Team Fusion opened in West Plains in 2021, and five years later, owner JJ Speake says the jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts gym has grown well beyond what he expected when he and his team first "got our boots in the mud."
On a recent weeknight, roughly 35 kids and 25 adults filled the gym for training — a fairly average turnout, Speake said. On the gym's busiest nights, the kids' class can swell to 45 students, with up to 35 adults training alongside them. Between everyone who trains regularly, Speake estimates Team Fusion now has about 120 active members.
To accommodate that growth, the gym recently relocated from 220 N. Kentucky Ave. to 1736 S. U.S. 63, just over a tenth of a mile past the ZZ Highway junction.
While the facility has changed, the mission has not. Speake has plenty of stories about members who walked in one person and walked out another. One who sticks with him is a close friend, Roman Young.
"He took jiu jitsu and used it to change around his whole life," Speake said. "Now he's heavily involved in all the good things in life. I think it's done him a crazy amount of good."
That physical and mental transformation is a core part of the gym's philosophy.
"You're tougher than you think you are," Speake said. "Adversity can be used as a tool to craft your life and make you a more resilient person. It kind of teaches you that the grind and hard work will get you places that a lot of other things won't."
Speake is the only black belt currently on Team Fusion's roster, but he doesn't expect that to last. He noted several members are closing in on the rank, and he's hoping to promote the gym's first homegrown black belts within the next five years, while also doubling overall membership.
For readers who've never set foot on a mat, Speake's message is simple: Give it a shot.
"Jiu jitsu might sound like something you never do, but just give it a try," Speake said. "I can't count how many people that I've had come in and they thought there would never be something for them. And it ended up changing their whole life. Now it's every part of their life. They can't go a day without it."
Team Fusion Class Schedule
Mondays & Wednesdays: Kids Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) at 6 p.m.; Adults BJJ at 7 p.m.
Tuesdays & Thursdays: Boxing/Kickboxing at 4 p.m.; Mixed Martial Arts at 7 p.m.
Tuesdays only: Women's Boxing/Kickboxing at 6 p.m.
Fridays: Kids BJJ (no gi) at 5 p.m.; Adults BJJ (no gi) at 6 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays: Open mat (no gi) at noon.
For more information, call 417-293-2860 or follow "Team Fusion West Plains" on Facebook for schedule updates.
