Sempai Steve Rowan performing a kick at his Kumiai Ryu classes in the renovated studio at Hard Rock Gym.
Local gym Hard Rock has recently finished expansion, adding a dojo area to expand on the number of studios and services the gym can provide. Glenn Stewart, who owns the gym with his wife Ros were thrilled with their hard work on the recent renovation.
“The old internal structures we pulled down and we reused a lot of timber….We kept a few of the reliclike the old doors.”
The six-week-long projects were built to better facilitate the mixed martial arts classes and yoga classes the gym was already offering.
The gym offers many other classes like dance, boxing, and bootcamp sessions and has become a local hub for fitness in Harden.
It already has a reputation as a gym for everybody, even stating on their site.
“Our overarching rule is respect. We respect everyone who walks through our doors no matter what your age or abilities.”
Ros and Glenn’s services to the community expand much further beyond the gym.
Many charity events are held there to support the local community and raise awareness for social issues.
Ros recently ran the “Angel Tree” program across Christmas.
She sought donations purchases and hand-delivery of presents to children whose parents were in prison on behalf of the parents so the children could feel loved and thought of by their parents.
The new studio won’t be the end of Glenn and Ros’s hard work. They still plan to have a fully accessible gym for people of all abilities – wheelchair users, the hearing and sight-impaired.
The room was initially used as a storage space and not an accessible part of the building to the public.
Turning the room into a new studio means martial arts classes no longer have to share the same space as dance classes, meaning both can now run without conflict.
Jack Murray
