Hidden Gems: Meet Cody Coleman of POW! Martial Arts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody Coleman.

Hi Cody, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey in martial arts started later than I had wanted, I was raised by a single mother and we simply could not afford lessons until I was much older as I had been in love with martial arts from a very early age, I mean I was kicking even before I was born! When I was 11 years old, I finally got the opportunity to take lessons. After just a few short months of training (three to be exact) my instructor Scott Reed asked my mother to come into his office for a quick chat. This was not what you would expect it to be as you see, I was a very headstrong and hyper child so this meeting could have most certainly of been a negative one. Lucky for me, it was actually what changed my life forever.

Mr. Reed sat my mother down and said, Ma’am you no longer need to pay for classes. At which my mother assuming the worst asked what the H3ll I had done to get kicked out of here. If I loved it so much why wouldn’t I listen and follow directions. See those were the things that always come home on my report card well that and talks too much. Mr. Reed stopped her to inform her that I was not being kicked out but rather he was asking permission to apprentice for him. I will never forget the words as he spoke them, Cody has something special he has IT, I would like to groom him as one of my instructors, I will pick him up from school, make sure his homework is done get him feed all before he helps me on the mats teaching. My mother believing that “nothing in life is free” asked why what do you get out of it, Mr. Reed replied I get the chance to build Cody into an amazing successful young man and it’s not free he will earn his way with every class taught. To say Mr. Reed was a huge impact in my life is to state the obvious, Scott Reed was my father figure. When I was sixteen, Mr. Reed left his location to work with a much bigger school in town and told me I could stay at our location that his instructor Mr. Steve Westbrook was taking over at that time or I could come with him to the new school. I looked at him and said sir honor to my instructor and away we went, little did I know that five years later, I would return. The owner of the new school said he didn’t need me and that he would give me a two weeks trial period then we would discuss a potential teaching position for me. I went out on the floor to help teach the first class, at the end of that very same class, I was called to office. I was offered a position of assistant children’s instructor.

A short time later, I was blessed with my first child Zackary at the young age of 18, not long after his birth I became a single dad. However, this particular school was not a great fit for neither of us as Mr. Reed left within a year and left martial arts altogether, I stayed and ended up bouncing around to all of the four locations in town helping to get the enrollment and incomes up all while raising my son on my own. Eventually, I too felt the school and ownership was not the right fit for me so I left. I bounced around a lot to odd jobs to support my family. Then one day, I went to a used car lot to purchase a car and while filling out the application, I of course listed my current and previous employment. That previous line caught the attention of the salesmen a one Mr. Thomas Plummer, Mr. Plummer would over time become a very close friend turned into family. He had a son that was interested in taking martial arts lessons but I didn’t have a location or place to train anyone so I said I will come to your house and do one on one personal instruction. Mr. Plummer loved the idea paid me and the very next week, I started teaching his son Chance who I to this day still hold near and dear to my heart as my own son.

Over the next few years, my client base grew and I had students traveling the country competing and making lifelong friends. Then one day, I got a call from my now instructor Master Steve Westbrook, yes the same Steve Westbrook who taught my original instructor Scott Reed is now my instructor. Master Westbrook had opened a new location in Topeka, Kansas and the person who was set to take it over and run it bailed on him to go back to a simpler less stressful job of selling paint. Master Westbrook’s words to me where I need superman to come in and save the day, I was still living in Tulsa my home town and had my fourth child on the way in three months. After talking to my then wife she agreed I could go help but better be home to meet our new blessing. With her blessings, I drove up to Topeka and began the challenge of saving the new location. I was able to keep it open and even better yet one of the students I first enrolled now owner the school! Mr. Mike Lee has always been a loyal and caring student but an even greater friend and I am always proud to call him my student. Once I went back home to enjoy time with the newest addition to our family, there was a shift in my life I did not see coming, divorce. As I took time to try and heal, Zackary and I came to Overland Park to run a location for Master Westbrook. This was an amazing time as this was one of the first times I felt at home. Unfortunately, my mother’s husband passed away and I needed to go help my mother. I had plans to purchase my Overland Park location but could not giving the timing.

