Jiu-jitsu studio opens in Owatonna

CLASSES The Flow Lab is located at 2300 Park Drive, and offers evening classes for kids and adults Monday through Friday. For more information, including a full class schedule, visit theflowlabowatonna.com or call 507-200-0191. a18d324c-5c10-4e84-9474-275402d3b97f

Whether they came out on top of their matches or ended up pinned to the mat, the first students of The Flow Lab walked away with smiles on their faces.

The newly opened martial arts studio teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a combat sport growing in popularity around the world. The Flow Lab celebrated its opening day Monday in Owatonna, bringing a longtime dream to life for Head Coach Matt Lumsden, of St. Peter.

“The support has been insane. I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve been nervous all week, but I’m just really excited that we finally got here. It’s a lot of hard work, so to see it start to pay off is just really awesome,” said Lumsden.

Lumsden first explored jiu-jitsu in high school as a way to get fit. He hated weight lifting, but found the martial art was more his speed. He fell out of the habit after his then-coach was injured, but picked it up again in 2019 and hasn’t stopped training since.

“I have sort of an obsessive personality. It used to be video games. This is a lot healthier to focus into,” said Lumsden.

While many martial arts focus on kicks and punches, Lumsden said jiu-jitsu puts greater emphasis on grappling and wrestling. While it’s primarily a sport and a form of exercise, he sees it as a good way to build practical self-defense skills as well.

After a year of training, he began assisting his coach with teaching some of the newcomers, discovering a passion for coaching in the process. He found himself at a crossroads, faced with a choice to pursue jiu-jitsu with all his energy or focus on a career in software engineering.

Lumsden described himself as “all in” — coaching is his only job now. In opening the Flow Lab, he has the support of business partners Jose Carlos Lima and Ali Lundgren, the owners of Kato Jiu Jitsu in Mankato. He previously trained under Lima, who has earned honors at jiu-jitsu tournaments around the world. The Flow Lab is part of the Brazil-based Grappling Fight Team, which has jiu-jitsu schools around the world.

Lumsden, who hails from Georgia, came to Minnesota after meeting his wife Aly online. Aly, a teacher in New Prague, said martial arts isn’t her “cup of tea,” but she helps out with some administrative tasks and is happy to see him living his dream.

On opening day, he also had support from several members of DNA Jiu Jitsu, an affiliate gym in Minneapolis where he’s also trained. David Soto, the instructor at DNA, described how he’s seen Lumsden grow through sparring matches.

“One time he caught me,” said Soto. “I started stepping it up, but every time he came back way better, way stronger, way more knowledgeable. Which means he did his job. He went back, checked himself, gathered his thoughts and then applied it again to the mat. I always tell this to everybody — how you deal with jiu-jitsu is how you’re going to deal outside with your life.”

Soto congratulated Lumsden on taking his “first step” to something bigger, predicting the studio would outgrow its current home in time.

Uziel Paz, of Owatonna, signed up as one of the studio’s early members after the session. Paz said he has a bit of martial arts experience, but is looking to learn more. For him, jiu-jitsu is a way to ward off health problems that run in his family.

“I need to make sure I stay in shape, really do something. I’m not a big gym guy. I need something more mental, more physical,” said Paz.

Facing off against more experienced students proved to be a valuable learning experience for him.

“He beat me, but he was really helpful. Harsh, but good,” he said.

As Lumsden sees it, sparring with someone is more like working out with a gym buddy than facing off against an opponent. He said jiu-jitsu forges bonds between students, and that people in the sport are friendly and helpful to each other.

“We can beat each other up on the mat, but when we get off we’re going to leave together, we’re going to get a drink together. It builds lifelong friendships,” said Lumsden.

In addition to staying fit and building camaraderie, he said jiu-jitsu is a good way to grow in confidence — not confidence based in fighting ability, but confidence that comes from testing and proving one’s endurance.

The Flow Lab has classes for kids and adults. While adults typically come eager to learn the intricacies of jiu-jitsu, Lumsden said he aims to engage younger students by making lessons feel like games.

Eduardo Downar, 13, and Dominic Arvizu, 12, both part of the contingent from DNA, were grappling against each other on the mat alongside the adults on Monday night.

“You get exercise and you get better at defending yourself,” said Downar, on the benefits of jiu-jitsu.

“Another point of it is just for fun,” added Arvizu. “It’s tiring but it’s also exciting.”

Lumsden encouraged people to reach out if they’re interested in joining a class. He said he’ll be tailoring his classes for students with and without a gi, the uniform worn in martial arts including jiu-jitsu and karate, but owning one would be helpful for students in the future.