Today we’d like to introduce you to David Barkley.
Hi David, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a baseball family. That was our world for years — practices, tournaments, weekends at the ballpark. But when I was ten, I realized my heart wasn’t in it anymore. I wanted something that challenged me differently, and that’s when I discovered martial arts.
Because my family was homeschooled, we had the freedom to train together and fully commit to the things that mattered most. What began as my own curiosity quickly became a shared passion. Within a year, four of my brothers and both of my parents had joined me on the mat. Martial arts brought us together in a way sports never had — it gave our family structure, discipline, and a sense of shared purpose that carried into every part of life.
As I grew older, teaching became a natural extension of that experience. I saw firsthand how martial arts could transform confidence, focus, and behavior, especially in kids who struggled to find their place elsewhere. That realization shaped my teaching philosophy: martial arts is a tool for personal growth, not just physical performance.
In 2005, our family took over Rise Martial Arts in Pflugerville, continuing a school that had served the community since 1999. Since then, we’ve built programs that unite traditional karate and taekwondo with a modern, student-centered approach. We don’t charge for belt tests; students advance when they’re ready, not when the calendar says so. Our Warrior Keys curriculum connects physical training with life skills — discipline, courage, and respect — the same principles that shaped me growing up.
My goal has always been to preserve the values I learned as a student while helping the next generation grow stronger — on the mat and beyond it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. We started as part of a national martial arts franchise — a system that ran like a sales machine. Everything revolved around numbers: contracts, testing fees, upgrades, and constant promotions. It looked successful on paper, but it didn’t feel right. Students were advancing by schedule, not by readiness, and that went against everything martial arts is supposed to stand for.
Leaving that model was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever made. We gave up the safety net of a brand name and rebuilt from the ground up — curriculum, culture, and credibility — all while proving to families that martial arts could be done differently. But that break became the defining moment for Rise Martial Arts.
From that shift came the foundation of who we are today: a readiness-based school focused on genuine growth. We eliminated testing fees and built programs that connect training to the deeper qualities martial arts develops — confidence, focus, and respect. Our Warrior Keys framework grew out of that mission. It gives students and families a tangible way to see the invisible benefits of training — how lessons on the mat translate into life skills like discipline, courage, and perseverance.
Breaking away from the franchise didn’t just change our business model; it redefined our purpose. We stopped chasing numbers and started building people — helping students grow stronger from the inside out.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Rise Martial Arts is a family-owned school that has served the Pflugerville community since 1999. Our family began training the year the school opened, and over two decades later, three generations of Barkleys now teach and lead together. That continuity defines everything we do — this isn’t just a business, it’s our family’s life work.
We specialize in structured, age-specific programs for kids, teens, and adults, blending traditional karate and taekwondo with a modern, student-centered approach to personal growth. What sets us apart is how we define progress. We don’t charge testing fees or promote students on a fixed schedule — advancement happens when a student is truly ready, keeping training honest and meaningful.
Our Warrior Keys framework helps students connect the deeper lessons of martial arts to real-world growth, teaching focus, discipline, courage, and respect in ways families can see every day.
We’re most proud of the culture we’ve built: a place where generations train together, instructors know every student by name, and families feel at home. For more than 25 years, Rise Martial Arts has stayed committed to one simple mission — helping students grow stronger on the mat and beyond it.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love most about Pflugerville is the sense of community. It still feels like a place where people know one another — families support local schools, small businesses collaborate, and kids grow up together. That’s rare in a growing area, and it’s a big part of why Rise Martial Arts has stayed here for so long.
If there’s one challenge, it’s the pace of growth. The city has expanded quickly, which sometimes makes it harder for small businesses to keep up with development costs and for families to find the same sense of connection they once had. But that’s also what motivates us — to keep providing a space where people can slow down, train together, and stay grounded in the kind of community that makes Pflugerville special.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://risewithmartialarts.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risemartialarts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiseMartialArts
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rise-martial-arts-pflugerville
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@risemartialarts
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rise-martial-arts-pflugerville
- Other: https://patch.com/texas/pflugerville-tx/business/listing/548641/rise-martial-arts
