From traveling around the West with a band of mixed martial artists to being inducted into a hall of fame, Travis Davison had a busy summer.
The local Straight Blast Gym of Montana owner and coach recently sat down for a much-needed break and talked about the whirlwind summer that’s now in the rearview mirror.
Davison, 37, recently was nominated to the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame in Grand Rapids, Mich. Kevin Moore, who has been inducted as well, nominated Davison because of his integrity and passion for the sport, he said.
“Here we’ve got a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor who is nationally acclaimed and recognized,” Moore said. “That’s rare, especially in Montana.”
Tom Jordan of Libby, John Paul Noyes, who owns Big Sky Martial Arts, and Dennis Bain, who referees local MMA events, are other local members from Montana to be in the Hall of Fame.
A longtime competitor and coach, Davison has been a big proponent of mixed martial arts not just in the valley but across the Northwest since moving to town in 2006.
“We’re getting a little bit closer to that ultimate goal of putting Kalispell and Montana on the map for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, amateur boxing and mixed martial arts,” he said.
Davison stays busy taking traveling teams across the West to competitions. Because of the growing success and popularity of these teams, Davison and others have started an independent non-profit organization called the Gorilla Booster Club. The club will have an independent board of directors, he said, and will be a way for people to help kids and adults cover travel costs for future events.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had an adult tell me, ‘This is the first time I’ve been on an airplane’ or, ‘This is the first time I’ve been out of Montana,’” Davison said. “Jiu-Jitsu has provided a lot, not just in terms of the martial art that they’re learning, but also for the social life they’re building and the experiences they’re getting to have.
“I know there’s kids and adults that want to do it but haven’t been able to financially. We’re hoping this will provide an opportunity for people who deserve it but haven’t been able to on their own.”
Corrected: Tom Jordan of Libby is a member of the Hall of Fame also.