MASuccess Magazine

When I was a kid, I watched the Superman show on TV. Many of you younger folks may ask, “What TV show?” A few of you might also have fond memories of watching. The narrator’s dramatic introduction to that show was: “Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Look! Up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Superman!” The bottom line is, none of us, nor our students, are Superman. We are mortal. Bullets kill mortals. When I was a white belt, my first instructor, Sensei Mike Smith, taught me that gun defense was all about getting the person with the gun to go away. I was taught to give him every material thing he asked for. The only time I was to attempt to disarm him was if he were trying to get me or a loved one into a car. My mindset had to be: “I’m already dead. Let’s see if this can be a more pleasant death than it will be if I get in that...

Sifu Harinder Singh overcame a series of brutal personal disasters to become a larger-than-life role model who is reshaping old ideas of how and why we should train. His mission is to empower instructors to be able to solve the problems facing modern martial artists. Singh has established over 50 Jeet Kune Do Athletic Association branches globally, and his programs have been taught to more than 100 elite military, police and government agencies. 

Sifu Harinder Singh has been described by Jack Canfield, celebrated author and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, as “One of the most amazing, inspiring and powerful human beings I have ever met.”

Singh was born in India and started karate at age six.

When he was 19, Singh was recruited to play NCAA tennis at the University of California, Davis. He also studied for a degree in computers. Then came the “tripping point,” he says. 

, in June of 2001 he drove two hours to Ocean Beach for an...

The Battle of Atlanta is one of the most iconic karate tournaments in the world. From the event’s first winner, karate superstar Joe Lewis, to its present-day champions, the tournament has featured a veritable Who’s Who of martial arts stars and a treasure trove of historical fights and forms presentations. In this dual interview, we examine the Battle’s rich history, innovations and reasons for its enduring success. Read the exciting plans for its June 14-16 50th-anniversary celebration and for its future.

When you mention the name Battle of Atlanta, for most folks, scenes from the movie Gone with the Wind come to mind. But, five decades ago, in a scene much like one out of an old movie, Atlanta-based nationally rated point fighter Joe Corley decided to rent a school gym and put on a show — the first Battle of Atlanta karate tournament. 

Half a century later, these grainy black-and-white memories have faded. They’ve been replaced with full-color,...

Unlike the busy fall season, summer tends to be a slower and less-profitable time for martial arts schools. When the weather turns warmer and the kids get out of school, the “summertime blues” set in. Many academies struggle to enroll new members and keep students on the mats. Here’s a reality-based plan on how to chase those blues away and have a fun and successful summer.

The mere mention of the summer months can make even veteran school owners cringe. Many owners have visions of empty classes, students looking to freeze their memberships, low enrollment numbers and kids that take a break for the summer and never return. Some owners assume that a slow summer is a foregone conclusion. They look to make up ground when the (hopefully) busy back-to-school season rolls around. Others try hard, but find it difficult to enroll students. They have quality classes with exhausted kids who have been at summer camp, the playground or the pool all day.

Over two decades of...

Schools struggle to keep staff members. Ensure you are doing everything you can to keep the young professionals in which you have invested. Stop creating temporary solutions and develop permanent ones for instructor professionalism in your school. You can do this by mentoring your young professionals so they grow in and outside of your business. 

Today’s young professionals are a unique crew. They come with real skills in the areas of technology, collaboration and brainstorming. However, it’s not uncommon for them to struggle in the face of temporary setbacks and disappointments. Many of them are searching, yet they don’t even realize it. 

It’s no secret that many believe young professionals are ill-equipped to survive in today’s highly competitive global economy. The reasons cited for this lack of preparation for life in the “real world” are commonly repeated across the board. They are: overprotective parenting, coddling by...

Philip Gattone, Jr. was attacked in the dead of night. Without warning, his body was invaded by an invisible adversary leaving the four-year-old twisting uncontrollably on the bedroom floor. This was the beginning of a battle with epilepsy that he would fight for the rest of his life. Armed with a will to win and the martial arts, Gattone, now 30, is beating the odds.

Philip Gattone, Jr. had his first seizure at just 4-years-old.

“That night was just the start of it,” says Gattone, Jr. “I began having other types of seizures, called ‘Absence Seizures.’ “With that type of seizure, it looks almost like you’re daydreaming, but you’re wide awake.”

An Absence Seizure causes the individual’s eyes to flutter and, at times, cause the person to blank out. This type of seizure usually lasts between 15 to 30 seconds. But for a young boy who has no control over his body, those few seconds can feel like a lifetime.

“So, if anyone...

At just 30-years-old, Justin Wren already holds many titles: professional fighter, national-champion wrestler and cast member of Spike TV’s Ultimate Fighter. Despite those accomplishments, there’s one title he is most proud of — humanitarian. Wren founded “The Fight For The Forgotten,” a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing land, freedom and clean water for the formerly-enslaved Mbuti Pygmy tribe in the Ituri rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He’s now teaming up with Century Martial Arts to bring additional relief to the impoverished area and is challenging you to join the efforts.

Before Justin Wren was the professional fighter we know him as today, he was a young child who fell victim to constant bullying. The bullying got so bad he had to change schools several times. It was at the age of 13 when he came across something that changed his life forever.

“I stopped at a used VHS tape store and found UFC 2 through...