Husband and wife team Michelle and David Matthew Eddy have crafted a fit family of four and hope to build such families throughout Brookhaven with Knuckleheadz Jufitsu & MMA Studio.

Knuckleheadz, located in a shed-turned-studio behind the Eddy’s home at 106 Shadyside St., was started in October 2014. The Eddys moved from Huntsville, Alabama to Brookhaven four years ago.

Knuckleheadz offers martial arts and fitness classes for men, women and children. Michelle and David teach kickboxing, ju-jitsu, fitness and self-defense techniques.

“He does the Ju-Jitsu, and I do the fitness,” Michelle said.

She teaches pilates and yoga techniques.

David has 20 years of martial arts training and experience and a black belt in Ju-Jitsu. Michelle got into kickboxing through her husband and their son, DJ Daniel, 10.

“I used to be well over 230 pounds,” Michelle said. “I lost 65 pounds all because of training and kickboxing.”

Before the Eddys started Knuckleheadz they would move all the furniture in the living room whenever DJ wanted to train. The decision to turn the outside shed into a training place for their family and the community came almost simultaneously. It also became a way to find young training partners for DJ.

“We decided Brookhaven did not have this,” David said.

He said they made the necessary changes to the shed to make it an enclosed space and bought all the equipment they needed. Soon they had their own 24-7 training space.

The Eddys said that the classes they offer are for all ages, young and old. Classes meet three times a week at $70 a month. Knuckleheadz offers everyone one free one-hour session to see if the studio is right for them. Along with group classes, they offer family classes as well as private instruction.

Knuckleheadz currently has promotions to encourage involvement. They offer reduced prices for multiple family members who sign up for a month of classes. Packages including free gloves, hand wraps, T-shirts and other things are available for those that sign up for two to three months of classes.

While taking classes at Knuckleheadz, young people can choose to take part in tournaments. In May they took three competitors to the Baton Rogue Open to compete in six divisions and returned with six medals: one gold, three silver and two bronze. They’re looking forward to another tournament in August at Millsaps College in Jackson.

Knuckleheadz is part of the “Let’s Move Coalition” set up by First Lady Michelle Obama. They hope with the classes they offer they are able to make and keep the Brookhaven community more active.

“My best clients are two women, 49 and 50 years old,” Michelle said.

The two women have been training with her three times a week since February.

“They look like – you know how Tina Turner looks at her age – they look like that,”  she said.

Michelle has a weight management program which she incorporates into the training for young women where she keeps a log of their weight and teaches them about nutrition, as long as a parent or guardian are onboard.

In addition to fitness classes, the couple teaches self-defense techniques that focus on learning how to get out of compromising situations.

“You may have a gun in your trunk, but if you’re not near it you have to know what to do,” Michelle said. “We focus on getting fit, staying fit and self-defense.”

Knuckleheadz has two scholarships, which seek to take care of the costs for children who have the ability but not the finances to take part in classes at the studio. Other requirements include having at least a C average in school and a good record in school.

David teaches fifth and sixth grade at Osyka Elementary in Pike County, and Michelle leads classes full-time.

When not leading classes David and Michelle might be found training with their two children, DJ and Jasmine, 5.  For more information about Knuckelheadz visit the website www.ju-fitsu.com or call 601-748-4688.