Karate school kicks off new tournament

Not many students can say they own and run a business, as well as say it’s the least stressful activity in their life. Anthony Shaw, black belt Karate Master and owner of Spire Karate School can.

Shaw first got involved in martial arts at the age of nine, and has since mastered the art. In 2006 he moved to Chadron in hopes of joining a new martial arts program.

When he learned there were no karate schools in the area, he decided to open his own. According to Shaw, there were no second thoughts.

“Karate is a way of life for me,” he said. “There is no living without it.”

While being a master at martial arts, Shaw claims to have had little business knowledge.

“Starting a business takes a lot of time and research,” he said. “There are so many little things you forget to take into consideration. The amount of paperwork alone is amazing.”

After taking several business course at the college, Shaw was able to open his business in February 2007.

With an average of twenty students, the karate school is able to break even in costs for most of the year. Shaw reports to have not made much money off his business, but he doesn’t mind. “Passion is key when you’re planning to run your own business,” he said. “You have to really want it. I never did this for the money.”

To pay for everyday expenses and school Shaw works full time on the overnight crew at Walmart. While also running the karate school, Shaw works 60-70 hours a week. He reports to have an average of  four to five hours of regular sleep a day.

“You get out of bed, groan a little, but get your feet on the ground and keep going.”

Shaw also attends Chadron State as a full time student working towards his martial arts degree.

“A degree opens up doors,” he said. “I want to keep teaching martial arts, and with a degree I might be able to teach it at the college.”

Sophomore Sarah Lecher has spent three years attending the Karate School and is now a black belt herself.

Lecher practiced gymnastics ten years before she ever thought to try karate. Her gymnastics teacher retired when she was a sophomore in high school.

By her Junior year she was bored and itching to try anything remotely related to gymnastics.

“I called my old teacher up and asked her what would be a good replacement,” Lecher said. “She told me to try karate.”

After six years, Shaw keeps pushing forward by involving his business in regional tournaments, usually held in Rapid City, SD or Sioux Falls, SD. This year, Shaw decided he wanted to do more than just attend the events.

This year he has decided to host Chadron’s first ever karate tournament.

“As your business gets to be more solid, you want to involve yourself in the community a bit more,” Shaw said. “Tournaments are a great driving force for students.”

Though Shaw has little doubts about taking on the tournament, he doesn’t deny the amount of work it takes to run one.

“We’ve been planning this for two years,” Shaw said. “It has taken a tremendous amount of work, and you can never think of everything. We had to spend hundreds of dollars worth of trophies, craft our own list of rules, and find a suitable building to rent. Just today I remembered we needed stop watches.”

The tournament is planned to be held on September 20th at the Assumption Arena.  A tournament is sorted by division, by age, and then rank. The competitors choose events such as form, point fighting, or weapons to enter and they are judged by the black belts.

“I’m excited to compete but I’m nervous because I’m a black belt,” Lecher said. “I have to face other black belts, and I have to judge for the first time.”

With the tournament less than two weeks away, Shaw is hoping for the best when it comes to attendance.

Shaw states, “I have no idea how many people are coming. With every competitor comes parents as well. It’s open to the public so we have to plan on that also. It’s just a guessing a game in the meantime.”

The way Shaw sees it, running a business or a tournament comes with a lot of pre-planning, research and a large amount of work. Although he claims running the karate school doesn’t feel too much like a job.

“I don’t think of this as a career,” Shaw said. “It wasn’t until I first walked into the school on opening day that I realized it was even a job.”

Letcher claims she could never open her own Karate school like Shaw did.

“I’m glad he did though,” Lecher said. “I love karate. I’ll do it the rest of my life. Spire helped me choose to go to Chadron State, just so I could stay at the school another two years.”

Despite minor set backs and key dates closing in, Shaw stays positive.

“Even if we don’t end up making money, it’s all worth while,” Shaw said. “Everyday is worthwhile.”