“As I began martial arts at CMA in 1996, I did not know what I was getting into. I walked into a very small building on North Forest Ave. It was the thick of summer. here was no central air or even a window unit—only a large industrial fan. The ceilings were low and there was a pole wrapped with styrofoam and covered in duct tape—later I would learn this is the what we practiced kicks on. There were no girls in karate class, except Carolina and Tanya. There was a weird looking man with very long dark curly hair wearing a black belt. I was 7 years old and wasn’t sure what the heck my parents were getting me into. But as time went on, I would learn this was more than just karate classes.
CMA grew and I grew with it. The karate school was not only a place of learning martial arts, practicing discipline and patience, and building teamwork skills—it was a place for me to build confidence, build relationships, and be the person I wanted to be! It was a place to be a part of an unbelievable martial arts family. To this day, it still is all of these things! It is amazing to watch how this karate school continues to grow and thrive.
None of this would be or would have been possible without that weird curly-haired man! ”
Pamela GetmanStudent Parent