Aspire Performance Center

09/24/2026

🥋 What does the number of black belts at a martial arts school really tell you? 🤔

Is a large number of black belts a sign of strong student retention? 📈

Or can it also reflect differences in curriculum, standards, and what is required to earn each rank? 🥋

At Aspire, we have students who have trained for years and are still working toward black belt. We have a few 1st Dans, several 2nd Dans, and students who have continued progressing all the way to 4th Dan and higher Master-level ranks. 🥋🥋🥋

Our philosophy is simple: students test when they meet the criteria—not simply because they’ve been training long enough. 🎯

👉 So what tells you more about a martial arts program?

1) The number of black belts it produces?
2) How long students stay and continue progressing?
3) Or is there something else you think matters more? 🤔

What do you think? 👇🥋

09/23/2026

Continuing on with our instructor spotlight, meet Coach Juan Romero!

When many people hear the word Taekwondo, they picture children kicking, teenagers competing, or young adults practicing martial arts. But Taekwondo isn’t just for kids. It can be an incredibly rewarding form of exercise, personal development, and lifelong activity for adults in their 30s, 40s, 50...

09/22/2026

For those of you that don’t know Master Jon, he will be teaching classes tonight as Master Roger and Master Len we’ll both be away.

Below, I have attached Master John’s bio from our website:

Master Jon Young is a Kukkiwon Certified Black Belt who has completed the Kukkiwon Master Instructor Certification Course and is a valued member of the Aspire Performance Center coaching team. He brings a unique combination of traditional martial arts training, military leadership, and practical sel...

09/21/2026

🎉 I earned the emerging talent badge this week, recognizing me for creating engaging content that sparks an interest among my fans!

09/21/2026

🏗️ WE’RE BUILDING SOMETHING SPECIAL AT ASPIRE

Today was another big step forward at Aspire Performance Center.

We started the day picking up multiple pallets of insulation and then got to work. By the end of the day, we had blown insulation into approximately 3,000 square feet of attic space. We’ll tackle the remaining 3,000 square feet next weekend and finish the job. 💪

This isn’t necessarily the glamorous side of running a facility—but it’s the kind of work that matters.

We’re investing in this building because we’re investing in Aspire and the people who walk through our doors. Better insulation will help significantly reduce heat loss in the winter and keep the facility cooler in the summer, making Aspire a better place to train, work, and spend time year-round.

And a huge THANK YOU to the guys who came out today and got their hands dirty to help make it happen. Projects like this are a lot more rewarding when you have a great group of people willing to jump in and help. 👊

From the training floor to the equipment, from the building itself to the programs we offer—we’re continuing to improve, expand, and build something we can all be proud of.

Aspire Performance Center is more than a place to train. We’re building a place for people to grow. 💙

09/20/2026

I saw a post on a boxing page asking:

“What fighter could beat Muhammad Ali in his prime?”

The comments were pretty much what you’d expect from a boxing page. Ali was the GOAT, and most people couldn’t imagine anyone beating him in his prime.

But as a martial artist, I read the question differently.

They didn’t ask “What boxer could beat Muhammad Ali?”

They asked “What fighter?”

That changes the conversation completely.

If we’re talking strictly boxing, I’m not going to argue against Ali being one of the greatest to ever do it. But once you take the fight outside the rules of boxing, the equation changes dramatically.

Look at another boxing great from right here in West Michigan: Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Floyd is one of the greatest boxers of all time. When he was finished competing against professional boxers, he still participated in crossover events against athletes from other disciplines—but under boxing rules.

And that’s the point.

Why would you expect another athlete to beat Floyd in a boxing match? That’s his world. He’s one of the best ever at it.

But put a boxer into a completely different ruleset and suddenly there are a lot more things to defend against.

Add Muay Thai or Taekwondo and now you’re dealing with kicks, knees, elbows and completely different ranges.

Add wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu and Judo and now you have takedowns, throws, clinch fighting and submissions.

That’s why I don’t think it’s fair to automatically assume that the greatest boxer would be the greatest fighter in a fight with no boxing-only restrictions.

And this isn’t a knock on Ali or Floyd. Quite the opposite.

Their greatness as boxers is exactly why you wouldn’t expect someone from another discipline to beat them under boxing rules.

The interesting question is what happens when you remove those restrictions.

I’ll start with:
🥋 Anderson Silva
👊🏼 Jon Jones
🤼 Daniel Cormier
🥋 Royce Gracie

All in their primes, under MMA rules.

There are plenty of others I could name.

So who would you put on the list?

And remember—the question isn’t:

“Who was the better boxer?”

It’s:

“Who was the better FIGHTER?” 👊

09/19/2026

🔨 MAINTENANCE DAY AT THE DOJANG! 🥋

Tomorrow we’ll be blowing a couple hundred bags of insulation into the attic at Aspire Performance Center!

This is a BIG project, and we could definitely use some extra hands. We’ll need people to help load the insulation into the blower hopper and keep it flowing so the guys working in the attic can keep moving.

The payoff? This will help keep the dojang toasty warm in the winter and cooler in the summer while making the building more energy efficient. 💪

If you’re willing to lend a hand, we’ll be meeting at 1:00 PM. Even if you can only help for part of the afternoon, we’d appreciate it!

Let’s get this place a little better, one project at a time! 🔨🥋

09/18/2026

🥋 PARENTS — WE’D LIKE YOUR INPUT!

Over the years, parents have periodically asked if Aspire Performance Center would offer a special workshop focused on helping kids deal with bullying.

We already teach confidence, awareness, boundaries, conflict avoidance, and self-defense through our regular martial arts programs.

But would there be value in bringing those skills together for a FREE community workshop for kids ages 7–14, specifically focused on bullying situations?

We’re considering putting together one FREE workshop covering:

🗣️ Using your voice and setting boundaries
💪 Confidence and awareness
🚶 Knowing when to walk away
🙋 Knowing when to get help
🛡️ What to do if a situation becomes physical

👇 PARENTS, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Would you bring your 7–14 year-old to a FREE workshop like this?

If yes, comment “I’M IN.”
Have questions or suggestions? Tell us below.

Your response will help us decide whether to hold the workshop and how many families we could serve.

Tag a parent who should weigh in!

09/18/2026

🥋 A Black Belt Is More Than a Rank

A black belt isn’t the finish line.

It’s proof of the journey.

It’s the countless classes when you were tired.
The techniques you couldn’t get right the first time.
The setbacks, frustrations and challenges you worked through.
The discipline to keep showing up.
And the confidence that comes from knowing you didn’t quit.

At Aspire Performance Center, we believe martial arts should help people grow—not just physically, but mentally and personally.

Every student starts somewhere. Every journey is different. And every step forward matters.

The goal isn’t simply to earn a black belt.

The goal is to become the person who is capable of earning one.

🥋 Meet people where they are. Then help them grow.

What do you think is the most important quality a black belt should have? 👇

09/18/2026

As we continue our instructor spotlight, meet Master Jon.

Master Jon Young is a Kukkiwon Certified Black Belt who has completed the Kukkiwon Master Instructor Certification Course and is a valued member of the Aspire Performance Center coaching team. He brings a unique combination of traditional martial arts training, military leadership, and practical sel...