Jackson Free Press

Jackson martial artist Jeremiah Liddell opened Magnolia Mixed Martial Arts (826 Foley St.) one month ago with the intent of bringing a casual, friendly, diverse and inclusive learning environment for both self-defense and fitness to Jackson.

Liddell and Mike Harasty are the instructors at Magnolia. Liddell holds a master's degree in physical education and is a certified strength-and-conditioning specialist. He is also an accomplished grappler, boxer and kickboxer with an undefeated amateur MMA record. Harasty is a Chicago native who began boxing and kickboxing as a teenager and soon expanded his repertoire to include a mix of grappling techniques.

Magnolia MMA offers courses in submission grappling, kickboxing and mixed martial arts. As Magnolia does not use uniforms, participants need only bring a T-shirt, athletic shorts and protective gear such as mouth and shin guards. Required equipment varies by class. Details are available on Magnolia's website.

Magnolia also does not use a colored belt system.

"We've discovered that a belt system can foster a false sense of prowess or expertise, which can be dangerous in a self-defense or competitive-fighting environment. Hence, we do not award them," Magnolia outreach coordinator Matt Staggs says on Magnolia's website. The instructors at Magnolia believe the fruits of training should speak for themselves on the mat.

"You'll get in excellent shape practicing martial arts here and will improve both physically and psychologically," Staggs told the Jackson Free Press. "It's a very supportive atmosphere with a high level of instruction, and the casual and friendly environment is a welcome change from other programs I've been in."

Magnolia is open Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. On Mondays, classes consist of kickboxing for all ages at 6 p.m., submission grappling with Mike Harasty for ages 12 and up at 7 p.m., and MMA classes for ages 12 and up at 8 p.m. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, classes consist of children's submission grappling with Jeremiah Liddell at 6 p.m., kickboxing for all ages at 7 p.m., and MMA classes for all ages at 8 p.m.

Classes for adults are $65 per month with a one-year commitment, $75 per month with a six-month commitment and $85 per month with no commitment. Children's classes are $55 per month with a one-year commitment, $65 per month with a six-month commitment and $75 per month with no commitment. Out-of-town visitors can train during their stay for a mat fee of $10. Local participants can try their first class free.

For more information, call Magnolia MMA at 601-720-8129 or visit magnoliamma.com.

Chef Larry Love Brings Raw-Food Cuisine to Jackson

Chef Larry Love, a Jackson native with 30 years of culinary experience and a wealth of information on the benefits of a raw-food diet, has been searching for the right place to share his knowledge with the people of Mississippi. Love opened Mississippi's first raw-food restaurant, Liquid Light Cafe, at 1150 W. Northside Drive in Clinton in January this year. However, circumstances have led Love to seek a new venue for his culinary creations, and his journey will soon take him to 224 E. Capitol St. in downtown Jackson.

Raw food, or "live food," is organic food that is unprocessed and uncooked. Love's dishes are made with all organic ingredients, gluten-free with no refined sugar, and 100-percent vegan with no dairy or animal products.

"Diabetics, vegans and gluten-sensitive people can eat here with no worries about what's in their food," Love said. "And because I want to use only the freshest ingredients and local means fresh, I source as many ingredients locally as possible."

Love, 54, became a vegetarian at age 19 after reading Dick Gregory's "Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat: Cookin' with Mother Nature" (Harper and Row Publishers, 1974). In his book, Gregory asks readers to put themselves in the place of the animals that they are eating. Love, who now only eats raw food, began formal training in live-food cuisine under master chef Mehmet Ak of Cousin's Live Eatery Emporium and Education Center in Chicago. Love is also a certified nutrition and wellness counselor and sports-nutrition consultant.

Liquid Light Cafe also features a companion dessert shop called The Cheesecake Solution. The shop offers banana pudding, dulce de leche caramel and mocha cheesecake slices, as well as Dutch apple caramel walnut streusel. Even the desserts are gluten- and dairy-free and contain no refined sugar.

The Jackson location will also feature an exclusive all-organic wine bar. The bar will have sake-based cocktails and special wine and cheesecake pairings.

Though the new location is on its way to a grand opening, Love has not yet announced an opening date. Once the restaurant is open for business, customers can contact Liquid Light Cafe at 769-208-8689 and The Cheesecake Solution at 769-208-8691.

Baptist Medical Center Receives Award for Patient Safety and Experience

Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals, recently presented Baptist Medical Center (1225 N. State St.) with the 2015 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award and the 2015 Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award. Fewer than 100 hospitals in the nation received both awards, placing Baptist in the top 2 percent of all hospitals nationally for both categories.

Baptist Medical Center is a child company of Baptist Health Systems in Jackson. Established in 1908, Baptist Health Systems is also the parent company of The Mississippi Hospital for Restorative Care, Baptist Medical Center Leake in Carthage and Baptist Medical Center Yazoo in Yazoo City.

The Patient Safety Excellence Award honors hospitals for performance in the prevention of serious, potentially preventable complications during hospital stays.

Healthgrades evaluated patient safety based on claims data from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and the application of software and patient safety incidents as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality defines them. In addition, Healthgrades released a related report entitled, "Asking the Right Questions to Improve Patient Experience and Safety" that identifies key observations involving award recipients. More information about these awards is available at healthgrades.com/quality.

The latest Healthgrades awards follow earlier recognitions from the company based on clinical outcomes. Baptist Medical Center is in the top 100 of hospitals in the nation for orthopedic surgery, joint replacement and prostate surgery.

For more information about Healthgrades, visit healthgrades.com or download the Healthgrades iPhone app. Visit Baptist's website at mbhs.org.

Grant Allows for Improvements at New Stage Theatre

A Mississippi Arts Commission Building Fund Grant has enabled New Stage Theatre (1100 Carlisle St.) to make critical facility improvements in its principal theater facility in Jackson.

The $166,300 grant, which MAC awarded in 2010, required New Stage to match the 40 percent of the amount. Since then, New Stage has raised $140,000 in private gifts and applied to receive installments of the grant in June 2014. The last installment of the grant came through in early May.

The funds allowed New Stage to make improvements to the electrical systems, plumbing, stage lighting, stage equipment, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, Hewes Room seating, and parking and security at the Jane Reid Petty Theatre Center in the initial years of the grant. The final year of funding went toward the installation of a new, larger-capacity air conditioning system for the Meyer Crystal Auditorium.

The MAC grant will also allow the theatre to begin its 50th anniversary capital campaign. For the last two years, New Stage has been making preparations to celebrate the milestone this fall with a special group of performances for the 2015-2016 season and the largest fundraising campaign in its history. The campaign, which aims to raise $4 million, will feature return performances of ticketholders' chosen favorites and special guest artists and directors giving "standing room only" shows. New Stage will use the funds earned to upgrade the theater infrastructure, expand education programming, promote new artistic initiatives and create an endowment to secure another 50 years for the organization.