11/27/2024
Hey Everyone!
I have a major announcement.
You are gonna want to read the entire thing.
I have known for about a year that Dynamix (the people we rent from) was going to move from this location. I didn’t know where or a have a specific date of the move. The ‘general’ date was around June of 2025. The talks with the actual landlord (the owner of the building) have been going back and forth for a while. Dynamix has been in a month to month arrangement with the management company. Part of the agreement that they have had was that the management company could cancel the arrangement at any time as long as they gave a 90 day notice. We have gotten that 90 day notice.
They gave notice about a month ago. Dynamix hired lawyers to see if they could extend it until June 2025. We just got word that any chance of an extension has been declined. All remedies have been exhausted. Our move out date is scheduled for December 31, 2024.
So, with that being said…
I have decided to NOT move with them. I am retiring from the commercial martial arts industry. My intent is to close Impact America Martial Arts on December 31, 2024.
I have been in business since I was 19 years old. For 34 years I have worked with kids and adults commercially. For 34 years, I have worked 5-6 days per week from 4:00 pm – 9 pm (just teaching the classes…not counting the hours in the office doing business). I have worked an average of 11-16 hours per day for almost all of those 34 years.
Until recently, I have taken very few vacations. When I did take vacations, they were mostly martial arts related. It’s why we take a week for Thanksgiving and 2 weeks for Christmas (historically not many students show up those weeks anyway). Also, we have always taken the week of July 4off (so that I could go to a martial arts convention to learn new business practices). After COVID, I actually started taking ‘real’ vacations the week of July 4th. For Thanksgiving, I go to Mississippi to be with family. For one week of Christmas, I go home to be with family. The 2ndweek of Christmas I work on painting, cleaning the school, designing the curriculum goals and setting the tournament and test schedule for the next year. I have been TOTALLY committed to the school and especially the students.
So the question becomes…when do I stop? When I am 60? So…in 7 years? When I am 65?...and my body is too broken to do things I want to do (and can do) right now?
Twenty five years ago I started another business called 😭 Kwon Do. I go to daycares, Montessori and private schools and teach ToTs (ages 3-6). IAMA was started so that the kids in the daycares could continue all the way to black belt. I actually didn’t want to start IAMA… but I did. Turns out that I get attached to talented, committed students. I LOVE taking part in helping kids grow over time.
In 😭 Kwon Do, The schedule is easier…the overhead is lower…the money is great...AND my day is finished at 6 pm AND it’s only Monday – Thursday.
I founded 😭 Kwon Do in 1999. I started teaching in the daycares in 2000. After Mr. Justin graduated high school and worked in 😭 Kwon Do for a few years, I made him a partner.
My intent has always been to Franchise or License 😭 Kwon Do. The reason I haven’t done it already is because I am at IAMA until 9 pm every night and a lot of my weekends are taken up with IAMA things.
So, I am going to take this opportunity to take a step back from IAMA and focus on growing 😭 Kwon Do.
The last tournament was THE last tournament. The last Elite Team was THE last Elite Team. The last belt test was THE last test.
We (IAMA…My Kids and I) cannot express the gratitude we have for you allowing us to be part of your child rearing journey. You have always been the primary and we have just reinforced the same values that all parents want for their kids….Courtesy, Honesty, Self-Control, Focus, Attention to Detail, Body Awareness, Coordination, Fitness, Confidence, Courage, Integrity, Self-reflection, Earning of Respect, Work and Reward, Goal Setting, Achievement and Finishing what you start. Every part of our curriculum and our requirements for stripes reinforce these concepts. It has been OUR honor to help the kids using martial arts as the tool to get the ‘Life Skills’ across… in a fun way…while they constantly move towards something that’s worthwhile.
It has been SO cool to watch so many kids start in the ToTs program and stay until they graduate high school.
I am now having kids I trained 25 years ago bring THEIR kids in to train. That feels weird… lol.
I have already informed our current students. I am posting this for all former students.
