'This Is The Heart Of Pittsburgh' Stout PGH Celebrates Move To New Strip District Location
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The best fighters in the world, celebrities and even chefs can find themselves at Stout PGH in the Strip District when they want world-class fight training.
Stout PGH is celebrating their newest move. They're heading to a new location in the Strip District on Railroad Street but nearly got pushed out of their original location by the neighborhood's tech-related industry.
To celebrate the move, they are welcoming UFC champion Tyron Woodley to their new location.
"He's a UFC champion; he'll have another title fight soon," said Stout PGH founder Warren Stout. "He's considered one of the greatest middleweights of all time. He'll be talking about how training in wrestling and martial arts took his life in a positive direction."
Stout opened Stout Training in Pittsburgh during the blizzard of 2010.
"We love the Strip," said Stout. "When I first moved back to Pittsburgh, my wife and I thought, 'This is the heart of Pittsburgh.' This area has a lot of character, and you really feel the spirit of the city. We were able to stay in the Strip—that's part of what we're celebrating."
One of the defining factors for Stout PGH is a lack of attitude and welcoming environment.
"We have a real inclusive culture," said Stout. "A lot of martial arts gyms are cliquish and have cult-like aspects. I keep that away from us. That's why we have such diversity. Whether you're a former professional athlete or someone who's never done anything athletic before, we have a path for everybody. On any given day, you'll see kids here, families, and also the toughest fighters in the area."
Along with their welcoming environment, Stout prides themselves on authenticity.
"We do great in competitions, and compete at all levels in authentic fighting arts," said Stout. "The next piece is that our instructors continue to learn. Sometimes, when you get a black belt, you think you're done. That's not how we are. We were in New York training with Team Renzo Gracie this week, just trying to improve our methods."
However, it's not just locals that train at Stout, when actor Vin Diesel was in town for a movie shoot, his kids trained there. According to Diesel's wife, there is nothing like Stout in Los Angeles.
