Turning a Martial Arts Dream into Reality

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By Ian Hales, on 06-02-2008 08:11

We are always keen at Martial Edge to promote good community projects that reach out and encourage martial arts training to people who would not normally be able to afford it, or who would choose to lead a more disruptive path in society had they not taken up a martial art to channel their energy. Lesley Jackson talks to Mark Pinchen, who is now setting up a community martial arts project in the North East of England

Martial Edge: First of all, can you tell us a little about your own martial arts background?

Mark Pinchen: I started Chojinkai Wado Ryu Karate in my early teens under the great Doug James. I then moved into Wing Chun Kung Fu under Paul Tennet who is a great Kung Fu name up hear in the North East and well respected even outside the Chinese Martial Arts Circles. At this time in the early 1990’s I was exposed to great writers such as Geoff Thompson, it would not be a exaggeration to say Mr Thompson’s books have influenced my life on so many levels. If anyone has not read a Geoff Thompson book, drop what you’re doing and get onto Amazon and order one now! Around this time the UFC was being born in the US, the UFC is now a major brand; it seems that everyone and their granny wants to be a UFC fighter, but back in the day it was unheard of. So I after my exposure to the Gracie clan I started on my path in the grappling arts. This and alongside reading Geoff Thompson’s “On the Door”, I wanted to test myself as a doorman, so I dropped my IT job and started my career rumbling outside clubs. At this point my training was moving away from Wing Chun to San Shou and then onto Thai Boxing at Barry Norman’s (another top coach up North), then I seemed to drop the striking arts all together and train only in the grappling arts, freestyle wrestling and Sambo, alongside BJJ and later MMA. Now around late 1990 I was asked to fight in the Czech Republic by a friend, when I first heard about it, it sounded great and agreed without question. I later found out that it was no rules, no gloves and although biting and eye gouging were banned; I heard the ref turned a blind eye, for want of a better word. Although I wanted to back out the local media had printed a full page spread and I would have looked an ass if I walked away. If you had asked me back then about my opinions on traditional martial arts, my response would not be favourable, now I have come full circle and can see every art has a beauty. I am now a Judo student, not a great one at that but I now understand there is more to martial arts than fighting outside of pubs, it just sad that its took until now for me to say it.

Martial Edge: What first gave you the idea about a community martial arts project?

Mark Pinchen: Not one single thing but more of a sequence of events. First there was a wrestling coach that could not pay the sports centre fees and stopped teaching as a result. Although this seems trivial it was a major blow to him and his students. Other events included my kids seemed to come in from most days school and play on their games consoles or PC’s, I felt that I needed to kick them up their backsides and get them out doing something, so they took up a martial art. I can’t speak for everywhere in the UK but a growing problem up in the North East, is violent crime. Only a few months ago a friend was stabbed to death near his home, obviously this kind of thing gets a lot of media attention but scaremongers tend to make residents think the place is worse than it is. I think having a dedicated martial arts facility that is focused on helping the community would help the area to become a better place to live in. Along with the sequence of events that sparked this project off I feel this project can help in many other ways such as breaking down racial barriers, maybe not eradicating it totally but exposing people to other cultures opens their eyes and minds as it for did me.

Martial Edge: As well as martial arts, what other skills or experience do you bring to this project?

Mark Pinchen: First of all I don’t think my martial arts background has any relevance to a project such as this; I see many problems and maybe some answers, it’s as black and white as that. I have run my own business for many years, granted it was IT related and not martial arts, but I think the mechanics should be similar. I have talked to a few friends that have run businesses and made a profit and they don’t seem to have too much difficulty.

Martial Edge: What martial arts are you planning to provide at your centre? Why?

Mark Pinchen: I want something for everyone. Some people are very physical and others are not, some are competitive and other are more laid back. What we are looking for though is what I like to call a purist; not a Tae Kwon Do instructor that mixes his patterns up with Tang So Do, or BJJ. Believe me I have seen this! Another criteria is that you have to be the best available, when I say the best I mean the most respected in their field or art.

