HUDSON – Jeffrey Konich told his teacher in second grade exactly what he wanted to do when he grew up. Twenty six years later, that dream came to fruition.
“I was referred by the guidance counselor in elementary school to get into karate,” Konich recalled in a recent interview. “After five to 10 weeks of training, I knew I would do this for a lifetime.”
“The training gave me an ability to envision what I wanted to be and it also gave me self-discipline,” he continued.
For three years, Konich has run Jeffrey Konich’s Family Martial Arts Center at 59 Apsley Street in Hudson. It’s a place where education and discipline reigns supreme.
“At Family Martial Arts Center, we’re not training fighters, we are teaching students. We are not a sport; we are a school!” Konich, a Leominster native, said.
“We teach holistic education and give people lessons to help them be better than they were yesterday, while developing the necessary vision and goal setting skills for a successful future.”
The students at Konich’s center receive homework assignments to develop habits of character which help them fight the enemy within using their secret weapon called Self Discipline!
“Most of the battles we’re facing are within our minds,” Konich said. “We must learn to conquer our internal battles.”
Students in Konich’s center have ranged in age from three to more than 70 years of age.
“Our training is at your own pace,” he said. “We start wherever you are but the idea is to achieve the same goals. Practice makes progress.”
That was the case with Konich’s daughter, who thrived at just three years of age.
“She was able to do more than a five-year-old could do because she went through training where she was able to learn general mobility skills, posture to strengthen her ankles, wrists and toes and resistance to know how to twist and pull,” Konich said.
Karate provides countless health benefits, Konich noted.
“It regulates blood flow, provides endurance and is an outlet for mental health,” he said.
Perhaps most prominently, it helps increase flexibility, improve structural alignment, and strengthen the body to increase longevity and prevent injury.
Konich has taught karate to each of his three children, ages 10, 9 and 4. They, in turn, are helping him teach beginners classes at the center.
“By teaching classes with my kids, it gives parents a safe space to learn and grow with their kids,” Konich said. “About 90 percent of our parents are training with their kids.”
By the end of this year, Konich will be moving his martial arts center to a new 3,000-square-foot space in the Highland Commons area in Hudson.
“I’ve been eyeing that area since we’ve moved to Hudson,” Konich said. “The area has a lot of visibility and I’m sure we’ll be attracting more students when we get there.”
Perhaps, one day, one of those students will go on to open their own martial arts center, Konich said.
“I’m looking for an eight-year-old like me with the same vision, and they’re definitely out there,” he said.
Learn more about the Family Martial Arts Center by visiting their website at jeffsfamilykarate.com.
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