Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Wade.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jeff. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Martial Arts study has been a passion of mine since early childhood. I had enough green belts to AstroTurf an entire lawn! Then in 1986, I started with my current instructor, Grand Master Katherine Wieczerza. I decided if I took the first class from her, I would not stop until I got my black belt. Early on, Master Wieczerza recognized in me a love for teaching. I subbed for her often, even as a high ranking color belt. Then, in July 1989, when I finally earned my 1st dan black belt, she offered to let me take over a satellite school. “Are you kidding?” I asked her, “Of course I will!” It was nothing earth shattering – just a twice a week thing at the fitness center of the local Baptist Hospital. I began experiencing burn out in 1995, and started an Aikido class. Surprisingly, rather than drawing me away from Taekwondo, the contrast in styles actually rekindled my love for the kicking art. I’ve practiced both arts ever since.
In 1998, I moved to Miami to pursue a doctorate in music. My moving date was on a Sunday – the day after I tested for my 4th dan master’s degree in Taekwondo. Master Wieczerza presented me with a plain black belt – this rather than the usual embroidered belt with which graduates are usually presented. She told me, in front of the hundred some odd people watching, “This belt represents your new life in Miami. You can write on it anything you like. Just be aware that in Miami, you’ll be starting over… alone. No instructor, no peer support – you won’t even know anyone. In fact – and you should be prepared for this – you’ll probably quit. There would be no shame in it. Quitting would be the most natural thing in the world.
I have to say, that ticked me off. I smiled and accepted the belt, but inside, I was SEETHING!
Master Wieczerza always knows just what to say to me in order to light a fire under my… well, to motivate me.
So the first thing I did upon arriving in Miami was start searching for a new school in which to train. But nothing fit – nothing seemed… right. Finally, I spoke with Mary Klock-Perez at Better Families. She told me “Look… we’d love to have you. But it would be awkward. I mean… you’re a master. So we’d have to respect that and address you as ‘Master Wade,’ but yet you’d be starting over in our forms system. It seems to me you either need to find another art in which to start over – or start your own thing. Just sayin…”
Start your own thing… Smart lady.
So I did. I got a little space at the South Miami Gymnastics center, twice a week. That didn’t work out so for a while, the core group of us met in the dog park near Red Road and Kendall. There were times it was just my brother Rico (who’d moved down recently), my future wife Chikako and me.
But it grew. Nat Lesher, one of my future black belts, started training with me right there in the mosquito and dog poop infested grass of that park. As it turned out, his parents knew of a place we could use: The Baptist Collegiate Ministries building on the grounds of UM. Each night, we moved couches and tables aside, hauled in gear and hung up our flags. Then we worked out, moved everything back like it was, packed up and went home.
We went on like that for years, but Nat always wanted to have a “dojo” in which to meet. So when I met Ed Delatorre, a real business genius, I decided to take the next step.
We ended up in a space on Sunset and 62nd. The only way we were able to do that was to agree to clean out an old loft used for storage and make the space inhabitable. In exchange, we got a nice location at a great deal.
A couple of years and a hundred students later, we moved to our current location on Bird and the 826, in the Bird Road art district. Ed and I parted ways, and remain on good terms. He taught me all I know about real estate and business in general. Without him, I’d have never started South Miami Taekwondo.
Nowadays, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a black belt. We have two active masters at the school, and I became a grandmaster in June of this year, 2017. We have three satellite schools, where black belts of mine are cutting their teaching teach the same as when I cut my own at the Baptist Hospital so many years ago.
I often wonder what would have happened had Master Wieczerza not made that statement about quitting… We often laugh about it now.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has been anything BUT smooth! Anyone with aspirations of starting a martial arts school better have a passion for what they do. Otherwise, it’s not worth it. If you’re in it just for the money… DO SOMETHING ELSE!
Recruiting is always a nagging challenge. We get most of our new people from references. I do a little SEO and run the occasional ad, but mostly I rely on being sincere and passionate about what I do. I do a good job, and so far that’s been enough.
