08/16/2026
What is it like being a Female Martial Arts School Owner?
For years, I've had to earn my place in a field where women are often underestimated. That experience shaped how I teach, lead, and empower others.
For most of my life, I've been the underdog:
A woman in combat sports. A woman coaching fighters. A woman running a martial arts business.
I've learned that being underestimated can become a superpower when you refuse to quit.
That's a lesson I try to pass on to every student who walks through our doors.
Martial arts taught me that strength isn't about being the biggest person in the room. It's about resilience, discipline, courage, and showing up when things are difficult. Those lessons apply to everyone.
People often ask what it's like being a female martial arts school owner.
The truth? It can be challenging.
Not because martial arts itself excludes women. Martial arts changed my life and has given me opportunities I could have never imagined.
The challenge is that combat sports and martial arts have traditionally been male-dominated spaces. As a woman, there have been moments throughout my career when I had to work harder to earn credibility, prove my knowledge, defend my experience, or simply be taken seriously.
I've been underestimated.
I've been questioned.
I've had people assume I knew less before I even opened my mouth.
But I've also learned something incredibly valuable:
Your value is not determined by other people's expectations of you.
It is determined by your commitment to your craft, your character, and your willingness to keep showing up.
For 46 years, I have dedicated my life to martial arts.
I've represented the United States as an athlete.
I've traveled the world competing.
I've coached national-level athletes.
I've earned Hall of Fame recognition.
I've built a martial arts school that has served our community for decades.
Not because I was trying to prove I belong.
But because I simply refused to quit.
And that lesson applies to everyone.
To anyone who wonders if they are strong enough.
To anyone who lacks confidence.
To anyone trying to find their place.
To anyone building themselves after hardship.
To anyone carrying responsibilities and pressures nobody sees.
We all know what it feels like to doubt ourselves.
We all know what it feels like to be underestimated.
That is why martial arts matters.
It teaches us that confidence is earned.
That resilience can be developed.
That courage is a skill.
That strength comes in many forms.
At Total Taekwondo and Fitness-TTF, we don't just teach kicks and punches.
We teach people how to believe in themselves.
We teach children how to find their voice.
We teach teens how to handle pressure.
We teach adults how to become stronger mentally, physically, and emotionally.
And perhaps most importantly, we teach people that they are capable of more than they think.
I am proud to be a female business owner.
But I am even more proud of the culture we have built.
A culture where we all train together.
Where we all support one another.
Where respect is expected.
Where effort matters.
Where everyone belongs.
Because empowerment isn't just for one.
It's for everyone.
And at TTF, empowerment is our standard.
