Perhaps the greatest challenge of martial arts school ownership is finding a balance between making money and acting in the best interest of your students.
August 30, 2006 (Press Release) --
If you drive about 40 minutes north of Boston, you will find a martial arts school where the owner combines his love for martial arts with instilling personal values in his students, all while running a profitable business. This instructor makes a living while doing what he enjoys most. If you are not from around Tewksbury, MA, let me introduce you to Khoury’s Karate Academy and its owner, Gary Khoury. While some of us are only familiar with the glamour of the world of martial arts portrayed by Hollywood actors, such as Jet Lee and Jacky Chan, running a martial arts school is hard work for school owners and their staff.
I have known Gary both personally and professionally for close to two years. From the beginning I was intrigued by the environment Gary worked to create in his school; his martial arts school was intended to be more than just a place to learn how to kick and punch. For starters, Gary seems to know several hundred of his students by name, adding a personal touch and the feeling of being welcome. Many times I overheard him talking to his students about their health, work, school, or family members, as though they were friends or members of his own family. In addition, many of his classes are accompanied by discussions of how a martial arts student should behave in public: Gary stresses that martial arts skills are not designed to attack and physically abuse others. In fact, Gary himself often reminds me of a student. He wants to be an example and inspiration to his students and also wants to be inspired himself. And this all from a family man who will be approaching 40 at the end of this year.
Gary’s specialty is the Uechi-ryu style of Karate. To fulfill his dream of becoming a real martial artist, Gary spent about five years in Japan training, learning the language, and exploring Japanese culture and history. As he continued to polish his technique in Uechi-ryu, Gary entered and won a number of competitions both in Japan and the United States. Not a stranger to formal education, he earned his Master’s Degree with honors in International Business and Japanese Language from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.
As his martial arts school enters its ninth year, Gary Khoury brings to the table more than the average school owner does – he is an expert in his martial arts style; he is an experienced small business owner with advanced educational background; and he has taken martial arts instruction to the level it was originally meant to be. In the age of martial arts commercialization, Gary has achieved more than most martial arts school owners can put on their list of achievements.
Perhaps the greatest challenge of martial arts school ownership is finding a balance between making money and acting in the best interest of your students. I met with Gary to learn how he has been able to deal with this and to speak about several other issues of small business ownership. The full article is posted on www.MartialArtsAnalytics.com
I have known Gary both personally and professionally for close to two years. From the beginning I was intrigued by the environment Gary worked to create in his school; his martial arts school was intended to be more than just a place to learn how to kick and punch. For starters, Gary seems to know several hundred of his students by name, adding a personal touch and the feeling of being welcome. Many times I overheard him talking to his students about their health, work, school, or family members, as though they were friends or members of his own family. In addition, many of his classes are accompanied by discussions of how a martial arts student should behave in public: Gary stresses that martial arts skills are not designed to attack and physically abuse others. In fact, Gary himself often reminds me of a student. He wants to be an example and inspiration to his students and also wants to be inspired himself. And this all from a family man who will be approaching 40 at the end of this year.
Gary’s specialty is the Uechi-ryu style of Karate. To fulfill his dream of becoming a real martial artist, Gary spent about five years in Japan training, learning the language, and exploring Japanese culture and history. As he continued to polish his technique in Uechi-ryu, Gary entered and won a number of competitions both in Japan and the United States. Not a stranger to formal education, he earned his Master’s Degree with honors in International Business and Japanese Language from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.
As his martial arts school enters its ninth year, Gary Khoury brings to the table more than the average school owner does – he is an expert in his martial arts style; he is an experienced small business owner with advanced educational background; and he has taken martial arts instruction to the level it was originally meant to be. In the age of martial arts commercialization, Gary has achieved more than most martial arts school owners can put on their list of achievements.
Perhaps the greatest challenge of martial arts school ownership is finding a balance between making money and acting in the best interest of your students. I met with Gary to learn how he has been able to deal with this and to speak about several other issues of small business ownership. The full article is posted on www.MartialArtsAnalytics.com
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