Today we’d like to introduce you to Marco Lopez.
Marco , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As a child, I would watch the drive in martial arts movies on TV every Saturday. I became obsessed with wanting to learn martial arts. My mother and I came across a karate school in Botany Village–Koei Kan. My first encounter proved extremely challenging. Having remembered the grueling training from the movies, I knew I a difficult road lay ahead . After having suffered through classes for a while, that branch closed and I was referred to the flagship location on Main Ave in Clifton across the street from the post office on Washington Ave owned by the founder of that school, Edward Kaloudis. He brought the system created by Eizo Onishi to NJ. The kids classes were larger and run by a female instructor who proved no less demanding but more kind. By the age of fifteen, I earned a shodan–first level black belt–in Koei Kan from my sensei–‘one who comes before’ commonly understood as teacher–Susan Rice. At the time, youth shodan were uncommon. I had to transition to adult classes a year before testing and tested with men aged 25-35. We were given no quarter. They trained us to be prepared to defend ourselves from anyone. Of the five, I continued on through college, marriage, children and professional school. In Koei-Kan, black belts are expected to give back to the system. This act represents the japanese concept of giri or obigation/duty for the instruction and guidance given. I never stopped training and honed my instruction with the tutelage of those that came before me. I trained with our senior instructors including those from Japan. I cross trained in other systems. Today, I am 51 and hold a rokudan–six level or degree. I train two to three times a week to keep my spirit and body sharp in spite of age and injuries. To preserve Koei-Kan’s legacy that began in Clifton on October 30, 1965, I took over the Clifton dojo from Patrick Ciser who had taken the reigns from Edward Kaloudis. Since many of our instructors give their time freely, I restructured the Clifton Dojo as a 510(c)3 NJ tax exempt orgnization.
Our stated mission: To preserve Koei-Kan Karate-Do Clifton Honbu Dojo, established in 1965, as the oldest running martial arts school in New Jersey. To maintain the legacy of our American pioneers, honor the founding precepts of kancho sensei Onishi and balance our social/cultural differences. To this end, Koei-Kan Clifton Dojo will be organized as non-profit organization to support current and future membership towards our goal of preservation, self-betterment and social harmony.”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Membership remains our biggest hurdle. We cover the rent and keep the doors open. Classes are intimate. In and of itself, I prefer it this way because it lends itself to more one on one time. However, it would be nice to have steady revenue to save money for a place of our own with the goal of preserving Koei-Kan well into the future.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
All instructors and board members have full time jobs. I am a local chiropractor with an office around the corner from the dojo. One manages IT in a local call center. Another is a paramedic at Univerity hospital. We have an accountant at Estee Lauder. A liqour delivery business operator. A retired port authority officer that runs a personal firearms training business. We maintain the dojo not for profit but from a deep commitment for preserving the values of our system. Koei-kan Clifton is part of a family of schools in NJ, NY, PA, MI, CA, GA. We have a presence abroad in Venezuela, Chile, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus. Koei Kan is traditional karate with pedigree as passed down to the founder Eizo Onishi, in Japan, from famed Okinawan masters Toyama Kanken and Kiyoda Juhatsu. You will receive value not grades. Our goal is to help you along the path of self-discovery and self-mastery.
What does success mean to you?
Success is a deeply personal matter. You should clarify your vision and act accordingly.
Pricing:
- One free class for interested persons
- $100/mo
- Classes three times a week.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.koeikanclifton.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koeikanclifton/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Academy-of-Koeikan-Karate-Do-East-Coast-Honbu-100039361347272/
