Local family fights in national martial arts competition
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

Matt, Heather, Morgan and Kyle Purkiss

His students might be surprised to know that outside of Mesa Verde Middle School in Moorpark teacher Matt Purkiss and his family are eskrima champions.

A martial arts form from the Philippines, eskrima uses sticks, not swords, to fight. The name Eskrima comes from the Spanish word esgrima, which means fencing.

Purkiss, who teaches language arts and physical education, his wife, Heather, and their twin sons, Morgan and Kyle, study eskrima together several times a week at a studio in Oxnard near their home. The boys, who are eighthgraders at Mesa Verde, are brown belts, Matt is a green belt, and Heather is a second-degree blue belt.

The family participated in the national championships in Pomona in February, which attracted about 700 participants from throughout the United States. In order to qualify for nationals, athletes had to place first or second in their regional competitions. At nationals, the family competed in solo forms in traditional and self-choreographed styles; in fighting using one or two sticks; and in team fighting, during which three people take turns fighting one another.

Matt earned second place overall; Heather and the boys also won second place awards in their individual competitions. All four qualified for the world championships to be held in the Philippines in July.

"I think we were the first-ever family to compete in nationals and the first family from the United States to qualify for the world championships," Heather said.

In preparation for the national championships the family trained together six days a week.

"Most families don't have this opportunity to do the same activity together. It makes me feel really lucky," Morgan said. "I love how quick eskrima is compared to other sports. Eskrima has fluid motions that look really cool."

Eskrima moves involve mainly the upper body, making it easy to learn, according to Heather.

"The primary thing you need is determination. You can train the coordination into someone," she said. "It's a great workout. On top of doing stick drills you're doing sit-ups, cardio, an all-over workout."

Athletes wear a full body pad; a padded helmet with mesh grill in front; pads around the elbow, forearm and knees; and lacrosse gloves to protect hands. The sticks the Purkiss family uses are rattan, which can hurt, but not too badly, according to Heather.

"The nice thing about rattan is that it breaks down so it softens up when used," she said.

Heather and Matt first heard about eskrima 14 years ago when a studio opened in the Camarillo gym they used to own. But it wasn't until nearly three years ago that they actually began taking classes. Morgan and Kyle enrolled first. Their parents joined six months later after seeing how much fun the boys were having.

"I love the challenge, the thrill, and the people who do it. I enjoy the speed of fighting and the control of forms," Kyle said.

The Purkiss family will be helping to host the next competition on March 29 at the Boys & Girls Club in Camarillo. Eskrima students from the age of 6 to senior citizens will compete in forms and fighting.

"It's really nice to be doing something active, physical and disciplined," Heather said.

Being active is nothing new for the Purkiss family. Matt and Heather were elite gymnasts during middle and high school in Orange County. Matt was a national level gymnast who qualified for NCAA finals at Cal State Fullerton. The couple continues to coach at the Camarillo studio they once owned and their sons take gymnastics classes there. Matt has taught at Mesa Verde for six years.

"It's important for Matt's students to see that physical fitness doesn't stop with PE or when you're out of school," Heather Purkiss said. "We really feel that goal setting is important to kids and that seeing adults still doing what they preach is a lesson in itself. "