International Martial Arts Academy

Happy New Year…Year of the Tiger! 🐅

Later in 2022, we’ll celebrate the 2 year anniversary of my private dojo. We’ve continued to train and persevere, year-after-year.
👊🏼👊🏿👊🏻👊👊🏽

With ferocity and fortitude, we hope that you, too, attack the new year like a tiger.

June 1st marks the ONE YEAR anniversary of training that’s been going on at my private dojo! One full year of perseverance. Through a major shoulder surgery, a pandemic, the passing of two loyal dogs, and the death of my father, we continued to train.

Together...week by week...we did it! 💪🏼
We kept going!

May your upcoming Memorial Day be restful. 🇺🇸

The surgery is done. The nerve block administered during the surgery is fading...but at least I can focus on my recovery now.🤞🏼😓💪🏼 Resting up until my follow-up visit with the surgeon on Monday.

This was not only the first day back to training (post-quarantine)...but also the last training for me for a while.😭 My shoulder surgery is scheduled for Thursday morning.😔

I loved being able to train again with these guys—I missed my budo brothers. I’m lucky to have them. Thanks for kicking off our reboot right!💜

Also, it was awesome to see those of you who decided to come train with me at the start of our private dojo on Monday!♥️ Of course, we won’t have class on Friday (as I will have just had surgery), but I’ll see you Monday...all braced up!😣

FYI: I’ll be creating a private page/group soon for those of us who have decided to continue to train.
—Sensei

Saturday was moving day for the dojo—it was a looong day!

Thank you to all of my former students who surprised me by showing up to help (thanks, Jocelyn—you were the only one who knew when we were planning to move)! It was wonderful to see all of you again (even given the circumstances) and to get to catch up with each of you at lunch (thank you, Gaurav). It makes me realize that maybe having a reunion is something we should just do anyway every few years.💛 Having all of you (and even some of your spouses/partners) there was invaluable and meant more to me than you will ever know (Elaine, Neelay, Michael, and Myle).

And thank you to the crew I train with (Chad, Khanh, Brett, Juba, Diallo, and Devin). Whenever I need help, I can always count on you.💜 I needed your physical strength and moral support yesterday and you were there for me like you always are. Some of you I’ve trained with for as long as 17 years—you prove time and again that when the chips are down that you’re my family.

I feel so very lucky. I could not have remotely been able to get done by myself what we accomplished together. Thank you for loving me like you do.♥️

If you aren’t caught up on what’s happening with the dojo, see the previous post—there’s a video I’ve made explaining the factors in my decision and how I’m moving forward. If you need to contact me, email me at: [email protected]

Truly,
Fox Sensei

After owning International Martial Arts Academy for 19 years, I’ve decided to close my business. This has been a difficult, painful decision, but given the conditions that a business like mine has to operate under now and moving forward through the foreseeable future, it is the reasonable choice to make.

Please take a moment to watch the entire video I have made for you (it’s about 12 minutes long). It’s essentially what I told the students and parents at the meeting that I held at the dojo last night.

I will be operating as a private dojo, moving forward. If you are interested in continuing to train with me, information for contacting me (and the manner in which I’ll be choosing students to train) is in the video message attached here. If you know of a dojo family who has not seen this announcement, feel free to pass the link to this on to them.

To my former and current students, thank you for the nearly two decades of loyalty and love. This dojo has been like a family to me. The decision to close this business has been a painful one. Those of you who didn’t make it to the meeting I had last night are being spared the sight of watching me cry...so that’s probably for the best!

With much love and sincerity,
Stacey Fox
Sensei/Owner
International Martial Arts Academy

https://www.loom.com/share/10dcc7bfaed44abcbcdbdcb390bb4394

The Future of IMAA: Moving Forward Check out a video I made via Loom

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there!🌹💐🌺 Here is Sensei with her mom, back in the 1970s.

Governor Abbott will be announcing his plan for the state tomorrow. I’ll make a post later in the week based on the guidelines issued.

Be safe.♥️

An update from Sensei. ❤️
https://www.loom.com/share/18a108631941497cba17c0ab2ff075df

(4/2/2020): A message from Sensei--International Martial Arts Academy Check out a video I made via Loom

Found this on our door—the City of Plano must be making sure that we all know (we’ve been closed...we knew).😕 We’re ordered to be closed until April 27.😳😢 For small businesses, this is devastating.

A message from me...I look forward to seeing all of you (hopefully) soon!

Sensei

https://www.loom.com/share/5ad36186b1064a6b9106e5be78420d08

Loom | Free Screen & Video Recording Software Check out a video I made via Loom

Checking in with everybody. I hope this quarantine has an end in sight. I miss all of you. Be safe and healthy out there.♥️

Thinking of y’all,
Sensei

Reminder: the dojo will be closed this week due to school closures—the recommendation has been to not gather. We’ll reassess things this coming weekend. Thanks for your support!♥️

Due to the closure of all of the schools for 1 more week in an attempt to keep people from potentially becoming ill, the dojo will be closed. We’ll reevaluate (and, hopefully, reopen) the following week.

Reminder: the dojo will be closed over spring break. Enjoy your vacations!
P.S. I am doing well (and am healthy) in Japan.🤗