BY MIKE MCKENNA
What Lee Anderson loves most about mixed martial arts isn’t probably what people would think.
When most of us watch combat sports like wrestling, boxing or jiu-jitsu, we think of anger and violence. When Lee sees, or is competing in, these types of battles, he sees character and effort, respect and family.
“People are often scared or intimidated by martial arts, but it’s not like that at all,” Lee said. “Martial arts is really about making people humble, generous, caring and helpful. We’re all about being a team and a family.”
Lee grew up locally, graduating from Wood River High in 1989. He started wrestling when he was just a five-year-old Hailey Comet. Lee also trained in Taekwondo and got into kickboxing as a teenager. He was introduced to the Brazilian-style of jiu-jitsu in high school and soon thereafter started competing in the first mixed martial arts matches in Idaho.
Lee would go on to fight professionally for decades, winning belts in every discipline he competed in, despite not being the biggest guy you’ll ever meet. Being just 5-feet-6-inches tall never held Lee back. Heck, he was good enough to not only beat people practically twice his size, but he did it all while keeping pretty clean and healthy. He was so smooth that he earned the nickname “Pretty Boy.”
“I had a long career as a pro because I took good care of my body,” Lee said.
“Proper training techniques and recovery are the keys to staying healthy.”
Staying healthy is really the inspiration behind the state-of-the-art Anderson Performance Institute, or “API,” on Main Street in Hailey. The sport performance facility includes a pro boxing ring, strength and conditioning zones, and a recovery center offering red or blue light therapy, saunas and cold plunges. API also offers a wide variety of boxing, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu classes for kids and adults.
At API they understand that “every body is different,” so Lee and his team pride themselves on helping everybody meet their own personal fitness goals.
“I had a vision where I had everything you needed in one location and it was a game changer for local athletes,” Lee said. “It’s a dream come true to bring world-class training and recovery facilities here to Hailey.”
Giving back to the community is very important to Lee. He appreciated the community being there for him when he was growing up in a rather “harsh environment,” as he put it.
“There was always someone there to help me when I was young,” Lee said. “Having guides and mentors was really important to me and now I want to give back. I want to try to make a difference.”
Lee “Pretty Boy” Anderson fell in love with Brazilian jiu-jitsu while training with the legendary Gracie family. It seems only fitting that it’s Lee’s favorite form of martial arts since jiu-jitsu translates as the “gentle art.”
API offers a free first class. Find out more at API5BIdaho.com or 208-886-5646.
