he’s progressed, he helps with instruction in the studio, a responsibility students obtain as they move up in rank. He noted a few changes in the way he approached the world in his daily life.  

“I was always a bit quicker to anger than I usually am now, and I'd like to goof around in class a lot, not enough to get me in trouble. After joining free wind as I started to mellow down a bit more, because I can’t do that in the dojo, because I have to lead by example,” Kalmbach said. 

Kalmbach is a green with white belt at Freewind. He said he welcomed the responsibility of instructing newer students when his instructors asked him to. He said he enjoys passing along knowledge to other students.  

He said his favorite element of martial arts is the weapons forms, nunchucks in particular. He recalled a video he likes to review from time to time where an instructor goes through a basic movement.  

“It’s over your shoulder, grab switch to the other hand, and then you just kind of repeat that a bit. There's a flying kick in there, then he spins,” he said.  

Kalmbach praised Freewind for being an inclusive place where people can learn and grow without the constraints of daily life. He said while it may not be for everyone, it's a great place to find kind people to be around.  

“Everyone there is really nice, really kind, very courteous, and while it may not be for everyone, we still help everyone learn, we're very inclusive and it's just really nice to be around everyone else and kind of get away from your day to day,” Kalmbach said.  

    Matthias Kalmbach going through a nunchuck movement at the Battle on the Columbia tournament last August. Kalmbach said martial arts has helped him a lot with discipline in his daily life.
  

    Matthias Kalmbach kicking over a staff in the Freewind Martial Arts studio. Kalmbach is a green with white belt and helps instruct while at the studio. It’s a responsibility most students take on as they rank up.