competition that really stood out,” said Scales. “The main instructor, his name is Andre Pederneiras. Moments before I stepped on the mat, he walked in, pulled up a chair, and said, ‘Let’s go.’ He’s the grandfather of the entire team, and for him to come in and sit down and show me that support was extra strength. “I ended up beating the guy. It was a huge accomplishment and that skyrocketed me into this world-class grappler.” By 2004, Scales was incorporating conditioning, striking, and wrestling into his training routine. That year, in Alberta, he competed in his first mixed martial arts event. By 2006 he had a 4-0 MMA amateur record. It was at that point that he took the discipline to another level. “We were training anywhere and everywhere – churches, school basements, restaurant basements – anywhere we could throw a mat,” said Scales. “After travelling places and seeing other facilities, I thought we needed that here. The first thing I did was create a place to train comfortably.” Scales opened Complete Martial Arts and Fitness. It began as a place where he and his friends could train, and has grown into a successful business that invites participants of all levels of experience to train and compete in BJJ and MMA. Many people have misconceptions about mixed martial arts. Scales is hoping to develop it into a more familiar sport, making people aware of what it involves, and showcasing his students who compete. Some of his students are strictly involved in BJJ while others gravitate towards MMA, which incorporates much of BJJ as a foundation. “It’s a necessity,” he said. “(UFC fighter) Royce Gracie brought (BJJ) onto the map. Everybody needs to know some sort of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in order to be successful in MMA... Nowadays you’re slowly seeing more guys competing or fighting more of a stand-up fight, and what it boils down to is they nullified their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu backgrounds – they’re at the same level and have stalemated each other, so they’re going to focus on the striking portion.” MMA is beginning to receive more respect, which is important, as that’s what the discipline fundamentally includes. Scales sees training in martial arts as both a way to keep fit and, for some, a means to compete. It depends on the objectives of the students. Bill Beaudry had been training in krav maga and was looking for something different. He had known Scales for some time and decided to train with him at Complete Martial Arts and Fitness. It wasn’t long before he was winning competitions in BJJ, and won a gold medal at the Riu Open in Brazil. “At the school, everybody gets along, is supportive of each other, and it’s a really good environment that way,” Beaudry said. “AJ’s really laid back and he’ll crack jokes and make
everybody feel comfortable.” There are many degrees of abilities and goals at the school, Beaudry added, but it’s possible for everyone to find a perfect fit. “Once they (begin), they get addicted to it,” said Scales of his students, who he refers to as supermen and superwomen as they arrive from their day jobs and exchange their street clothes to gis. “It’s a bit of a rush, its adrenaline.” Scales now competes in BJJ about four times a year – at Copa Sask, the Riu Open, the Pan American Championships, and the Abu Dhabi Trials in Montreal. He also hosts Saturday Night Fights for his MMA students at least twice a year. But it’s more than just the competition for him and his students. There are many other benefits that people do not at first realize. “It’s amazing what martial arts can do for people,” he said. “They’re exercising; their energy levels are over the top. They’re being more productive in their everyday jobs and lives. They’re more disciplined. The list goes on.” And what’s next for Scales? “My biggest goal is to create a market for (martial arts) again,” said Scales. “Let everybody know there are other outlets. Students from five years old to 50 years old come in for different reasons but at the end of the day, they are all learning pretty much the same thing. You don’t do martial arts just to do it. You come and you set goals for yourself.”
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