Before I start thinking about expansion we just want the basics in place, learn from the experience and find out some new funding routes. Maybe you can’t learn these things without doing; for example I was talking to someone the other day and they did not mention a funding possibility in a previous meeting because he did not think we would be going ahead with the project.

Martial Edge: Who exactly would this project be aimed at? Why?

Mark Pinchen: In a word, everyone! We will encourage kids from primary schools to pensioners. Personally I would like to break down misconceptions about martial arts, so I will fight the corner of any art that is getting bad mouthed, or put down, no pun intended!

Martial Edge: How will you go about gaining their attention, how would you attract your target audience and encourage them to come?

Mark Pinchen: Most of the instructors we have on board already have many students that will come along with the instructor, these will tell their friends and families, but as for new students we plan to spend a large percentage of our budget on advertising in the local press, yellow pages, the internet and martial arts media. Besides the obvious ways to promote a business, we are also building a relationship with local schools. This will hopefully integrate us into the schools as much as possible; physical education is al lot different now from when I was at school. If I had the option to learn a martial art for a hour or run round the school field, the decision would not be a hard one.

Martial Edge: Have you got any instructors on board yet? What motivated them to join the project? How will you keep them on board?

Mark Pinchen: We will be promoting them as much as possible; this will not only be done by advertising but by personal recommendation from us. We will tell anyone that is interested in that art that the instructor would not be there unless we think he/she is the best around and we will go into schools with this same message. We have many on board at the moment but sadly we can’t use all of them as some teach the same style and we don’t want friction. I think what motivates them is maybe that we will promote their existing school along side the class that they will do for us and we won’t charge them to use the facilities unlike sports complexes. When I sent questionnaires out to instructors I did not mention anything about the perks that may be involved such as free seminars, and reduced rate equipment.

Martial Edge: What events are you planning for your centre?

Mark Pinchen: Besides the open day we are planning, we plan to have seminars on by top athletes and Olympians and martial artists. These things can be fairly expensive; I have been known to spend £60 - £70 when I have attended in the past. This will be a free service to anyone involved in the project.

Martial Edge: Have you got a venue lined up yet, what is it like?

Mark Pinchen: I have looked around at many but I came up with a 1800 sq ft unit off a major road; this alone will attract many new students, although it needs cleaning it is ready to move in.

Martial Edge: How are you planning to finance this venture?

Mark Pinchen: Once we have raised the initial start – up capital of £3000 we will charge a small fee to cover costs and for future seminars and other ideas we have in line. We are contacting my sponsors for help with the start-up costs or donation of equipment.

Martial Edge: What are your motivations for this project, what do you hope to gain personally from this venture?

Mark Pinchen: My motivation stems from doing something without financial profit. The work involved in doing something like this is more than I expected but I am happy enough doing in for free. Helping the community to become a happier, healthier and safer place is profit enough for me!

Martial Edge: What stage is your project at now? When are you projecting to open the doors?

Mark Pinchen: We have done most of the donkey work including the market research, finding a premises and worked out want money is needed. The only hurdle left is raising the start-up, which we have set at a minimum of £3000. This will cover a down payment on rent, equipping the rooms, mats, bags, pads, mirrors and a advertising campaign via the media, internet, flyers and posters.

Martial Edge: What are your future hopes for this venture, where would you like to see it go?

Mark Pinchen: Before I start thinking about expansion we just want the basics in place, learn from the experience and find out some new funding routes. Maybe you can’t learn these things without doing; for example I was talking to someone the other day and they did not mention a funding possibility in a previous meeting because he did not think we would be going ahead with the project. Now he has seen that we have done our homework, he comes out with hundreds of different directions we could go in.

If everything goes to plan and I can’t see why it shouldn’t, (I have not come up against any stumbling blocks yet), I would like to see this type of project running up and down the country. I have been looking at Chuck Norris’s Kick Start programme, on www.kick-start.org that runs through the US and I would like to see our project become as well known as his.

To learn more about Mark Pinchen’s community martial arts project, see his website for details. http://martialart.freehostia.com/

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