A fourth-degree blackbelt, Master David Popper has the experience under his belt so to speak to share his love and knowledge through teaching, coaching and mentoring students of all ages. He and his wife, Andrea, own Martial Arts Institute North Overland Park. Their path allowed them to follow their dream, and they are now living it.
“My wife and I were corporate event planners for years when we realized the world is not necessarily a better place because we put on sales meetings,” he noted. “You start thinking about your legacy and what you will leave behind, what you did to make the world a better place. A lot of the meeting stuff was going virtual, and we saw the writing on the wall. We retired for a few years then decided to open a martial arts school. After opening our school in 2012, series of opportunities presented themselves and we were able to purchase our current building eight years ago.”
They also offer after-school and summer camp programs which are state licensed programs with the same licensing as any other Johnson County Parks and Rec programs. Andrea handles the accounting and daycare licensing and administrative parts of their business, while David is more involved with the curriculum, teaching and marketing.
He continued, “My path is very different than most people as I started becoming interested Martial Arts in my 30s. I was playing hockey in Chicago, and my kids wanted to do martial arts, and their master asked me if I wanted to do it with them. I couldn’t play hockey anymore, so I came out and started working with them! That was in 1996. I have a very strong place in my heart for parents and kids who train together. There are very few things in life when you are on par with your kids. This can be one of them.”
When he started out, he shared that his family would clear the furniture out of their living room and practice. One of the reasons he has the pricing structure at their school is because he knows how expensive it can get. The most any family ever pays is $300 a month. “So, if you have a couple kids, you may as well jump in for free and do some classes,” he smiled.
He is also very aware of how Martial Arts can benefit children on the autism spectrum or who have ADHD and other challenges. He did his research and read a good article written by Psychology Today talking about how kids with these issues thrive in structure.
“They find martial arts soothing as the routine every day is the same. They walk in, take off their shoes, step on the mats, salute the flag, etc. It’s all very structured,” he continued. “There is not really a lot of time in class where they need to make choices, as the choices are made for them.”
The important thing is that students are out there doing something, whether they are seven years old or 75. He realizes that as we age, physical activities go by the wayside. We lose flexibility and endurance. Even a couple times a week makes a difference and increases confidence. It can be very therapeutic.
“I’ve been doing this long enough that some of my former students stay in touch with me and come in as adults to say hi and tell me Martial Arts set them up for success in other sports and their careers,” he noted.
They also offer women’s self-defense classes quarterly. People can come in to get a refresher course or learn something new. He stresses situational awareness and strategies, avoidance and de-escalation.
“Think about it, when you run away from a dog it will chase you, but if you stand still, he may just bark,” he continued. “We want you to be aware of your surroundings and comfortable with your knowledge. I’ve taught different classes around the city, including Research Medical Center nurses, real estate agents and people in different organizations.”
He and Andrea have a blended family of six, and he treasures time with his grandchildren.
He truly believes Martial Arts can help children and adults alike to develop life-long skills that will benefit them long term and in everyday life with enhanced courtesy and respect.
“From a personal standpoint, it is extremely rewarding to see people do things they never thought they could do and achieve things they didn’t think they could. Once they master a kick or technique, it is theirs forever. They own it,” he expressed.
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