Moving to our current location was a huge undertaking. The students and parents all pitched in and made it happen. We moved everything, built out the space, painted, and set everything up – all on our own.
One year, we had a terrible flood caused by a drinking fountain hose that sprang loose and ran unchecked over a long weekend. Once again, the students stepped up and took action. We had to move everything out, dry it all up and discard all the damaged furniture and equipment. The worst was the wood parquet floor on which the mats rested. The were so badly warped the mats wouldn’t lay straight, so we had to scrape it all up with flat nosed shovels. That was some of the most back-breaking work I’ve ever done – but I had about ten loyal students right there beside me.
Then there was the huge venture of renting out two other vacant spaces in our building. Big mistake, and a humbling experience. It was a complete failure. After a few months, I called my landlord, desperate. God bless his soul, he let us out of the new leases – but didn’t evict us from our original space. We did, however, have to move all our stuff back upstairs over the Thanksgiving weekend. Once again, faithful students gave up their holiday to save today. I will stay with this landlord till the day I die too. He had every right to be furious, to boot us out completely, even to sue us. But he was understanding and helpful. Great guy.
This last eight years or so have been a financial struggle like I’ve never experienced. The economy got so bad, students were dropping like flies. Of course, I worked with them. They’d been faithful to me, and there was no way I was booting them out. I feel like I’d been shown so much mercy by my landlord, God would strike me dead where I stood if I failed to do the same when it was my turn to do the forgiving or the booting. I gave lots of discounts and taught many free classes during those years. Amazingly, when dads would reacquire work, they’d come to me and say “We no longer need the discount you offered us. Let us pay full price again so you can help someone else.” I cried a lot of tears of gratitude and amazement… always where no one could see me, of course.
Things have been picking up over the last year or so though. Regardless, you’d have to pry me out of here to get me to quit.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with South Miami Taekwondo – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Our motto is “Master Your Life.” That’s what we do here – personal development. The martial arts training is just a catalyst. Of course, my personal belief is that mastery of anything – especially one’s life – is forged with fire. So we work. Hard. But everybody gets a shot. I could care less about metals or trophies. Only about hard work. What I look for is improvement, not a concrete achievement. So if I have a kid who can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time, his rank test is going to look different from someone who is a natural athlete. They both, however, must show me PROGRESS.
And I call ’em like I see ’em. You’re not ready for black belt, you don’t test. I don’t care if Aunt Bertha has already bought plane tickets to come down and watch your promotion. I’ve caused a lot of tears, but I’ve also received a lot of gratitude from people who “get it.”
I teach both Aikido and Taekwondo – but I am beholden to neither art. Nor am I inextricably affiliated with any organization. I teach any technique or concept from any art I happen to dig up on the internet or learn from experience. Heck, I make even make them up! I have been with my instructor for 30 + years because she gives me free reign to do with my school – and my training – as I wish. As long as I’m working my butt off and making serious progress, she’s happy. I offer my instructors the same autonomy. With me, it’s about personal growth – my own and that of my students – not about politics or blind loyalty to any organization or style.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Well, I’m getting old. I’m falling apart and my body won’t do what it used to. Thus, I increasingly rely on my students – some of which are my own kids. My oldest son, Seven, is a 10-year-old black belt. Already, he teaches during classes and accompanies me to my homeschool classes twice a week. His sister Zoe, 8 years old, does the same. They have yet to teach an entire class on their own, but when that day comes, they’ll be ready. I have a 6-year-old daughter, Ezra, and 3-year-old son, Soren, coming up behind them. With our family, martial arts is just what we do. It’s another school subject. My hope is that, one day, they’ll be able to take over when my last body part finally stops working or falls off completely!
I’m looking forward to being an old Grand Master on a cane who is too broken to do anything but speak. I hope they will all still listen to me. I have a lot of years before then, and I’ll have to earn that respect, but I’m working on it.
My latest novel, Drawer #7. You can get it here: https://www.amazon.com/
Contact Info:
- Address: 4542 SW 75 Ave.
- Website: MiamiTKD.com
- Phone: 3052657404
- Email: MasterJeff@SouthMiamiTKD.com
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