Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Bugala.
Adam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My martial arts journey began in 2009 when my parents enrolled me in Tang Soo Do classes to help me learn to better manage my anger and overcome struggles with sensory processing. I fell in love with martial arts from day one, and continued training dedicatedly, eventually testing for my 1st Degree Black Belt in the fall of 2014, and my 2nd Degree Black Belt in the spring of 2017. I graduated from Fenton High School in 2017 and enrolled at Oakland University.
While at college, I continued training with my instructor on the weekends. One of my professors at Oakland was also an experienced martial artist, having achieved his 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo in his youth. He introduced me to Tai Chi Chuan in my first semester at college, and I continued training with him over the next two years I spent at Oakland.
Eventually, I came to the realization that my future lie outside of higher education, and my passion for martial arts drove me to pursue a career in the trades as an electrician, with the hopes of one day opening a martial arts studio to continue spreading the art that I have so come to love.
In spring of 2020, I was invited to test for my 3rd Degree Black Belt. Two years later I took the first steps towards opening my own studio, and in November of 2023 Ironwood Martial Arts opened its doors to the public for our first classes! Since then we have had over 300 people walk through our doors, and currently have a student base of around 50 actively training members working towards their black belts!
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?
I was very fortunate in that my training in martial arts has been part of a larger organization. This has afforded me the opportunity to learn from many different instructors to help me improve not only my Tang Soo Do, but also my abilities as an instructor and a business owner, many of whom run very successful full time programs.
The main difficulty I have encountered has been in that I do all the work for the business myself. As a studio owner, I have learned that there is much more to it than just teaching good classes. Paperwork, upkeep, taxes, enrollment and onboarding, as well as additional responsibilities I have to my organization. What makes it a unique challenge is that I cannot simply hire someone to assist me in my duties, as anyone I did hire would need to come from within our organization to ensure they are versed in our curriculum and are able to pass it on to our students.
I did have an instructor working for me for a time, but life took them in other directions and the work load eventually became too much for me to manage on my own. I sadly had to close some of our classes in order to keep up with the rest of my responsibilities. This was and remains the greatest struggle in this journey, as I am someone who has difficulty asking for help and tries to handle everything themself.
I am very fortunate though to have built such a great, supportive community at Ironwood Martial Arts. My senior most student has stepped up and volunteered herself as my assistant instructor when needed, and my students and their parents have taken it upon themselves to help me in keeping the studio clean. Certainly the greatest challenge in this exciting journey has been learning where my limitations lie, and accepting them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Ironwood Martial Arts opened its doors in 2023, but I myself have been training since 2009. When I opened my studio, it was born from a passion for teaching martial arts, but also to help serve my community, and specifically the youth of Waterford. Martial arts is about so much more than the physical. It teaches discipline, integrity, and respect. My Master Instructor helped instill in me those values during my time training with him, and the results have had a profound impact on my life.
Our studios motto is “Fear No Weather”, and our namesake, Ironwood, is meant to further embody this concept. Our goal is to help our students learn those same values of discipline and perseverance, and develop the resilient traits they will need to succeed in life.
Martial arts training however has changed over the years, even in the time since I first began my studies. Many of my students first begin training to help them develop their focus and confidence. As an instructor, it is my job to continue my own training in order to meet the needs of my students. Over time, I have learned to adapt my classes to make them more engaging for today’s youth, while at the same time maintaining the tradition of the art, ensuring my students understand the values of respect and hard work.
I am most proud of my students’ growth in the past two years. Hearing from out parents about how their child is improving their focus at school, or is showing more discipline and doing their chores at home lets me know that I am making a positive impact on people’s lives.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I have had many mentors during my time in the martial arts. From a business perspective, I am very fortunate to have a large network of professional martial artists and studio owners from all over the United States, and across the entire world, through my association. Many of my mentors are from the Midwest, particularly Indiana and Illinois, as I have a closer relationship with them simply due to geography. But the miracles of modern communications allow me to connect with professionals from all over the world, and our organization offers special training centered on the business operations side of being a studio owner.
In the two years since Ironwood Martial Arts opened its doors, the most important thing I have learned is making sure you are doing it for the right reasons. There is a risk of turning a passionate hobby into a business, and if money is the end goal, the business won’t succeed. In martial arts, there has to be a genuine passion not only for the art, but for teaching and passing it on to the next generation. Because running any business comes with an intense amount of stress and pressure that nothing can truly prepare you for, and you have to have a strong purpose in order to weather that storm.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ironwoodmartialarts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironwood_martial_arts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550259803810
