Mention the words martial arts and high-flying, fast action Jackie Chan-style kicks and punches may come to mind. But for Derek Frader and Mark Ten Eyck of East West Karate, martial arts encompasses so much more.
“The physical benefits are actually a small part of martial arts,” said Derek. “It’s also about life skills that develop students’ strength from the inside out.”
According to Derek, East West Karate’s school focuses on developing leaders. Each month, the school emphasizes a different skill, such as confidence, discipline and focus, and incorporates the skill into each class. Doing so allows each student, regardless of age, to see the benefits and positive changes in all aspects of their lives.
For both Derek and Mark, teaching martial arts is their life. They recently took over ownership of East West Karate, and have made several adjustments to meet the needs of the families they serve. Some of these changes include the addition of several classes, such as Hyper (high-performance) martial arts, combat fitness, bully prevention and women’s self-defense courses.
Both Mark and Derek have incredibly personal reasons for getting involved in martial arts. For Mark, he experienced two separate road rage incidents in a span of six weeks.
“Those experiences left me reeling, and I wanted self-defense training,” stated Mark. “Plus, with a family history of heart disease, I was looking for a long-term fitness system.”
Derek’s entrance into martial arts came courtesy of his mother. As a kid, being physically small in size, he got picked on so much he never wanted to leave his home. So, his mother enrolled him in martial arts. Thanks to an incredible instructor, he developed the self-confidence to stand up to bullies and the skills to avoid them altogether.
As instructors, Derek and Mark bring more than 30 years of teaching experience to East West Karate. They both love what they do, being able to help individuals reach their potential not only in martial arts, but also in life. As the new owners, they are excited to bring a personal approach to the school.
“Providing a resource and activity for entire families is such an important part of our philosophy,” said Derek. “We also want to be involved in our community and schools. We’re happy to work with parent teacher organizations, charities and local businesses to make them as successful as possible.”
East West Karate is located at 2910 N. Power Road, in the Bashas’ shopping center. They are offering a special two-lesson trial for $10, including a free T-shirt. Classes are available Monday through Saturday, for students as young as 3 years old, to adults. To learn more, call (480) 218-7777, or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/eastwestkaratemesa.