After a few months helping mom, I landed a position in Lewisville, Texas where I ran a location while staffing and managing a second location to which the head instructor we brought in ended up purchasing that location himself. I failed as a new small business owner and I ended up homeless with my son. Luckily it was not long that a couple of former students took us in and helped us get back on our feet. Our next move was short-lived in Henderson, Nevada where my close friend and colleague Master Bobby Erdman offered me position at his school or to take partnership in a second location near his. I chose friendship or income this time. Not long after, I got an offer to come to Lee’s Summit and work with an amazing man and martial arts who is well known and respected in the community Master Brian Davidson some of you may know him as “Mr.D” your friendly fighting realtor. While we navigated some tuff times, we persevered and came out the other side in a better place. I chose to move on and landed in New Jersey! At first, when I got the call I said no sorry I can’t three of my kids live in Oklahoma and I simply don’t see how that could work. Then my phone rang and Master Westbrook said “I hear you have an interview in New Jersey.” I laughed and said, “No, Sir I do not.” to which he replied “Yes, YES you do” I informed him that I didn’t see how I could live there and see my children. He said, “I am still waving to hear those two words” I said Sir, I can’t move to Jersey” his reply was short “I’m still waiting” to which I finally said “yes sir”.

A couple of days later, I was on a plan to an interview with Master Laurie Swanson. I spent a couple of days there seeing the sights and meeting the people. We sat down and discussed the offer and it just wasn’t enough to live on and to be able to travel back to see my children, well you see this is a family of Martial Artiest whom the father, son and daughter all own their respected locations and though I was interviewing for Master Swanson’s location it was her father Senior Master McInerney who said what will it take as we are a family and I know you are who we need at this position. I asked for a week to consider it and get back to them, I took three but eventually said yes. It was the best learning experience I could have ever of asked for and the team I had the honor of learning from and teaching beside will always be near and dear to me. I was able to bond closely to one of the fellow instructors Mr. Joshua Eugenio who later came to help me get POW! Martial Arts off the ground. Even though I had the most profitable experience ever in my martial arts career, I realized I need to be teaching one hundred percent what was in my heart. My son was in his senior year of high school and had informed me that he was going to come back to Kansas City for school, I had already bought a plot of land to eventual build a home on and my instructor said it was time I got back in the saddle and be a school owner. Though it was heartbreaking to leave what and who I had grown to love in Jersey, I know in my heart it was the right move. I can never thank Master Laurie Swanson and her entire family for all they did for me.

Now it’s April 2017, I have negotiated my lease but nothing can happen yet as the building needs a small renovation, while I wait I go to Witchita to help a struggling school that Chief Master Westbrook has there. Once things were ready to go, we hosted our very first class on November 1st, 2017. The decision to start the school was not as easy most would think as I still had the memories from my failed attempt at ownership in Texas. Over time those memories have faded and I use what I learned from those times to not repeat those same mistakes. We have been serving the Kansas City metro now for going on our fourth year and could not be more humbled by the support of the community and our neighbors. One of my greatest achievements is owning and running a family-owned business with my son Zachary, to be able to do what I am passionate about and share that passion with him makes my heart smile. As we continue to build back after a very hard year, we are happy to say that with the support from the community and our amazing landlord, we are coming back even stronger and going to be able to help reinforce the core values that get taught at home to so many more families in amazing city.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Like many startups, the unknowns and the growing pains have been and will continue to help us grow and develop. When we first started, my son Zackary was just part-time a couple of nights a week due to his senior year. So most of the operations, enrollment, appointment setting, cleaning and teaching were all on me to get done. It worked but was not ideal as I would double book or miss appointments. I was fortunate enough to get a call from one of the best instructors and young talents I had ever seen Mr. Joshua Eugenio, he was wanting a change of pace and asked if I had any openings. Looking back, my eyes were much much bigger than my bank account, I would have said I would love to have you but I just can not afford you at this time but being ambitious and driven, I did not say that and I got him a truck and trailer and said let’s build this together. He ended up going back home a few short months later. We hope to get Mr. Eugenio back in the future as we always have and always will value him and his contribution to our school.

As you know, we’re big fans of POW! Martial Arts. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
POW! Martial Arts is a family-owned and operated business. We opened for classes November 1st, 2017, and have been serving the Brookside and surrounding community since. We offer classes for ages as early as three years old and as mature as senior citizens. We believe that it takes a village to raise children into positive supportive and respectable adults in our community. One of the unique things we chose to do is to have an open schedule so you can come most any day of the week as we understand life gets hectic and sometimes your schedule changes unexpectedly. Each class is divided by age and skill level so that everyone can grow and learn at an appropriate pace.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Ah luck, I would say more of relationships have played the biggest role as when I was on hard times, my bad luck (self-inflicted) turned the corner of the good luck of knowing good people.

Contact Info:

• Email: powatamartialarts@gmail.com
• Website: powmartialartskc.com
• Instagram: POW! Martial Arts KC
• Facebook: POW Martial Arts