Hi Alec, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began training in martial arts at the age of five and was teaching before I could drive. At 20 years old, I began what would become a 12+ year tenure with the largest children’s only martial arts school in the country. During my time there, the company expanded from 2 locations to 8 across the entire Los Angeles basin, and my position grew from a simple instructor to studio manager, all the way to Company Supervisor where I oversaw operations across all schools including instructor training and program creation. My wife, Miranda, and I moved to Austin in Fall 2013 with the intention of creating a school of our own. We wanted to expand how the kids were being taught into the entire family, blending fun and creative forms of teaching martial arts with functional and approachable skills.
We formed The Mat Martial Arts to be just that. After a grassroots beginning of teaching in recreation centers and gymnasiums, we took over a local, already established Krav Maga studio in 2015 that was looking to transform its operations and added our own program for kids. The Mat officially had its own space in Cedar Park! Since then, we have grown into an established brand in our community offering practical self-defense for kids and adults using a blend of principles from karate, Krav Maga, wrestling, boxing and jujitsu. We focus on age-appropriate instruction for children, guided by the various stages of development to provide safe and simple techniques that match the child’s physical abilities and applicable context.
Likewise, our adults focus on the practical application of self-defense for real-world scenarios using principles from Krav Maga in conjunction with wrestling and grappling. In addition to group classes for kids and adults, we also provide private lessons and instruction in specific topics such as women’s self-defense, firearms safety, trauma care and first aid, and Active Shooter/Active Killer Response. Today, we offer classes both in-studio and online through an expansive schedule. We recognize that distance learning will continue to be a part of our community for the foreseeable future so we’ve structured our memberships and operations to account for this moving forward. Students can choose between a variety of membership options to suit their family’s comfort or attendance needs and have the flexibility to adjust at any time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We’ve had obstacles just like most other small businesses. In the early stages, it was about securing a loan to get started. Once we had the funds and a space to establish our presence, it was about shifting the existing culture of the space we took over into a healthier, more supportive one. Staff and customers alike were used to a different approach from previous ownership/management and it certainly came with its own set of obstacles. Fortunately, my wife and I each have degrees in Organizational Leadership so we were up to the task. Less fortunate was the fact that we found ourselves operating significantly under the reported revenue shared during the sales negotiations once we were able to get in and really dissect how the business was performing.
Between the initial financial stresses, new business growth, creating fresh brand recognition and establishing new workplace and member culture, we had our share of rollercoaster-type experiences. In the end, we stayed true to our mission and persevered through it all. Our members stuck with us and the programs grew and so did the business as a whole. So much so that we were able to maintain operations throughout COVID from the onset, having never missed a beat in adapting to new modes of learning, teaching, and operating. And it has shaped our outlook of operating moving forward as we continue to offer online and in-studio training to anyone across the country.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Mat Martial Arts & Fitness?
We specialize in practical self-defense for all ages, three years old thru adult. “Practical” in the sense that the skills and techniques taught are simple and effective and applicable to what is most likely to be encountered in the real world. Our members learn the significance of being kind, courteous, and respectful as the primary form of self-defense, followed by being aware of themselves, others, and their surroundings to avoid potential risks and dangers. In conjunction, they train in physical soil that will establish effective habits in protecting themselves physically should the dangers become unavoidable.
What sets us apart is the approachability we create to the material. The martial arts industry has made its presence in this country by using a lot of fear tactics and shady sales practices to gain business. We are all about honesty and transparency. We teach theory and concepts to self-defense and awareness. We also encourage students to think critically, ask questions, and test theory in a safe space to establish their own answers. their own “why”. By focusing on concepts and principles over specific skills and techniques, we are able to provide a platform of useful and functional knowledge that can be adaptable to different personalities, body types, and scenarios.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Talk to people. Be open and honest about what you seek. Be open and honest with yourself. The more we understand who we are inside, the more we can identify what we want. Sometimes we know it without understanding quite how to articulate it so interact and discuss it with different types of people. Share and give back. Listen to others and have a direction for your path but be willing to adapt and adjust as you gather more about yourself and that plan. Everything will fall into place naturally when the timing is right.
Pricing:
- We offer online and hybrid memberships
Contact Info:
- Address: 251 N Bell Blvd, ste 111A, Cedar Park, TX 78613
- Email: info@themataustin.com
- Website: http://themataustin.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/TheMatAustin
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheMatAustin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/themataustin
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mat-martial-arts-and-fitness-cedar-park
Image Credits
Alec Rains, The Mat Martial Arts & Fitness
